After their previous adventure in the past (The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming, 2005), Anand and Nisha are thrust into the future in this satisfying trilogy closer. A malevolent force has stolen the sacred conch, and bereft of its protection, Anand’s Himalayan valley home has vanished into magical purgatory. Racing off in hope of rescue, Anand and Nisha find themselves imprisoned in a dismal dystopia. The residents of Coal live in brutal poverty and need masks to breathe their city’s fetid air. Only Coal’s scientists live in luxury, fed and served by enslaved, mute prisoners. Their instinct tells them to distrust the cold scientist Dr. S. and put their faith in the city’s outlawed magicians-in-hiding. Nothing in Coal is straightforward, however: Dr. S.’s harshly rational exterior hides the frightened little girl she once was. The teenagers must race against time to rescue the conch in a world where science is at war with magic and distrust rules the day. By reminding the many villains of the joys of love and fellowship, they just might succeed. Enjoyably sappy. (Fantasy. 9-12)
