The Nightmare Ninja

Gr 5—8—In this fantasy set in a fictionalized feudal Japan, Higgins returns to the story of Moonshadow (Little, Brown, 2010). Now a mission leader, with his onetime rival Snowhawk as his partner, Moonshadow, one of the Shogun's ninjas, faces new challenges. Snowhawk's anger at and hatred for her former ninja clan endangers their endeavors, and he must decide whether he should trust her or reveal her emotional state to their instructors. Once again, the two are targeted by minions of the villain Silver Wolf, as the ambitious warlord gets closer to open rebellion against the Shogun. While Snowhawk's lessons in dealing with her fury are a little heavy-handed, the character growth for both protagonists is convincing. The fighting action, mostly swordplay, is fast and furious, and Japanese words are well integrated into the text. Moonshadow and Snowhawk are a great team that shows a friendship between equals of opposite genders without any romantic complications-at least, at this point. From supernatural ninja skills to the political intrigue that drives the plot, this sequel promises that the series is only getting better.—Alana Joli Abbott, formerly at James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT