THE DREAM-MAKER’S MAGIC

How lovely to tumble back into a Shinn fantasy-romance, the final volume in a medieval trilogy consisting of The Safe-Keeper’s Secret (2004) and The Truth-Teller’s Tale (2005). Like the first two, this stand-alone story maintains an undercurrent of magical possibilities that deliciously intersect with the down-to-earth lives of the characters. The often subtle power of the Dream-Maker, whose mere presence can make wishes come true, is at the heart of this lyrically written tale. Young readers will be swept along as two lives unfold: Kellen, dressed “in shapeless clothing suitable for a boy,” because her mother, certain that she originally gave birth to a son, is determined to raise her as one (a premise which allows for an interesting discussion of gender roles); and her best friend, Gryffin, a lame boy, clear-eyed and smart. Shinn has once again deftly mixed magic with human struggles and adolescent foibles, using recurrent themes such as discovering a character’s true identity, the triumph of love and the fight for justice, to create an irresistible read. (Fantasy. 12-14)