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GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER: BOOK
TWO OF THE GREAT TREE OF AVALON
THE GREAT TREE OF AVALON: SHADOWS ON THE STARS
by T. A. Barron
430 pp.
Philomel. $19.99 (to be published October 2005)
Reviewed by John Clark
Middle books in trilogies can be tricky. Not only must they sustain the
story introduced in the first installment, but also they must develop it
sufficiently to keep the reader turning pages before handing everything off
to the last of the trio. Good middle books do this; very good middle books
leave the reader impatient for the finale and keep him or her thinking about
where the story is likely to go for quite some time. I am happy to report
that T. A. Barron has done that and more with the second installment of
The Great Tree of Avalon.
When book one ended, young Tamwyn and his friends had defeated the evil
Kulwych. Moreover, they had freed the Elano-filled waters behind the dam
built with the blood and sweat of countless enslaved creatures, including
the elf Brionna and her grandfather. Life looked better for the reluctant
hero. He had a rocky but budding relationship with Elli and had been
reunited with his brother the Eagleman Scree. Tamwyn was coming to grips
with the realization that he was the heir to Merlin’s staff, something he
had always believed belonged to Scree.
Tamwyn was faced with the disappearance of the seven stars in the
constellation known as the Wizard’s Staff. When these same stars died ages
before, Merlin was able to relight them and restore stability to Avalon.
Now, Rhita Gawr, archenemy of Merlin, has returned and is gathering
strength. Tamwyn, Scree, Brionna, Elli, and Shim must find his lair and
destroy the corrupted Elano crystal the evil one has been able to create.
When book two begins, the party is high in the mountains, atop Hallia’s
Peak, waiting for a vision they hope will help them plan their next move.
Both Tamwyn and Scree manage to undo any romantic progress they have made
with Elli and Brionna, respectively. The frightening and unfortunate events
portended in the vision, which all witness, leave no time for either couple
to repair the damage. This sense of sadness follows all of them through the
book, lending a quality of seriousness that helps make each more real.
The party must go in three different directions in order to have any hope of
preventing the events foretold in the vision. Tamwyn, accompanied by
Battylad and Hennie the Hoolah, must find a way to ascend the Great Tree and
relight the seven stars. He has an additional incentive; he very much wants
to find out what happened to his father Krystallus, who climbed the tree
when Tamwyn was an infant and never came back.
Scree must make a solitary pilgrimage. After seeing a horrific attack by a
clan of rogue eaglefolk during the shared vision, he feels compelled to do
what he can to prevent this from happening. Unfortunately, he is seriously
injured when an evil flower, intended for his brother explodes. Tamwyn takes
him to a friendly clan of eaglefolk to recuperate. Just as he begins to feel
a sense of belonging, the nightmare vision comes to fruition and, lame leg
or no, Scree must follow where his sense of honor and revenge lead him. As
his part of the quest to save Avalon reaches conclusion, T. A. Barron tosses
some interesting surprises the reader’s way, ones that portray Scree in a
different and far more mature light.
Meanwhile, Elli, Brionna, and Shim have been summoned by the Lady of the
Lake, but Elli rebels, feeling a need to return to the Drumadian Compound
where she grew up. Finding another unpleasant surprise there, the party
hastens off to find the Lady in hopes she can help them save Correia, the
spiritual leader of the compound. The remainder of the book takes the three
parties along three different and perilous paths.
At one point, Elli and her companions find they must split into two
separate parties, as a result of an event that will leave fans of The
Lord of the Rings series with an eerily familiar feeling. Elli and her
sprite Nuic soldier on in a frantic dash to find Kulwych and destroy the
corrupt Elano crystal before his master Rhita Gawr can manipulate the
heavens and bring forth an army from another world to do his bidding.
T. A. Barron does an excellent job of weaving the three story lines together
so the reader doesn’t lose track of anything. By the end of book two, you
are left with an appreciation for the gravity of the situation facing each
of the major characters. You also have a sense of hope that somehow, some
way, Tamwyn and Elli will survive long enough to have a chance to enjoy the
relationship that blossomed during their separate quests, even if they only
saw each other in a magical sense.
Among the questions the reader may ponder while waiting for book three are
what happened to Hennie the Hoolah and Battylad after they were separated
from Tamwyn? Who will come to Elli’s aid when she finally faces Kulwych?
Will Scree’s new role allow him to come to his brother’s aid when crunch
time comes?
T. A. Barron has created a fine ride for readers. The events, descriptions,
and maturation of the main characters are all skillfully drawn, leaving the
reader with that delicious sense of reluctance when faced with having to put
the book down and attend to more pressing matters. If you haven’t read the
first book, now is a great time to do so. It will leave events fresh in your
mind as you await the publication of Shadows on the Stars.
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