The Singing

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From School Library JournalGrade 8 Up—In this concluding volume in the quartet, Maerad and her brother Hem face war, flood, and plague as they try to find one other and defeat the Nameless One. Now they have half of the lost Treesong, the powerful magic song known only in legend and prophecy. Both of them have bardic magic, and they are pushed to the limits of their endurance and abilities as they face an enticing and almost overwhelmingly powerful enemy. The grim tone here, particularly as Maerad begins to perceive horrific visions from the past, is consistent with the sense of imminent danger, and Croggon brings together a variety of elements and characters from the previous volumes to build to a compelling confrontation. Her device of presenting the novels as the translation of an epic from a lost civilization allows her to present details about the lives of the characters after the conclusion of the story and provide background information. While not a starting point for new readers, fans of the series will enjoy seeing the final stage of Maerad's transformation from a slave to her world's savior, and they will once again be drawn into this complex and gripping tale.—_Beth L. Meister, Milwaukee Jewish Day School, WI_ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. FromIn the fourth and final book of the Pellinor quartet, the primary focus shifts back from Hem to his sister, Maerad, the series’ heroine. After saving Innail from a desperate attack by the forces of evil, Maerad and her mentor, Cadvan, set out once more on their quest to solve the riddle of the treesong. Maerad and Hem reunite to set their talismans and powers against the increasingly menacing forces of evil. From the refinement of character development to the dramatic portrayal of impending doom, the clearly written narrative creates a fitting conclusion to this epic high-fantasy series. Grades 7-12. --Carolyn Phelan