Blackwatch

May 1, 2012
Amid the backlash from the events of Shadowcry (2011), Kate Winters' and Silas Dane's destinies again become intertwined. As a traitor on the run, Silas finds a new goal and purpose in rumors of activity from another of Albion's old enemies--fellow immortal Dalliah Grey, who caused the council a great deal of trouble hundreds of years ago. But heading across the sea to the Continent to join up with her proves difficult when Silas runs into an old enemy from his soldier days. In a parallel story line, Kate's allies find refuge among the Skilled, but she finds imprisonment. In learning why they are so resistant to her, she learns more about Wintercraft and how dangerous her bloodline is. Late in the novel, both story lines finally come together when powerful magic jeopardizes the veil between the living and the dead. Kate's story explores more of the history of Albion, the Skilled and the bonemen. By contrast, the Continental setting is underutilized and under-explored, lacking sufficient differentiation from Albion. The characters that inhabit it--such as Silas' rival and foil Bandermain, the elite Blackwatch he commands and the enigmatic Dalliah--make up for the Continent's lack of personality by providing the ambiguity that made Silas so interesting in the first installment. Fans of Shadowcry (2011) will find the plot improvements satisfying. (Fantasy. 10-15)

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September 1, 2012

Gr 7 Up-Following the events of Shadowcry (HarperCollins, 2011), Kate is on trial for murder-and found guilty by the very people she trusted. Her friend Edgar helps her break out of prison, but while escaping the Skilled (those with the power to see into the veil separating the living from the dead), they are picked up by the Blackwatch, a powerful militarylike enforcement agency. The Blackwatch is also hunting the evil Silas Dane, whose link to Kate may save or doom them both. Orchestrating both hunts is mysterious and powerful Dalliah, who wants to see more of Kate's rare ability to enter the "shadowed realm between the living and the dead" and use that power to speed the veil's destruction. Underdeveloped characters and labored prose bog down what could be a fast-paced adventure. Events of the first book are referenced but not explained, leaving confusing gaps for readers new to the series. Some teens may connect with the story, but if it's Kate's magical talents that interest them, suggest Garth Nix's Sabriel (HarperTeen, 1996) instead.-Brandy Danner, Wilmington Memorial Library, MA

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