From Publishers Weekly
This confusing fantasy has some original elements in it, but it ultimately becomes the familiar tale of true knight and his lady. The Badger, son of an unmarried tanner's daughter, is raised in an abbey; Caitlin, with one green eye and one blue, is a sure daughter of the otherworld. Abandoned as an infant and raised in the forest by a half-mad witch, Caitlin herself is accused of witchcraft. When the Badger finds her, she is living in a barrow; returning to the abbey, Caitlin's punishment is imprisonment in the convent of Ninthstile, and it is Badger's duty to see her there. Their journey is precarious as they try to unlock the mystery of the Spellkey. There are only glimpses of a fresh approach in the writing here, which serves to remind readers aware of what the story lacks the rest of the time. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up Because Caitlin has one blue eye and one green, she is suspected of witchcraft and is sent to be shut up in a convent in far-off Ninthstile. Badger, the bastard stableboy, is no use to anyone, so he is sent along to make sure that she arrives. If they do not reach their destination by the new year, they will forfeit their lives. As these two unwilling companions make the long journey through many kingdoms, they gradually become friends, and at last, lovers. Strange misadventures befall them. A mysterious red-haired man is following them. They begin to hear of a Spellkey which ``unlocks all doors.'' Unknown to them, the journey, with all its twists and turnings, is itself the Spellkey, leading to an evil only they can confront. Downer's skill lies in creating unusual characters and settings and expressing them in fresh, striking imagery. It is difficult to forget her king who drinks dissolved pearls, or the hunting party forever frozen in a net of spiders' webs. The robust humor of minor characters such as the Nurse and the Astronomer provide a balancing comic relief. Each of the adventures that Caitlin and Badger has almost forms a separate story in itself, with its own setting and characters. This complexity makes the thread of plot hard to follow and robs the book of a central tension. Still, Downer's odd, appealing characters and haunting imagery will keep readers spellbound to the end of the road. Ruth S. Vose, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
