The White Assassin

September 1, 2011

The second installment of The Nightshade Chronicles doesn't disappoint.

Nightshade City is populated by intelligent and long-lived rats who escaped from a lab that was conducting experiments on them and then managed to defeat Billycan, an albino rat turned evil and über-violent by a series of injections administered in that same lab. As this volume opens, Juniper and the other citizens of Nightshade discover that Billycan, otherwise known as the White Assassin, is building an army of swamp rats to retake Nightshade City. They also discover something much harder to believe: There is a traitor in their ranks. Someone is in cahoots with Billycan. Who could it possibly be? Juniper and his friends manage to capture Billycan, take him back to Nightshade City and administer a truth serum in hopes of learning the identity of the traitor. But something strange happens when the truth serum is administered. Billycan seems like a different rat. Has he somehow changed, or is it all an act? Many surprises are in store in this volume, surprises that will cause the rats—and readers, too—to reevaluate their perceptions of family, loyalty, justice and culpability. Wagner's worldbuilding carries readers through these heavy themes with ease.

The ending satisfies, but there are some definite loose ends. Look forward to more adventures in Nightshade City. (Animal fantasy. 9-12)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

October 1, 2011

Gr 4-7-Three years have passed since the underground city of Nightshade was liberated by intelligent and long-lived rats led by Juniper in Nightshade City (Holiday House, 2010). Now, the White Assassin, Billycan, has returned ready to exact revenge. He rules over a horde of simple-minded, savage swamp rats willing to do his dirty work. Carn, whose family was murdered by Billycan, intends to go undercover and capture him so that Juniper can use truth serum on him to find out the plans for overthrowing Nightshade. Carn meets smart and pretty Oleander; teaming up with her and her group proves both beneficial and dangerous when Billycan is captured and dark secrets emerge. When Billycan's son, Julius, who is being raised by Juniper, is kidnapped, alliances are broken, lies are exposed, and lives are lost. Much of the story alternates between Billycan's emerging memories from the time he spent in an experimental lab and the present-day Trillium rats as they try to uncover the truth regarding Billycan's past. Readers not familiar with the first book may find themselves needing further background information to keep the vast array of characters straight. Fans of Brian Jacques's "Redwall" series (Philomel) will enjoy another fast-paced fantasy with dastardly villains and unsuspecting heroes. As in the first book, Wagner has built up to a crescendo climax with a big cliff-hanger that will keep fans clamoring for more.-Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

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