Freeglader

February 1, 2006
Gr 4-7 -In this seventh volume, Rook Barkwater, librarian knight, and his friends make their way from Undertown, through the Mire and the Deepwoods, to a new home in the Free Glades. But that home is threatened by Hemuel Spume, Master of the Foundry Glades, who sees the area as a limitless supplier of slaves. Rook -s friend Xanth is facing a Reckoning for the crimes he previously committed as a former Night Guardian, and his friend Felix, leader of the ghosts of Screetown, continues to disappoint his father, the High Librarian. To complicate matters, Rook loses his memory once again, after being caught in a sepia storm. The fast-paced plot is made up of an interconnecting set of story lines, populated by a bewildering array of creatures that meet in a spectacular last battle. In the epilogue, an elderly Mire Pirate connects all seven books with an explanation of Rook -s family tree. This complex and well-worked-out fantasy world will be clear to readers familiar with the series. A fitting conclusion." -Kathleen Isaacs, Towson University, MD"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2005
Gr. 4-6. In the last volume of the Edge Chronicles fantasy series, a storm swells the Edgewater River and washes away Undertown, causing residents to flee in hopes of reaching the Free Glades. The young Librarian Knight Rook and his companions test their mettle in the unfolding story, which culminates in a battle on three fronts. Even children who have devoured the saga solely for its inventive creatures and headlong adventures will be enriched by Stewart's vocabulary and Riddell's wonderfully detailed drawings. Fans won't want to miss this. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)