Exciting stuff, yet again.
This prequel to the popular Nightshade trilogy takes readers to Scotland in 1404, where the Searchers and Keepers conflict begins.
Readers won’t find any hint of paranormal wolves here. Sixteen-year-old Ember, from a noble family, yearns to become a warrior instead of a wife. Her friend Alistair, who secretly has taught her swordplay, happily accompanies her when she joins Conatus, a successor group to the Knights Templar that protects the world from evil supernatural forces such as hobgoblins. Conatus accepts women as warriors, continuing the overall series’ theme of personal freedom, and Ember eagerly chooses that role. She falls for Barrow, her mentor, but Alistair also declares his love for her. Meanwhile, serious outbreaks of wraiths occur, and the group captures a sorcerer who leads one of Conatus’ leaders to Bosque Mar, a strange entity who offers the group revenge against the Abbot who has threatened Conatus. While Ember secretly yearns for Barrow and fights for Conatus, a staged wraith attack convinces some to join with Bosque Mar. Although she gets dates right, the author doesn’t bother too much with historical accuracy, using the setting mainly to provide a fantasy atmosphere. However, the highly readable prose style that captured so many fans for her trilogy is very much in evidence. The resolution leaves plenty of room for more entries.
Exciting stuff, yet again. (Fantasy suspense. 12 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 7, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-399-25613-4
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Life in the seaside village has been hard for Adrianne and her family, even before the arrival of the mermaid. Since Papa’s death, they’ve been living with horrible Auntie Minnah, the village boys ignore Adrianne in favor of wealthier and prettier girls and the villagers despise the whole family. Adrianne gets the opportunity for her dream job, but as soon as things start looking up, the Windwaithe Mermaid comes, summoning Adrianne and terrifying the superstitious villagers. Now Adrianne needs to make a choice between a magical life of undersea romance and the poverty and degradation she knows on land. It ought to be an easy choice, but perhaps not. Lucky, lucky Adrianne. Her magical adventure will bring out her true potential—as a girl who is “quite attractive” and whose outer beauty is now visible both to herself and to the handsome boys of the island. Readers obsessed with paranormal romance could do worse, but they probably won’t remember this for very long. (Fantasy. 10-12)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-09734-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
The scion of a once-prominent, wealthy family, Hector Bell engages in ingenious bartering and wishful thinking to support his wife and sons, Cyrus and Darius, on the decaying estate, while he writes stories no one wants to read. Now it’s time to present the town with the Bell Gift, a requirement of the original land grant, but unlike his forebears, Hector has nothing to give. Exasperated by Hector, Cyrus is preparing to head off to university and study engineering, but his younger brother, Darius, longs to solve their father’s dilemma. When a small earthquake opens up a cave on the estate, Darius thinks he’s found the answer, but each step brings new challenges. He’ll need inventive ideas, resourcefulness and most of all help from his friends to meet them. Much of the pleasure in this ode to “life [as] what happens while you’re busy making plans” lies in Hirsch’s dry, understated humor and his subtly charming characters, who are willing to put up with one another’s foibles and eccentricities, however annoying, for the sake of friendship. (Fiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-935279-65-5
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2010
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