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Adanta’s life in the shadow of the Smoky Mountains is wild and unrestrained, almost a paradise for an independent thoughtful girl. But when her father goes missing and her mother follows a sorcerer into the shadowy fantasy lands of the Hidden Ones, Adanta’s childhood comes to an end. Following the trail of her mother’s admonishments into the mountains, Adanta slides into the otherworld of the mountains, one full of spirit people, and sorcerers, where words are magic and superstition is sound advice.
Adanta is a strong, likeable girl, willing to take risks for a purpose but never careless, friendly without being naive. Her adventures are believably grueling; the tension is real, never manufactured. Youmans’s world of the Hidden People, living somewhere behind and within the Smoky Mountains, is a fascinating land with its own logic and reality, and as much fantastic potential as L. Frank Baum’s Oz. The citizens Adanta meets strike a perfect balance between hospitality and alieness. At times it’s hard to say whether Adanta is struggling to fit in a fantasy world, or just dealing with the culture shock of any expatriate in a foreign land.
The ending of The Curse of the Raven Mocker is both harsh and abrupt. The small dose of hope hidden in the larger dose of bitterness may be too much for younger readers. But as a story about adolescence, about the time of life when choice begins to carry real weight and freedom demands real sacrifices, it fits. The Curse of the Raven Mocker may not find a wide audience, but those who do resonate with its promise of change and chance will love this book as few others.
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Sarah Meador/2006 for curled
up with a good kid's book |
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For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews,
visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)
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The Curse of the Raven Mocker