The Warrior Heir

April 3, 2006
An eons-old conflict meets teenage drama in newcomer Chima's engaging but somewhat derivative fantasy. Sixteen-year-old Jack, who nearly died as an infant, maintains a strict daily medicine regimen-but one day he accidentally misses his dose, and that afternoon at soccer practice he injures a fellow player without even touching him. Shortly thereafter, Jack's aunt Linda drags him on a hunt for information about his great-great-grandmother, for reasons she won't disclose. Aunt Linda, it turns out, is an enchanter, one player in an underground magical battle between the wizard houses of the Red Rose and White Rose. Jack too is one of the Weirflesh-the magical beings that live among modern-day humans-inheriting a "gift that is passed from generation to generation in a kind of stone or crystal that sits behind the heart." The houses wage an endless Hatfield-and-McCoy-like duel for control of the magical community, but the number of qualified wizards to play the game diminishes with each generation-making Jack a hot commodity (and his great-great-grandmother's grave contains the sword that Jack is to use in battle). Intrigue in the first half of the story gives way to arena action toward the end. The concept of a "wizard war" may be well worn, and character names such as Nicodemus Snowbeard could likely produce a giggle with long-time fantasy readers, but Potter fans looking for a new fantasy/mystery fix may well relish this tale. Ages 10-up.

Jack Swift is a typical 16-year-old in small-town Ohio, hoping to make the soccer team and catch the eye of a cute new girl. But his life is turned upside down when he learns that he is a Weirlind, a warrior possessing magical powers, and that the feuding houses of Roses desire to recruit him for their life-and-death game of warriors. Robert Ramirez portrays Jack's strength with intensity, but his forceful delivery leaves little room for Jack's youthful sensitivity and confusion. Ramirez's awkward British accents are distracting, but his more straightforward voices allow the provocative story line to unfold. The intricate intertwining of magical and everyday worlds provides depth to this worthwhile fantasy. N.M.C. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine