From School Library Journal
Grade 5-9--There's trouble in the Two Lands, a desert country imagined as an amalgam of ancient Egypt and Greece. Parched by drought, its poor and starving people look to their god to find the Rain Queen who will bring them water. Embodied in generations of mortal men called Archons, the god is served by nine young women. Foremost among them is the Speaker, who is corrupt, in love with a power-hungry general, and plots to betray the Oracle by installing a puppet Archon. Before the old Archon dies, he enlists the help of the meekest, newest member of the Nine, mousy Mirany, to foil the Speaker's plans. As the plot twists and turns, suspense is ratcheted up by the use of one-sentence paragraphs and cliff-hanger endings. Mirany grows quickly (and rather improbably) into a tough, wily conspirator, aided by a group of companions, each of whom has a personal agenda. The scribe Seth wants to help his sick sister. Oblek, the musician to the old Archon, wants to meet his beloved master reincarnated in a new body. Both Mirany and Oblek hear the god speak through Alexos, a 10-year-old destined to be the true Archon. Can they defeat the powerful forces against them? Will the Rain Queen ever visit the Two Lands? The answers lie deep in the unknown tunnels and tombs of the City of the Dead. Action trumps character development in this page-turning fantasy, while an open ending paves the way for subsequent volumes.
--Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--Ce texte provient d'une édition qui n'est plus publiée ou qui est non diponible.
From Booklist
Gr. 5-8. The first book in a planned trilogy, this fantasy creates an original world combining elements of ancient Greece and ancient Egypt. Mirany, a shy girl, is one of the Nine, who serve the god-on-earth, Archon. The dying Archon secretly passes Mirany a message: she must find the boy who is meant to take his place and, outwitting those who would seize power, ensure that he is proclaimed the new Archon. Taking up the challenge, Mirany makes some unusual allies as she endeavors to complete her task and, in so doing, end the drought that parches the land. Readers who devour fantasies will find this a well-developed world with its own culture, some sharply realized settings, and several strong, distinctive characters. Even those who have little doubt that Mirany and her allies will prevail will feel a sense of urgency as events hurtle toward the dramatic climax. The evocative jacket art will attract readers.
Carolyn PhelanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--Ce texte provient d'une édition qui n'est plus publiée ou qui est non diponible.
