Mistle Child

Gr 7 Up—Silas Umber is growing into his role as Undertaker of Lichport after the death of his father. When he is summoned to Arvale, the ancestral home of the Umbers, he learns that he has greater powers than he knew about as he participates in the rite of Door Doom, which gives him the ability to bind the dead in judgment. Although excited by these powers, Silas experiences the downside as he feels tasked to right an ancient wrong, perhaps at the expense of his own life. Along the way, he makes a friend, a young man like himself, who fled Lichport under shameful circumstances. Lars, like Silas, left a love behind. When the truth of Lars's past is revealed, Silas must make a difficult choice. Dark and gothic, with rich and descriptive language, Mistle Child draws readers in, regardless of whether or not they have read the first book. Teens who enjoy horror stories will relish this dark, ghostly tale.—Kathy Kirchoefer, Henderson County Public Library, NC