THE RUBY KEY

In this first volume in a new series, the dwindling human race clings to a tenuous peace with the fairy-like nightlings, years after a fateful epic battle. Fourteen-year-old (human) Genna and her younger brother Danrith stumble into this conflict one moonlit evening when they encounter a forest nightling who warns them that their uncle has made a bargain (involving their murder!) with nightling Kai-Lord Letrin in exchange for his immortality. Genna and Dan immediately travel to Arrienda to bravely cut their own deal with Letrin to save the lives of their family and fellow villagers. What follows is an often-suspenseful journey through moonroads and shadows haunted by a grotesque monster worm, warrior ghosts, demon dogs and worse. A sharp-tongued cat offers rare comic relief along the way, though the abundance of fond observations of cat behavior seems excessive. Lisle’s overall clean, casual style sometimes clashes with both a stiffer formality and the occasional bafflingly convoluted sentence. Still, fantasy fans will find both a satisfying adventure quest and the lively coming-of-age story of the reluctant heroine Genna. (Fantasy. 11-14)