Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Alida has spent the last sixty years locked in single room in a human king's castle, frozen in time and unable to properly develop her faerie magic or flying abilities. Just as she begins to quietly accept that she may never see the outside world again, a young servant boy offers her a chance at escape—if she promises to use her faerie [End Page 14] magic to heal his ailing grandmother. Although she realizes she may not be able to live up to her end of the bargain, Alida risks the lie and agrees to the deal; of course, the outside world is a bit more perilous than she remembered, and as the evil king's knights pursue both her and the young boy, Alida is forced to utilize her powers despite her lack of magical practice. Though the tale is touched with sadness, this compact easy reader is lighter fare than the author's recent Resurrection of Magic trilogy (Skin Hunger, BCCB 7/07, etc.). The opening portrayal of Alida's isolation is particularly compelling, and young readers will no doubt feel at first her despondency and then her hope and determination as the story progresses. Unfortunately, the easy-reader format requires a certain amount of brevity, and with so much of the book dedicated to characterization, the thin plot may only frustrate reluctant readers looking for more action and drama. The concluding scene, however, leaves room for a sequel and perhaps more adventure, so young readers intrigued by Alida's mysterious world may well return for the second installment.