Gr 9 Up—Mari, child of a Moon Woman, is also secretly the daughter of a man from the enemy Tree Tribes. If the Clan knew her secret, they would kill her, so Mari's mother keeps her disguised and teaches her how to channel the moon in order to heal. Nik, heir of the Tree Tribes' Sun Priest, is on a desperate quest to find a missing Companion canine when he sees a girl, who appears to be from the Moon Clan, channeling the sun. How can it be? Their paths cross again when, after Nik is injured in a scavenging raid, Mari pulls him from the river and heals him. Nik knows her skills could save the Tribe from the deadly Blight, but will he be able to convince her to help when the Tribe has so many of the Moon Clan enslaved? The two groups will be forced to work together if they are to escape the looming threat posed by the deadly Skin Stealers—but there's no precedent for it and no guarantee Nik and Mari will be able to convince the others before it's too late. While many fantasy series style themselves as epic, this one may actually be worthy of the description. The thoughtful pace, careful world-building, and inference skills it demands of readers render it best for older teens.
VERDICT Fantasy lovers who are fans of Cinda Williams Chima's "Seven Realms" novels will fall in love with Mari and Nik.
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