From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-In the world of Alyafaleyn, the balance of life is maintained by small golden spheres or heynim, which chime in a tinkling cloud over the head of each adult. The village has two misfits, Tamborel, who reaches his teen years without being able to catch any heynim of his own, and Caidrun, who attracts the spheres away from their rightful owners. Strongly drawn to the willfull girl, Tamborel becomes her close friend. Deprived of her beloved chimes by the townspeople, Caidrun grows up angry and restless. When she disappears and bad luck comes to the village, Tamborel sets out to find her. In the first part of the story the two characters are small children; a few pages into the second section, they have abruptly become teenagers. Though Tamborel is the main character, the moody, rebellious Caidrun is the more interesting of the two. The idea of the golden spheres is a fascinating one, and Chetwin has worked out her fantasy world with loving care. Unfortunately, her plot has received less attention, as is shown by a lack of focus and a too-hastily resolved ending.
Ruth S. Vose, San Francisco Public LibraryCopyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 5-8. Caidrun, born with extraordinary powers, must wear a helmet that shuts out sight and sound to protect her and the town's other citizens. Deprived of sensory learning, feared and mocked by other children, Caidrun has only one friend and protector, Tamborel. When Caidrun is provoked, she commits the unpardonable crime of snagging and dispersing clusters of heymin, floating golden spheres that keep the world in harmony. Running away to escape punishment and to find the source of the heymin, she nearly destroys the world. Tamborel finally saves her from herself and releases the all-important heymin. Chetwin describes a complex world with intriguing situations and characters, but for much of the book, Caidrun is so spiteful and demanding and Tamborel so acquiescent to her demands that the reader almost loses interest. This seems to be the first book in a series, and since at the end, Caidrun has found some peace from her inner demons and Tamborel has shown himself to be resourceful and brave, it seems likely that future stories about the mysterious land of Alyafaleyn will have a hero and heroine worthy of mighty adventures.
Sheilamae O'Hara
