In her first novel, Beaverson recasts the heroic fantasy as religious conflict. Linnet, 14, suffering under an abusive stepfather and passive mother, secretly clings to her memories of her dead father and his Truan faith. Truans worship the benevolent “Great One” as the source of the gifts wielded by the magical “lyse,” and are persecuted by the followers of the demon Rane. When Linn’s Ranite stepfather demands that she convert, her refusal draws a severe whipping, leaving an arrow-shaped scar on her palm. Running away, Linn discovers her own gift—the ability to find magical paths. Pursued by the Ranites, who fear her scar as the fulfillment of prophecy, and aided by the otter-like Faerin and the mysterious Thom, Linn finds the lysefolk’s hidden home, only to be assigned a daunting new task: to prove herself a lyse by finding the sacred lake that can restore their failing powers. There she confronts the threats and seductions of Rane himself. World-building overshadows the narrative, cluttering it with confusing terminology and exotic names. Secondary characters are barely sketched, and Linn herself is alternately naïve and suspicious, dithering and stoic, resolute only in her Truan allegiance. Beaverson reserves her most evocative writing for scenes of spiritual drama. Although much of Truan scripture will ring familiar, and the tale is drenched in Christian imagery, the parallels are never heavy-handed; Linn’s story can be appreciated at surface level as a standard Good-versus-Evil quest. The open-ended conclusion clearly points to a sequel. Unpolished, but will appeal to fantasy fans looking for a spiritual dimension. (Fiction. 10-14)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-385-32750-1
Page Count: 178
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2000
In this riveting futuristic novel, Spaz, a teenage boy with epilepsy, makes a dangerous journey in the company of an old man and a young boy. The old man, Ryter, one of the few people remaining who can read and write, has dedicated his life to recording stories. Ryter feels a kinship with Spaz, who unlike his contemporaries has a strong memory; because of his epilepsy, Spaz cannot use the mind probes that deliver entertainment straight to the brain and rot it in the process. Nearly everyone around him uses probes to escape their life of ruin and poverty, the result of an earthquake that devastated the world decades earlier. Only the “proovs,” genetically improved people, have grass, trees, and blue skies in their aptly named Eden, inaccessible to the “normals” in the Urb. When Spaz sets out to reach his dying younger sister, he and his companions must cross three treacherous zones ruled by powerful bosses. Moving from one peril to the next, they survive only with help from a proov woman. Enriched by Ryter’s allusions to nearly lost literature and full of intriguing, invented slang, the skillful writing paints two pictures of what the world could look like in the future—the burned-out Urb and the pristine Eden—then shows the limits and strengths of each. Philbrick, author of Freak the Mighty (1993) has again created a compelling set of characters that engage the reader with their courage and kindness in a painful world that offers hope, if no happy endings. (Fiction. 10-14)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-439-08758-9
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Blue Sky/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2000
Four fifth-graders are recruited by a scheming magician in this hefty bonbon from the author of the Fablehaven tales. At first, Nate, Summer, Trevor and Pigeon think they have it good. Having asked them to help her recover a hidden treasure that (she says) belongs to her, Belinda White, friendly proprietor of a sweets shop that has just opened in their small town, provides some uncommon candies—like Moon Rocks, that give them the ability to jump like grasshoppers, and literally electrifying Shock Bits. When she begins asking them to commit certain burglaries, though, their exhilaration turns to unease, and rightly so; Mrs. White is actually after a draft from the Fountain of Youth that will make her the world’s most powerful magician. And, as it turns out, she isn’t the only magician who’s come to town—not even the only one whose magic is tied to sweets. Filling out the supporting cast with the requisite trio of bullies, plus magical minions of various (and sometimes gross) abilities, Mull trots his twist-laden plot forward to a well set-up climax. Leaving the door open an inch for sequels, he dishes up a crowd-pleaser as delicious—if not so weird—as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . (Fantasy. 10-13)
Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2007
ISBN: 978-1-59038-783-2
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2007
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
