The Jewel of the Kalderash

September 1, 2011

A slambang finale to a refreshingly different fantasy trilogy.

Petra Kronos is determined to free her father from his transformation into one of Prince Rodolfo's ghastly Gray Men. But as she searches for a magical cure, first in the hidden Roma homeland and then back in her native Bohemia, she is caught up in the greater European intrigues of kingdoms, spies and rebellions. Despite the high stakes and epic scope, peppered with real Renaissance personages and events, the focus is firmly upon Petra and her friends and the choices each is forced to make. The narrative jumps between viewpoint characters, sometimes to jarring effect, but most often stays with Petra (who learns to temper her hotheaded stubbornness to meet overwhelming challenges) and the Roma trickster Neel (who is forced to grow up beneath the weight of unexpected responsibility). Breakneck pacing is paired with practical, charmingly unsentimental prose, which renders the rare flashes of dry wit and the understated romantic subplot all the more effective. Short, action-packed chapters lead to a climax of heroic courage, violent horror and tragic sacrifice, and an epilogue perfectly admixes restrained melancholy and tender hope.

Thrilling, heartrending and unexpectedly sweet; Petra's adventures could not have had a more satisfying conclusion. (Fantasy. 11-15)

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

October 15, 2011
Grades 5-8 To cure her father, who has become one of Prince Rodolfo's inhuman Gray Men, Petra will risk everything in this thrilling, heartfelt conclusion to the Kronos Chronicles. Rodolfo is poised to inherit the Hapsburg Empire, and war is coming. As Petra and Tomik search for Fiala Broshek, who created the Gray Men, Neel is pinned down at the Roma homeland after learning, to his dismay, that he is heir to the throne. Rutkoski keeps the focus on daring, clever Petra and her friends amid a backdrop of violent rebellions, necessary alliances, and courageous sacrifices. Bittersweet yet hopeful, with an understated romance, this is a fitting finale for a distinctive series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)