THE BIRD MASTER

The scarily unstable possessor of a stone that grants wishes threatens an entire realm in this second volume in the Song of the Eye Stone quartet from Finland, which is translated from Swedish.

In an entry whose events at times feel too convenient, flocks of suddenly savage birds menace former pearl fisher Miranda (who lost an arm to a shark) and her young charge, Syrsa, as well as the inhabitants of the northern coastal town they now call home. The normally timid dagpies turn out to be commanded by Iberis, a cruel foe who’s using the wish-granting eye stone that the girls have sought to direct both the birds and a cohort of brutal minions. Iberis’ forces are terrorizing the inhabitants of the Queendom; the only hope is that the Queen and her army in the capital will continue to hold strong and save the day. Miranda, who now works as a woodcutter, is tough-minded enough to only be delayed in pulling off a rescue after being paralyzed from the neck down in a bird attack. With aid from Syrsa (who also lost an arm to a shark when she was a toddler), Miranda recovers sufficiently to use Iberis’ own power-hungry behavior against her before setting off in pursuit of the eye stone once Iberis retreats. Get set for a race in volume three, The Scaler of the Peaks. The characters are pale-skinned.

A sequel marked by escalating stakes and terror.