Barron, T.A. Shadow on the stars.

BARRON, T.A. Shadow on the stars. (The Great Tree of Avalon, Book 2.) Penguin, Philomel. 430p. c2005.0-399-23764-X. $19.99. JS

The second book in the Avalon series picks up where the first left off, and readers will be well rewarded for their wait. Following a harrowing vision of the future that might be from the top of Merlin's Stargazing Stone Tamwyn, Elli and Scree now must part ways as each takes on a quest crucial to the future of the realms of the Great Tree. Rhita Gawr, the wicked warlord of the Otherworld, is moving ahead in his plan to take over Avalon, as well as the worlds beyond, and if he is not stopped, all life is doomed. Tamwyn follows in his father's path up the trunk of the great tree to reach the stars in order to relight the darkened Wizard's Staff. Elli travels through the root realms to find and destroy Rhita Gawr's dark crystal of destruction. Scree comes face to face with a clan of bloodthirsty eaglefolk who have joined Gawr's dark forces led by Queen, the eagle-woman who had betrayed him.

Barron's narrative weaves in and out of each of these tales, punctuated by glimpses into the dark realm of Gawr and his sorcerer Kulwych. The suspense builds as each character battles fantastic creatures and even more fantastic odds in the struggle to save Avalon. Flowing underneath all the action, Tamwyn and Elli struggle to understand their own, and each other's, feelings. Barron crafts vivid scenes with original and well-developed supporting characters, moving the plot at a gobble-it-up pace. Readers are left, once again, eagerly waiting for the adventure to continue. Michele Winship, Asst. Prof., Capital Univ., Columbus, OH