From School Library Journal
Grade 6-9-Finola, only child of the king of Irwain, has run away to avoid a political marriage. She plans to recover Gleaming Bright, a magic golden box given to her grandfather by Cathbad, a wizard, and then stolen by Rhegeth, Cathbad's evil student. Wandering through forests and blasted landscapes, Finola finds Rhegeth's keep, takes the box, uses its magic to dispose of the Dark Druid, and returns home-all without any overwhelming difficulty. There is very little tension created, and therefore no believable heroic achievement. While some of Finola's problems (e.g., a threatened rape) assume a certain sophistication on the part of readers, the plot is shallow and the heroine's voice preadolescent. Sherman writes well enough to pull readers into her stories- as in the more successful and original Child of Faerie, Child of Earth (Walker, 1992)-but this book will fail to satisfy buffs of this genre. Finola's quest is half-heartedly conceived, and an air of modern awareness is never far from the surface of the narrative. Thanks to writers such as Robin McKinley, Jane Yolen, and Patricia Wrede, readers have come to expect strength in fantasy heroines, and Finola's passivity and simpering thoughts are discouraging. A white stag with human speech who becomes the girl's protector has appeal, but flounders for a lack of context. This novel has too much that is derivative and too little to create the magic of good fantasy.
Sally Margolis, Deerfield Public Library, ILCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 5-8. This fast-paced fantasy features a princess who flees an arranged marriage and goes in search of a magical box, named Gleaming Bright, which she can use to save her kingdom. As she ventures through forests to find the castle where Gleaming Bright lies, Finola befriends a talking stag, challenges an evil wizard, and learns about her strengths and her weaknesses. At times the plot seems predictable, but Sherman portrays even minor characters so deftly that readers will quickly become involved and, before they know it, will be caught up in the swift flow of the story. Though simple in basic design, the novel's richness comes in its expression of the complexities of human motives, actions, and emotions. An intriguing fantasy/adventure with a strong heroine.
Carolyn Phelan
