Young Ping at last finds a haven for her beloved dragon hatchling Kai in this contrived but adequate conclusion to a trilogy that began with Dragon Keeper (2005). Guided by a cryptic map and a prophecy that the author, for some reason, reveals only in parts and after the events it describes have happened, Ping and Kai set out over vast stretches of drought-stricken land and into high ranges of mountains in hopes of reaching a place where other dragons still dwell, safe from rapacious hunters. Rehearsing previous episodes and running into previously met characters as they go, the two endure harrowing dangers and hardships—and Ping has to make a wrenching sacrifice—before their quest comes to an end. For all the tale’s uneven pacing and quality, Ping’s loyalty, intelligence and tenacity make her an admirable character, and dracophiles will enjoy watching the puppylike Kai at least begin (dragons are very long-lived) to come into his own. (glossary, Pinyin pronunciation guide) (Fantasy. 11-13)
Pub Date: May 6, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4231-1143-6
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2008
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In the sixth, and grimmest, of Morris’s Arthurian retellings, while seeking a certain knight who encouraged villagers to burn her mother and Jewish foster-father, young Sarah ultimately discovers that vengeance is an empty motive. But before that, her own quest folds into another as, after witnessing the abduction of Queen Guinevere by brutal Sir Meliagant, she joins Sir Gawain, his eldritch squire Terence, and an unkempt loner—who turns out to be Sir Lancelot—in seeking Meliagant’s ensorcelled castle. Amid a welter of lopped body parts, powerful spells, fabulously heroic feats, pointed observations of the differences between religion and morality, and startling revelations about her own ancestry, Sarah encounters a colorful cast of true friends, villains both implacable and reformed, and women with minds of their own. As usual, Morris uses a mix of droll humor, violence, and easily likable or hateable characters to hook readers, and leaves them with unusual insights into big issues. Still, this outing will appeal more to established fans already familiar with his Round Table crew. (afterword) (Fiction. 11-13)
Pub Date: March 23, 2004
ISBN: 0-618-37823-5
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2004
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A much-loved humorist and a renowned writer of adult thrillers make a strong combined crossover bid with this compulsively readable prequel to Peter Pan. The plot revolves around a trunk full of “starstuff,” a celestial substance that induces both feelings of well-being and unpredictable physical changes (the ability to fly or to stop aging) in those who handle it. When a secret society called Starcatchers tries transporting the starstuff to safety, the shipment is hijacked for nefarious purposes by the wonderfully named Slank—after which it changes hands over and over as a quintet of orphans led by alpha male Peter, feared pirate Black Stache (named for his facial hair), mermaids, island folk, and an oversized crocodile dubbed Mister Grin are thrown into the never-a-dull-moment plot. Despite continual danger and violence, wounds and corpses disappear with Disney-like speed, and by the end, all the major characters except Wendy and sibs appear onstage (and Black Stache is ready for a new moniker). This doesn’t capture the subtler literary qualities of its progenitor, but readers drawn by authorial star power or swashbuckling will come away satisfied. (Fiction. 11-13, adult)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-7868-5445-6
Page Count: 442
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2004
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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