THE SIGHT

Clement-Davies (Fire Bringer, 2000) returns with another powerful animal fantasy, in which wolves pit instinct against legend. In medieval Transylvania, scarred by human superstition and violence, a small wolf pack flees the tyranny of Morgra, leader of the Gestapo-like Night Hunters. Their newborn cubs are marked by the prophecy of the Sight, a mysterious power that allows wolves to commune with birds, see the past and the future, and even control the minds of others. Pursued by Morgra’s curse, the pack is destroyed one by one, leaving only young Larka. She must endure harsh testing by the elements, elude those seeking her life, and overcome her own despair in order to hone the Sight, and discover the deepest power of all: the secret of Man. In this staggeringly ambitious allegory, wherein myths, history, even the landscape have rich symbolic resonance, Clement-Davies’s reach sometimes exceeds his grasp. His huge cast, while complex and vivid, can become confusing; too often he preaches through his characters, rather than allowing them to tell their own stories. Still, the tale possesses an epic grandeur, and the poetic language evokes both lyric mysticism and immediate passionate sensuality. As Larka’s messianic destiny unfolds, her journey is filled with tragedy, bitterness, violence, and betrayal; but there is also sacrifice, courage, and a love beyond all loss. Above all, this is a story about stories: how they educate, enrich, and comfort, but also entrap within the dead weight of myth. As much as the reader will learn about wolves, close attention will reveal even more about what it means to be human. A flawed but heartbreaking work of imaginative vision. (Fiction. YA)