لیونز: مروارید سبز

From Publishers Weekly The eponymous heroine of this fantasy, the conclusion to Vance's Lyonesse trilogy, is the quarrelsome, spunky, forthright princess of Lyonesse, who was born out of wedlock--or so she is led to believe. When she discovers that she's actually a changeling left by fairies in place of a baby boy, she sets out, with her servant and companion Pymfyd, to find her true identity. Madouc locates her mother, the fairy Twisk, easily enough, but her paternity poses a problem: Twisk is not certain who fathered her child. After many adventures, Madouc returns home in disgrace. Meanwhile, her uncle, King Casmir, attempts to conquer the whole island of Hybras, on which Lyonesse is located, and thwart the prophesy of Persilian the Magic Mirror that his sister's son would one day rule. He is foiled at every turn by King Aillas of Troicinet and his son Dhrun, who is actually the child of the prophesy, but is older than expected because of a youth spent in the fairy shee (home), where time runs differently. A sly mixture of satire and epic, Vance's medieval tale is a delight. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library Journal YA-- A complex fantasy filled with adventure, drama, political intrigue, and even a bit of comedy. Teens will identify with Maduoc, the key young figure who does not fit in at the royal household where she is raised. She is mischievious, rebellious, and inquisitive as she seeks to learn the identity of her "pedigree," as she refers to her parentage. Gradually the mystery unravels: the daughter of a fairy, Maduoc, was switched with an infant boy at birth. The king must not learn the identity of the other child as he would kill him to prevent the prophecy of a royal takeover from coming true. There are other quests for power--between kings and between magicians and wizards in this intricate tale. Although many students will be attracted by the enticing cover, not all will be able to follow the detailed plot and college vocabulary. Those who do will be entertained by a creative author. - Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. In this second volume of the LYONESSE trilogy, THE GREEN PEARL, King Aillas of Troicinet defends the peace of the Elder Isles against both the Ska marauders who once enslaved him and the wicked King Casmir. While organizing the unruly barons in the frontiers of his land, Aillas goes out of his way to capture the lovely Ska noblewoman who once stung him with her disregard. When he gets separated from his men, his dream of forcing the lady's recognition becomes the toil of dragging an obstreperous captive across lands governed by Casmir's henchmen. Meanwhile, the world of magic has gone on the move. The concentrated malice of the witch Desmei has manifested as a green pearl, breeding lust and envy and death; and a sorcerer in Casmir's employ abducts the princess Glyneth, in a bid to draw Aillas and friends on a hopeless rescue mission across a bizarre and deadly alternate world.