OUTCAST

The fourth episode in this prehistoric epic pitches young spirit-walker Torak into a struggle to keep his multiple “souls” out of the clutches of the power-mad Viper Mage. Unjustly accused of being a Soul Stealer, Torak is cast out of his clan and summoned by the Mage, who inflicts him with a “soul-sickness” that robs him of his superb woodcraft, his intimate awareness of the world and, almost, his ability to tell good from evil. The vividly interwoven natural and spiritual settings that have distinguished this series emerge in long stretches seen from the point-of-view of Wolf, Torak’s faithful four-legged companion. Much of the journey and ensuing confrontation, however, seems distant, filtered through Torak’s sharply felt inner turmoil. Paver moves her cast along, springs major revelations and brings everything around right in the end, but the plot’s most dramatic elements (notably a major flood that is over in half a page) take a back seat to character development. (Fantasy. 11-13)