SPIRIT WALKER

Starting where Wolf Brother (2005) left off, this engrossing sequel reunites young Stone Age survivor Turok with his beloved wolf. Joined by shaman-in-training Renn and harried by mysterious, demonic children called Tokoroth, Turok steals off into the Deep Woods in search of help for the hideous disease that is suddenly stalking all of the local clans. But the quest soon turns seaward as scarred, kind-voiced Tenris, Mage of the standoffish Seal Clan, claims to have a cure. As before, Paver incorporates vivid descriptions of her characters’ woodcraft and other skills, as well as credible views of their oneness with the natural world and animistic beliefs—details that enrich her complex tale without impeding its quick pace. By the end, Turok has witnessed the death of one of the six evil Soul Eating Mages discovered in the previous episode, and learned something of his own eldritch abilities. One baddie down, five to go. (Fantasy. 11-13)