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  • The Crow: The Third Book of Pellinor
  • April Spisak
Croggon, Alison The Crow: The Third Book of Pellinor. Candlewick, 2007511p ISBN 978-0-7636-3409-4$18.99 R Gr. 7-12

In this third book of the Pellinor quartet (The Naming, BCCB 9/05, The Riddle, BCCB 1/07), the focus shifts from Maerad, currently away on her quest to solve the Riddle of the Treesong, to her younger brother, Hem, who is just coming into his own Bardic powers. Although Hem is happy to be out of the orphanage where he grew up, he is unhappy with the strictures of formal education, he misses his sister desperately, and he, like everyone else, is concerned with the unceasing march of the Black Army that is headed toward Turbansk. The evil Dark forces, with armies of brainwashed children, poisonous birds, and soulless Hulls, threaten not only individual lives but also the balance of Light everywhere. Although prophecy suggested that Maerad alone might save the world, Hem soon realizes that his own skills and access to key objects may mean he also has a part to play, though readers may not initially see the potential hope after watching the joyful and defiant spirit of the protagonist get crushed beneath nearly unendurable loneliness, fear, and grief. Australian author Croggon masterfully bolsters this high fantasy with substantial extra material including maps, a pronunciation guide, and intricate notes on the mystical forces that shape these lands; the careful craftsmanship of story and support and the effective use of this installment's—and the series'—considerable length result in a richly developed, engrossing, and epic quest. Fantasy fans will relish the elaborate and vivid settings, complex histories, and the searing emotional growth of both Maerad and Hem, and they will eagerly await the concluding volume to finally see what happens with this land and its people who seem all but doomed, even with the heroic efforts of the siblings.

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