From School Library Journal
Grade 5-9-Fans of Aiken's "Wolves Chronicles" (Doubleday) will welcome this latest installment in the adventures of Is Twite and her cousin Arun, seen most recently in Is Underground (Delacorte, 1993). Although colorful colloquialisms and references to events from past stories may discourage some new readers, those who persevere will be rewarded with a fast-paced story of buried treasure, greedy smugglers, a mysterious religious sect, and a kind of matter- of-fact telepathy. The fanciful, semi-historical setting and large cast of quirky characters add to the story's appeal. Here, the cousins return to Arun's home in search of his mother, only to find that she has disappeared, taking with her a neighbor child. After much searching, a few kidnappings, an explosion, and the uprising of the previously down-trodden villagers, all of the villains are vanquished. The triumph of the underdogs is not without cost, however, for at least one child is dead and many innocent people have suffered. Various loose ends suggest the possibility of a future installment, but whether this book is read independently or as part of the ongoing Twite family saga, it should find an appreciative audience among those who enjoy sophisticated storytelling, inventive adventure, and distinctive characters.?Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Gr. 5^-9. Cousins Arun and Is Twite (who speak through thoughts) stumble into a smuggling operation while searching for Arun's mother, Ruth, who has disappeared, apparently with Is' older sister, Penny, and a mute child. Mysterious Admiral Fishskin and evil Dominic de la Twite, who can block the cousins' thought communication, are among the richly drawn cast of characters. A complex and engrossing plot is grounded in an English landscape that is both physically real and wildly imaginative. Readers unfamiliar with earlier Twite books in the Wolves Chronicles series, which began with
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, will find initial chapters hard going because of the dialect, but persistence will be rewarded: this is an adventurous yarn filled with humor, chills, and melodrama.
Susan Dove Lempke
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
