Rating: Very GoodHarperCollins Eos, 2008, $16.99
ISBN: 9780061229626
Age/Grade Level: Ages 10+
Age/Grade Level: Ages 10+
Two voices, male and female. One very young (17) and good-looking god - and one bright, beautiful human girl. Olus, the young Akkan god of the winds, leaves his home and travels in human form in search of adventure and youthful companions; arriving in the land of Hyte, he meets Kezi, a dancer and rug weaver whose family are devout followers of their god, Admat. Their devotion is so great that Kezi's father has promised a human sacrifice to Admat if his wife is spared from death through illness. Unfortunately, Kezi becomes the sacrifice and, when the story begins, has only 30 days left to live. Unable to bear the sorrow of her family, she leaves home. She is followed by Olus. They meet and fall in love. Is their love strong enough to enable them to overcome their difficulties? He is, after all, immortal, and she is counting down the days to her death. They can only be together if Kezi is raised to the ranks of the gods, and to do that, the courage of each must be tested.
This deceptively simple story, told alternately by Olus and Kezi, raises several issues: If Admat, the god of Hyte, is the one true god, then how can Olus be the god of the winds? Religious conviction is called into question and does Kezi really appreciate what her life would be like as an "immortal" being? As a title by Gail Carson Levine, this book should gain a readership - I hope that those finding it will see beneath the story. It would be an interesting choice for a book discussion group.
Reviewer: Ros Wilkes, Orange County Public Library/Mesa Verde Branch
