Sunday, April 20, 2014

Altered (series Crewel World: Book 2).

Albin, Gennifer.  Altered (series Crewel World: Book 2).  Macmillan/Farrar Strauss  2013  390p.  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-374-31642-6  hs  Science fiction  VG-BN      

Sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys, along with Jost, the man she loves, and his estranged brother Erik, accidently falls to Earth when she becomes enraged trying to escape danger on Arras.  Adelice has the ability to change fate by winding and unwinding strands in her surroundings.  When she accidentally pulls the wrong strand and destroys an aero ship, the three are thrust into imminent danger from those trying to capture her to return her to Arras and those she has alerted to her gift on Earth.

As the three try to find answers
about the connection between Earth and Arras, they are befriended by Kincaid, who offers them shelter and a hiding place. Along the way to finding answers the group uncovers secrets, most profoundly about Adelice’s heritage; meet danger at every turn looking for a way back to Arras to rescue family members; are betrayed by Kincaid; and face difficult decisions that will affect their futures permanently. Additionally, Jost and Adelice end their romantic relationship, and Adelice and Erik fall in love.

The action never stops in this exciting novel. Danger arises at every turn as the trio search
es for answers. Fabulous descriptions make readers feel as though they are in the midst of the action, feeling, smelling, and hearing the events as the characters experience them. Albin’s use of rich vocabulary adds to the greater engagement of the reader. Although I have not read the first book, Crewel, I felt that this novel can easily stand alone. The author provides concise spurts of background knowledge as developments progress throughout the story.

This is the second book in the Crewel World
series. Both books in the series have been recognized as Books of Note.    

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys, along with her boyfriend Jost and his brother Erik, accidently falls to Earth from Arras by means of powers unleashed by Adelice’s rage as the trio uncovers many secrets and experiences much danger trying to get back to Arras and save their families.     

Science fiction                                       --Virginia McGarvey

No comments: