Rating: Very Good
Eos (HarperCollins), 2007, $16.99
ISBN: 9780060839550
Age/Grade Level: Grades 6 and up
Age/Grade Level: Grades 6 and up
In a world where being magical is the norm, Thea is born the seventh child of the union of two seventh children and the only daughter. There is surprise at her birth that she is not the anticipated 'seventh son', but it is assumed all the same that she has great magical potential. The years go by and she continues to fail at the simpliest of spells; in a final act of deperation, her parents decide to give her 'awakening' a last chance by invoking the great spirits of earlier ages. This works, though not in the way that had been expected, as Thea realises that, for reasons she is only now beginning to understand, she had previously chosen not to reveal her mystical abilities. She decides that she needs to continue to conceal her powers - as a result, she is required to attend a school for the 'un-magical'. At her new school, away from family pressures, she is able to be herself - until the strange "Nothing" threatens the world …... !
Part school story, part fantasy, part myth, this is also a coming of age story. Thea changes from a frustrated - and somewhat depressed - teenager into a young lady with increasing confidence and self-knowledge. There are vivid, lyrical passages as Thea interacts with the mage, Cheveyo and Grandmother Spider - the World Weaver - and more obscure sections where Thea realises that computers are necessary for her magic to work in her world. Despite the stylistic variance, Thea is an engaging heroine and readers will look forward to the following titles in this trilogy.
Reviewer: Ros Wilkes, Orange County Public Library/Mesa Verde Branch
