Briar and Rosethorn are in ancient Chammur, where Briar gets involved in a war between street gangs at that same time as he ends up trying to train a young stone mage that he has discovered. Intrigue, adventure, humor, nastiness, all set against a fascinating culture, this is classic Tamora Pierce.
Briar Moss reluctantly adopts street urchin Evvy, who has a powerful gift with stones. Doing so puts him back in touch with the street life he has left behind. When Briar discovers he must not only protect Evvy but also teach her to control her magic, he's dismayed. This Full Cast Audio production manages Pierce's large cast of characters well, with especially believable performances for main characters like put-upon but good-natured Briar, distrustful Evvy, and short-tempered Rosethorn. (In fact, Evvy's irritable whine is so grating that it occasionally put this listener's teeth on edge.) Narrator Bruce Coville's pleasant delivery still manages to turn up the tension and highlight plot twists while illuminating the humor and wisdom of Pierce's vision. J.C.G. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine
