By Sandy Amazeen May 21, 2007, 3:30 GMT
Jennifer Scales is not your typical high school student, sure she looks normal enough but in the small town of Winoka populated by a collection of werecreatures and beaststalkers, few people are what they appear. Half weredragon, half beaststalker, Jennifer has been tapped by the elders of her kind to serve as an ambassador between the were-community and beaststalkers, a responsibility she takes seriously. Taking a group of her closest friends and mother to Crescent Valley, heart of the weredragons sanctuary turns into a major confrontation with elder Xavier Longtail. Xavier makes no bones about his hatred of beaststalkers in general and Jennifer’s mother in particular as he brings to light some long buried secrets that threaten to tear her family apart and that’s just the beginning of Jennifer’s problems. Skip, a werachnid and Jennifer’s ex-boyfriend offers solace and a whole lot more when she wakes up after a strange dream to discover the world is an entirely different place. Gone is everything she ever knew and in its place is a strange new place where revealing her true nature will get herself killed. The only other remaining weredragon is Xavier Longtail who with the help of his lizard companion has managed to escape the werachnids many traps. It becomes their quest to figure out a way of reversing the powerful magic worked by the werachnids and restore the world to its proper order but to do so requires Jennifer and Xavier to put aside their differences and trust each other or face total annihilation.
Third in the series geared toward the juvenile market, this picks up where Jennifer Scales and the Messenger of Light left off. Jennifer suffers the usual coming of age angst while being a bit self centered which helps make a convincing character facing the trials and responsibilities that come with growing up. As with many offerings in the genre, this will appeal to a broad range of readers. Davidson’s quirky humor keeps the tone bright even when dealing with serious issues making for a strong addition to the Jennifer Scales saga.
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