Thomas Warvold, founder of the land of Elyon, constructed walls around its four towns, ensuring, so he thought, his people’s safety from the dangers in the surrounding countryside. Even before his sudden, mysterious death, Warvold chose 12-year-old Alexa Daley to succeed him. Driven by her curiosity about the world outside, Alexa finds a tunnel that leads her to the woodlands. There, with the help of the forest-dwellers, she passes three trials and garners information and allies to save her country. After a slow introduction, the plot takes off, and the book becomes a real page-turner. Alexa, with her brains, courage and grit, proves to be an appealingly strong female hero and the story, enriched by folkloric traditions and a solid mystery, is sure to engage reader interest. The resolution provides a satisfactory ending, but there are plenty of loose ends to be tied up in the second and third volumes of the trilogy. Here’s a good high fantasy for the girls. Bravo! (Fiction. 10-12)
