Insubstantial far-future adult fantasy, and first of a series, from well-known YA author Yolen. In the distant future, groups of women have banded together in self-sufficient, fort-like "hames" whose populations are maintained by adoption. Here, girls train to be farmers, cooks, medics, warriors, etc., and, under the guidance of the White Goddess ("Mother Alta"), practice moon-magic: chiefly, the conjuring of dark sister-twins from special mirrors (the dark twins materialize only in moonlight or torchlight). A certain ancient prophecy concerns the Anna, a sort of avatar who is destined to destroy the existing society and usher in a new. Young Jenna, who—unusually—has long white hair, shows signs of being the one prophesied, but the harsh old priestess of Selden Hame will have none of it. Jenna and her friend Pynt journey to another hame as part of their coming-of-age rituals; on the way they rescue Carum (a prince, as it later turns out) from vile death at the hands of Barnoo the Hound, one of ambitious Lord Karas' monstrous bruisers. They seek refuge at Nill's Hame, but soon, as Jenna and Carum flee, the hame is attacked and destroyed. The dark twin idea is unusual, yet Yolen does nothing with it. As for the rest: thin and creaky as an old wagon wheel, it just about rolls along.
Pub Date: Oct. 18, 1988
ISBN: 0765367564
Page Count: 260
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: May 12, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1988
A breezy, straightforward approach to time travel featuring unforgettable characters.
In Yanni’s debut YA adventure, four siblings discover a way to travel through time, giving them the opportunity to possibly prevent their parents’ deaths.
After the Fitzgerald children lose their mother and father in a plane crash in 1974, their Aunt Alicia becomes their new guardian. She ships them off to Choate Rosemary Hall, a boarding school in Connecticut. Teenagers Ken, Deb, and Joe and 10-year-old Kim slowly adjust to their new lives; they make friends, and the teens start dating classmates. Joe, however, has a tougher time dealing with his grief, and he focuses his energy on some files that he found in an abandoned campus building. They detail a machine prototype and a “theoretical calculation” for making time bend—which could make time travel possible. Joe, who excels in math and science, manages to develop the machine with help from campus caretaker Mr. Brewster and his own siblings (Ken is studying mechanical engineering). Joe suggests that they go back in time to save their parents, so Deb comes up with a strategy: She believes that stopping the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963 will spark a series of events that will keep their parents away from their fatal plane trip. Yanni establishes strong foundations for all the young characters before the time-hopping takes center stage; for example, Deb writes letters to Denise, her best friend whom she misses, and Ken ditches his plan to join the Marines so that he can look after his siblings. Throughout, the author clearly shows how the Fitzgeralds care for one another. He also simplifies the sci-fi concept by offering few particulars on how time travel or the machine actually work, but there are intriguing discussions between the siblings and their friends regarding the changes that time bending could generate—including the Fitzgeralds never attending Choate. The story’s historical references are mostly solid, although there are noticeable anachronisms, including mentions of Star Wars and the Martin Luther King Jr. Day federal holiday prior to their existences.
A breezy, straightforward approach to time travel featuring unforgettable characters.Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5462-6847-5
Page Count: 208
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Review Posted Online: Jan. 10, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Familiar territory plumbed afresh; fantasy fans should be pleased.
A girl who has been dismissed and distrusted for most of her life must prove herself in this quest novel.
Briand Varryda dresses like a boy and is the unwanted ward of her uncle. Denied education and often even food, she realizes that her only friends are her cousin Bran and, sometimes, the soldier Tibus. Briand can look after herself: She’s good with a knife and light on her feet. But this time, she’s in real trouble. Briand has cleaned out one soldier too many at the card game Dubbok. When Tibus saves her from vengeful pursuers, he has no choice but to then turn her over to Kael, steward of her uncle’s castle—who has a reputation for cruelty and who, with the help of Bran’s loathsome tutor, Nath, is conducting secret experiments involving young noblemen and poisonous snakes. Kael gives her one last chance. Briand tries to go straight; she attempts to do the right thing. But when she intervenes in one of Kael’s experiments, she gets more than she bargained for. By passing a test meant for Bran, Briand becomes a “dragonsayer,” with “the ability to speak to and sometimes control animals of magic, particularly dragons.” From despised guttersnipe, she has now risen to being the kingdom’s last hope against the usurper prince and his deadly Seekers—but that’s no reason for her companions to think any better of her. In this short novel, Ellison (With Tide and Tempest, 2014, etc.) takes fantasy tropes and makes them feel original. The same achievement can be seen in characterization. Briand and all the others are easily recognizable types but still seem unique. Briand, in particular, is somehow not the typical orphan who makes good. This is made possible by the author’s no-nonsense prose and pacing and some astute worldbuilding. The necessary background details (with the exception of some that find their way into speech) are foreshadowed rather than dumped. This allows Briand to forge her own path and for the story to grip and take hold. Although this is the first book in a series, the plot is largely self-contained. Readers will be left with closure but still wanting more.
Familiar territory plumbed afresh; fantasy fans should be pleased.Pub Date: Oct. 24, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5028-7264-7
Page Count: 286
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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