The conclusion of the saga of Alanna, warrior-magician. Previous volumes followed her from being a young girl—who disguised herself in order to receive training in arms—to becoming all accomplished warrior and the lover of both the heir to the throne and the chief of her kingdom's community of thieves. Here. Alanna sets off on a quest for the Jewel of Domaine, accompanied by her latest lover (just what does "rampant" mean?), the Shang warrior Liam. And find it she does, returning in time to save the kingdom and her mage-brother Thom from the evil Duke Roger—whom she kills for the second time. The kingdom in tatters but secure, Alanna decides on a life with George, the now-pardoned king of thieves. An extended superheroes comic, full of slam-bang action interposed with musings about the meaning of life. Justice and true love do conquer in the end, and certainly loose ends are neatly tucked away, but a little poetry and subtlety would have relieved the tedium. Nevertheless, some young readers will rejoice to have the tale rounded out. (Fantasy. 10-14)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1988
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2766-2
Page Count: 386
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1988
Despite the stale fat-to-curvy pattern, compelling world building with a Southern European, pseudo-Christian feel,...
Adventure drags our heroine all over the map of fantasyland while giving her the opportunity to use her smarts.
Elisa—Princess Lucero-Elisa de Riqueza of Orovalle—has been chosen for Service since the day she was born, when a beam of holy light put a Godstone in her navel. She's a devout reader of holy books and is well-versed in the military strategy text Belleza Guerra, but she has been kept in ignorance of world affairs. With no warning, this fat, self-loathing princess is married off to a distant king and is embroiled in political and spiritual intrigue. War is coming, and perhaps only Elisa's Godstone—and knowledge from the Belleza Guerra—can save them. Elisa uses her untried strategic knowledge to always-good effect. With a character so smart that she doesn't have much to learn, body size is stereotypically substituted for character development. Elisa’s "mountainous" body shrivels away when she spends a month on forced march eating rat, and thus she is a better person. Still, it's wonderfully refreshing to see a heroine using her brain to win a war rather than strapping on a sword and charging into battle.
Despite the stale fat-to-curvy pattern, compelling world building with a Southern European, pseudo-Christian feel, reminiscent of Naomi Kritzer's Fires of the Faithful (2002), keeps this entry fresh. (Fantasy. 12-14)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-06-202648-4
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
Well-educated American boys from privileged families have abundant options for college and career. For Chiko, their Burmese counterpart, there are no good choices. There is never enough to eat, and his family lives in constant fear of the military regime that has imprisoned Chiko’s physician father. Soon Chiko is commandeered by the army, trained to hunt down members of the Karenni ethnic minority. Tai, another “recruit,” uses his streetwise survival skills to help them both survive. Meanwhile, Tu Reh, a Karenni youth whose village was torched by the Burmese Army, has been chosen for his first military mission in his people’s resistance movement. How the boys meet and what comes of it is the crux of this multi-voiced novel. While Perkins doesn’t sugarcoat her subject—coming of age in a brutal, fascistic society—this is a gentle story with a lot of heart, suitable for younger readers than the subject matter might suggest. It answers the question, “What is it like to be a child soldier?” clearly, but with hope. (author’s note, historical note) (Fiction. 11-14)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-58089-328-2
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
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