Wolf Star Rise

Children's Literature

The popular British fantasy writer pens the second in the "Claidi Journals" series. Using a diary format as in Wolf Tower, the first of the series, young and spunky Lady Claidis documents her own kidnapping during her wedding to Argul, a balloon journey to a castle prison, and her predictable escape. The unresolved ending no doubt leaves room for another sequel. Attention-grabbing settings (a castle with rooms that shift seemingly at will) and imaginative characters (mechanical clockwork-type doll servants) will excite Tanith Lee fans. On the other hand, there are detractions in the form of clunky, modern-feeling dialogue and the over used journal device for telling a story ("On the stair was this girl with short black hair, sitting crying her eyes out. I said, idiotically, 'Are you all right?' And I took a step out of the doorway—What happened? It's hard to describe it really.") The slow-moving plot and limited surface-level treatment of the themes of problem-solving and self-survival do not compare favorably to the quality fantasy writing of Philip Pullman, Susan Cooper, Lloyd Alexander, J. K. Rowling or Anne McCaffrey. 2000, Dutton Children's Books, $16.99. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Darcy H. Bradley