Rating: Not rated
Tags: Juvenile, Fiction
Summary
In the shadow of an abandoned castle, a wolf pack seeks
shelter. the she-wolf ?s pups will not be able to survive the
harsh transylvanian winter. And they are being stalked by a
lone wolf, Morgra, possessed of a mysterious and terrifying
power known as the sight. Morgra knows that one of the pups
born beneath the castle holds a key to power even stronger
than her own?power that could give her control of this world
and the next. but the pack she hunts will do anything to
protect their own, even if it means setting in motion a
battle that will involve all of nature, including the
creature the wolves fear the most?Man.
In an epic tale of good and evil, legend and history, and
the blessing and curse of an extraordinary gift of the Sight
(an ability to see through others' minds and into the
future), David Clement-Davies obliges the many fans of
Fire Bringer with a new fantasy novel.
The Sight features a Transylvanian wolf clan faced
with the terrifying changes brought about by Morgra, a bitter
she-wolf determined to fulfill an ancient legend in order to
have supreme power over all Vargs (wolves). Young Larka, a
white wolf pup born with the Sight, embarks with her brother
Fell and the rest of her family on an extraordinary quest for
truth and salvation, with shocking consequences that even the
most astute reader may not foresee. Clement-Davies's
multilayered and elaborate plot will keep young readers
riveted for hours on end, drawing on Christianity, fairy
tales, and mythology in a colossal allegory and cautionary
tale for its human audience. (Ages 12 and older)
--Emilie Coulter
As in his Fire Bringer, Clement-Davies's new fantasy novel
features talking animals (Vargs, or wolves, instead of deer),
a militant pack with a power-hungry leader, a prophecy
involving a newborn that proves gifted (a white wolf who has
the Sight, which can be used to see the future, heal and even
control others) and the author creates imaginative
mythologies (here drawing on everything from Christianity to
Little Red Riding Hood). Also, both prophecies speak of a
marked one (this time it turns out to be a stolen human
child) and the revelation of a secret. But readers may find
the creative plotting here even more compelling than in the
author's first novel and the cryptic prophecy's meaning will
keep them guessing. Larka, a white wolf, and her family are
hunted, initially by Morgra, who strives to become the
powerful Man Varg (also foretold in the prophecy); a rebel
pack also hunts them (Slavka, its leader, seeks to destroy
all that claim to have the Sight). After Larka loses members
of her pack, she embarks on a solo journey and finds teachers
who help her master the Sight, using it to heal the "human
cub" and to prepare to face Morgra. Despite sophisticated
language and some complex concepts, such as the origins of
evil, the author's clever plot twists (such as which wolf
eventually claims to be Wolfbane) make the thick novel well
worth the commitment. Strong female characters also provide a
refreshing change to the often male-dominated
science-fiction/fantasy field. Ages 12-up.
Amazon.com Review
From Publishers Weekly
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.