GOLDCLIMBERS

A slow-moving tale about an unhappy apprentice struggling to cope with change and his own hot temper. Aracco has neither the gift nor the desire to follow in his father's footsteps as a goldsmith; he'd rather be climbing cliffs or seeking the lost route to half-fabled Terenger, where the streets are paved with gold. Meanwhile, his best friend Valaren has fallen in love; to Aracco's dismay and hot confusion, Valaren's sister Seri suddenly blossoms into a beautiful young woman and, against all tradition, is accepted into the gold- workers' guild as a fellow apprentice. Valaren is accidentally killed; news arrives that the supply of raw gold may be cut off. Pushed into a rash vow, Aracco sets out for Terenger, braving steep cliffs and huge birds of prey. After several adventures he arrives—to find that the famous paving is fool's gold. Luenn leaves several threads hanging—a hint of sequels—but her characters and their world are too routine to carry readers much further. (Fiction. 11-14)