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The Secret of Shabaz - Jennifer Macaire Book Review

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Review Summary


Medallion Press August 2004, 12.99, 313 pp.
ISBN 1932815090

For seventeen years Tania and her grandfather the elf Birchspring lived at Castle Storm as servants to Lord and Lady Enguarand. The castle was once a mighty stronghold but during the last two centuries, the owners let it decay as the world has been at peace. Rumors sweep the land that a new Dark Lord has arisen in the North. Sir Rengal comes to Castle Storm to tell them that Lord Yalinka of Tattinggil is raising an army to defeat the necromancer; he wants one of Lord Irenstone's descendents to enlist for the cause.

Tania learns that Birchspring is not her grandfather and that her father was the first Dark Lord who married her mother; her mom died to defeat him. Their horse Shabaz is a unicorn who gave up his horn to transport the elf and Tania two centuries into the future because that is what her mother wanted. Tania masquerades as a boy and enlists in the elfin and human army in the Golden Forest. It is only when she is injured and sent to Lord Yalinka to recover does she discover the truth about her parents and the new Dark Lord.

Harriet Klausner

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar


Detailed literary breakdown of The Secret of Shabaz
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%




Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Coming of age Yes
Youngster becomes - great warrior
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Family relations Yes

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status: - champion of justice
Age: - a teen
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - long-lived adults
Profession/status: - mage/magician
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
Earth setting: - during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript
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Joust by Mercedes Lackey
The Assassins of Tamurin by S.D. Tower




Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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