WARRIOR

An exciting and evocative Christian fantasy puts an imaginative spin on the Exodus tale, but it is marred by a confusing structure and questionable implications. By no means a stand-alone, the narrative jumps immediately into action from the close of series opener Starlighter (2010). Jason and his companions are still endeavoring to rescue humans from their wretched slavery to dragons in an alternate world. As the newly hatched black dragon king plots to co-opt the Starlighter's mystical power, his opponents seek his mysterious white counterpart in the Northlands. Five separate story lines follow a hefty cast of both dragons and humans to climactic cliffhangers. If the episodic plot depends heavily on convenient devices, the settings are sturdily crafted, the imagery is exquisite and the themes of friendship, sacrifice and the power of stories are heart-wrenching and thought-provoking. The protagonists, human and dragon alike, are complex and admirable; but despite assurances that some powerful secondary characters are "good" and others "evil," it is difficult to distinguish between their behavior. Both are cryptic and manipulative, demand unquestioning submission to cruel "tests" and inflict vicious punishment for failure. However, much of this disturbing subtext will likely pass by the target audience, who will delight in the wildly inventive worldbuilding, exciting adventure and copious religious allusions. (Fantasy. 12 & up)