Island of Fire (Unwanteds #3)

The series appears to have left its dystopian roots behind and developed into a full-blown fantasy saga. Another cliff-hanger ending will keep fans wanting more. New readers will need to start at the beginning in order to catch up.

Gr 4-7--This third book in the series begins in the ruins of what was once the world of Artime, where the residents are now suffering greatly. When their beloved leader, Mr. Today, was killed at the end of the previous book, all of his magic that created Artime died with him. There is very little food or fresh water and things are growing desperate. Two Artimeans are held captive in neighboring Quill while two more are prisoners on Warbler, the next island in the chain. Mr. Today left young Alex Stowe in charge and gave him a clue to a spell that could restore Artime to its former magical state. Alex needs the help of his best friend, Meghan, and Sky, a refugee from Warbler, to decipher the riddle, but both of them have been silenced with a horrible spell that has embedded metal thorns into their throats. Meanwhilie on Warbler, Lani and Samheed literally cling to each other while they are confined in total darkness, developing their own language of spelling by hand and growing closer to each other. Alex and his friends must re-create Artime and rescue those held captive. The book closes with a period of recuperation and a celebration which is marred by troubling new developments, leaving plenty of clues for a fourth book. The pacing is slow for most of the narrative, interspersed with angst that seems unnecessary. Still, there is a lot here to delight middle-grade readers and fans of the series will certainly be glad to get their hands on this installment.--Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Lib. Wisconsin Rapids