Those who thrilled to Hale’s re-imagining of The Goose Girl (2003) will probably be as delighted with this sequel, as Enna the forest girl takes the stage. Enna (once the closest companion to Isi, formerly the Goose Girl and now queen) watches, not understanding, as her brother learns to control fire, to hold it within himself, and to send it forth as he wills. When he chooses to consume himself in battle, she takes on his gift. Extraordinary images of fire, heat, and light fill this slightly overlong tale. Enna’s fire can be seen as desire, or a drug, or the will to power, or simply as a gift that must be made manifest. Hale’s burning prose, while weighted to talk rather than action, allows for many themes: the devoted friendship between women, as Isi and Enna risk their lives for each other; the appeal of the bad boy, as the soldier who holds Enna prisoner also lays dark siege to her heart; the gentle, devoted suitor Finn, who always manages to find a place by Enna’s side to do what needs to be done. Powerful and romantic. (Fiction. YA)
Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2004
ISBN: 1-58234-889-8
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2004
Categories: CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION
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How do super-villains become super-villains? Apparently, graduating from H.I.V.E. would be a good start. This fun romp starts with the arrival of a new class of students, kidnapped out of their daily lives and whisked away to an unknown hidden island. Whether sent by super-villain parents or snatched out of an orphanage because of a precocious prank on the Prime Minister of England, these teens must adapt to a new curriculum, consisting of Villainy Studies and Stealth & Evasion 101 in lieu of the traditional three Rs. Of course, some things never change—living up to a parent’s reputation, dealing with the bullies from the Brute Squad and making new friends are part of every teen’s life. And while some students are clearly happy to be where they are, there are those who are looking for a way out—any way out. This is a fun, intelligent and rapid read, an astringent breath of fresh air, in counterpoint to the sweetness of Hogwarts. Technology replaces magic, and brains are the key asset. This is Walden’s first novel, but clearly not his last, as this is a six-year program. Let the adventure begin! (Fiction. YA)
Pub Date: May 22, 2007
ISBN: 978-1-4169-3571-1
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2007
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In a prequel to The Ice Bear (1986), Siri’s people live in the frozen Starkland settlement, residing peacefully with the primitive Furfolk, who communicate by whuffles and grunts. Siri’s Uncle Thorvald plans to convince the king to rescind their people’s banishment to that remote arctic isle with the gift of an ice bear and its cubs. To do this he needs the help of his friend, a Furfolk man, who can handle the bear on the long sea journey; Siri accompanies them disguised as one of the Furfolk man’s children. But when the king insists that the Furfolk man stay with the bear, Thorvald is forced to betray his friend for the sake of his people, while Siri chooses to betray Thorvald for her new Furfolk friends. Her allegiances have shifted during the course of the journey, and in the end it is left unclear whether her people will try to destroy the Furfolk, and what Siri can do to stop them. This complex, atmospheric morality tale offers no easy answers, and takes place in a world that is alien and exotic. (Fiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Aug. 26, 1999
ISBN: 0-688-16602-4
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1999
Categories: CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS
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