River secrets

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River secrets

Title:

River secrets

Author:

Hale, Shannon, author.

Series:

Books of Bayern ;

Series Number:

Summary:

Young Razo travels from Bayern to Tira at war's end as part of a diplomatic corps, but mysterious events in the Tiran capital fuel suspicions and Razo must spy out who is responsible before he becomes trapped in an enemy land.

General Note:

Reprint. Originally published: 2006.

Edition:

Pbk. ed.

Physical Description:

290 p. ; maps ; 20 cm.

Genre:

Fantasy fiction.

Subject Term:

Diplomacy -- Fiction.

Spies -- Fiction.

Self-esteem -- Fiction.

Nature -- Effect of human beings on -- Fiction.

Publisher:

Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children's Books,

Publication Date:

2008

2006

ISBN:

9781599902937

Publication Information:

New York : Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children's Books, 2008, c2006.

Call Number:

YA HALE

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003061044	Young Adult	HALE	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

Razo has always thought of himself as pretty much useless-too short, too weak, too slow-only good for catching with his sling the odd squirrel for his mother's cookpot. But when he is asked to join the king's soldiers on a peacekeeping mission and the peace they are sent to protect is being sabotaged, Razo finds that his squirrel-killing talents come in handy, and his way of noticing the unusual, thinking through to the truth, and befriending the unlikeliest of people will serve him better than anyone could have predicted.

Set in the magical lands introduced in the acclaimed novel, The Goose Girl, River Secrets is a mystery and a coming-of-age tale that is impossible to put down. Shannon Hale's lyrical writing, unforgettable, characters and intriguing setting give this book the timeless quality that any classic must have.

Author Notes

Shannon Hale was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on January 26, 1974. She received a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Utah and a master's degree in creative writing from the University of Montana. Her first book, The Goose Girl, was published in 2003. She writes for both adults and young adults. Her adult books include Austenland, Midnight in Austenland, and The Actor and the Housewife. Her young adult books include Book of a Thousand Days, Princess Academy, Palace of Stone, and the Ever after High series. She co-wrote the graphic novels Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack with husband Dean Hale.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 6-10-A companion to The Goose Girl (2003) and Enna Burning (2004, both Bloomsbury). Enna and Isi's friend Razo is small and bullied; he has always considered himself pretty useless, so he is thrilled to be chosen as one of a hundred Bayern soldiers accompanying an ambassador on a peacekeeping mission to the Tiran capital. Tirans lost the war with Bayern, largely due to Enna's forbidding ability to burn people, and their army was shamed. When Razo discovers burned bodies, he first fears that Enna has reneged on her promise to stop using her powers, then realizes that she isn't guilty. In this part mystery, part coming-of-age story, Razo learns why he is so important to the king's mission. He befriends Lady Dasha, the daughter of the ambassador who was sent in exchange to Bayern. Like Enna and Isi, she is a young woman with elemental powers. The burner is exposed and captured; peace is assured, as is the romance between Razo and Dasha. Hale's portrayal of a group of extremist Tirans for whom war is sacred and putting one's life in peril is honorable connects the story's medieval folkloric setting with today's news in a chilling way. As in the companion books, this high fantasy is rich in detail and lyrical in writing. While it helps to have read the two previous books, River Secrets stands on its own. But fans of the genre will no doubt rejoice in immersing themselves in this magical world by reading all three.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

Razo, this winning novel's endearing protagonist, first brought to life as a minor character in Hale's The Goose Girl, here gets his own story. Now a confidante of Queen Isi, Razo was originally a simple forest boy whose major skill is using a slingshot to hunt squirrels. Short in stature and low in confidence, he is asked to join a mission of peace between his own kingdom of Bayern, and the enemy kingdom of Tira. Razo is then selected to become a spy because of his unassuming nature and powers of observation. He soon discovers that traitors in the Tiran army are trying to re-ignite the war, literally, by leaving charred remains of bodies an act they hope to pin on another envoy from Bayern Razo's friend Enna (from Enna Burning). This mystery unfolds along with charming friendships among Razo and his comrades, who lovingly tease him when he is the last to realize he has fallen in love with Dasha, the striking orange-haired daughter of the Tiran ambassador to Bayern, and has grown in height as well as self-assurance. This novel will be a special treat for readers of Hale's other two companion books, but it also stands on its own as a unique and tender coming-of-age story. Ages 12-up. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved