Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Despite victory over the evil White Worm (in Watersmeet, BCCB 6/09), the town of Watersmeet hasn’t returned to its idyllic state. Refugees from the war-torn lands of southern Vrania are flooding into town, bringing attacks from vicious überwolves, while the town is already struggling to feed its native residents. As the daughter of a Vranian healer and Watersmeet’s recently fallen hero, Abisina is intent on uniting the southern and northern lands, but when her efforts to keep the border open are opposed by Watersmeet’s leaders, she decides to return to Vrania to try a different tactic. Complicating matters is her sudden ability to shapeshift into a centaur, a transformation that will make her discussions with the human-centric leaders of Vrania even more tense. Knowledge of the first installment is a must in this case, as readers unfamiliar with the book’s predecessor will struggle to understand the complicated politics of Vrania and Watersmeet as well as Abisina’s place in it. As it is, the message-laden narrative gets off to a choppy start with our protagonist dramatically lamenting the ills of discrimination, but it falls into a smoother pace once Abisina’s journey south results in more action and less talking. The supporting cast of dwarves, fauns, and centaurs is quirkily endearing, and the camaraderie among Abisina’s ragtag group of friends is a warm—if somewhat obvious—touch. Readers looking for a more nuanced look at the politics of the Other may want to check out Lena Coakley’s recent Witchlanders (BCCB 9/11), but fans of Watersmeet will be pleased to see its sequel.