The Shamer's Signet [Hardcover]

Lene Kaaberbol (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 11 and up | Series: Shamer Chronicles

Mama turned in the saddle to look straight at Ivain, and her eyes were dark with fury.
"What kind of a man are you-" she began in that voice, the Shamer's voice, which cuts right to the soul.
"Shoot, damn it!" yelled someone from the shrubbery, and suddenly something long and dark was in the air, and there was a whirring sound and then a sickening thud. Mama collapsed across Falk's neck, and the long dark thing was stuck in her shoulder.
They had shot my mother.

When there are only four people in the world willing to look you in the face, losing one of them really hurts

One look into the Shamer's eyes and a person's darkest secrets are revealed. Dina has recently inherited this uncomfortable gift, and now even her brother, Davin, no longer dares to meet her gaze.

Yet in these dangerous times there are far worse things in store for the young Shamer. She is kidnapped by the corrupt Valdracu, cousin to the evil Dragon Lord who once tried to kill her mother. Then she's forced to use her gift as a weapon against innocent people. Dina must get free. Can her brother help her escape . . . before it's too late?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9–In this sequel to The Shamer's Daughter (Holt, 2004), Kaaberbol again delivers a thrilling and sometimes frightening adventure. The story resumes with Dina Tonerre and the other escapees from Dunark living in relative safety among the clans of the Highlands. Her mother continues her work as a Shamer, a person who can look into another's eyes and make them feel shame for thoughts and memories, while she sees them too. When Dina and her mother are out on a mission they are ambushed and her mother is wounded. This sparks a chain of events that includes Dina being kidnapped by the evil Valdracu. Figuring more prominently in this story is Davin, Dina's 16-year-old brother, who tells his point of view in alternating chapters. He is struggling with becoming a man, and desperately wants to prove himself as more than just "the son of the Shamer." When Dina disappears, Davin takes it upon himself to bring her home safely, no matter who gets in his way. Kaaberbol weaves a taut and engrossing novel that is sure to please fantasy lovers. The escapes are harrowing, and the battles will keep readers on the edge of their seats. But they will also appreciate the strength in these characters and will anxiously await the next installment.–Anna M. Nelson, Collier County Public Library, Naples, FL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-9. Book 2 in the Shamer Chronicles, which began with The Shamer's Daughter (2004), is as much a page-turner as the first book. The evil Dragon Lord of Dunkark, who is scheming to take over the land, is still pursuing both the Shamer and her apprentice, daughter Dina. In this episode, the Shamer is seriously wounded, and Dina is captured and held prisoner by one of the Dragon Lord's henchmen, along with a small boy, who is threatened with death if Dina does not obey the villain's orders. Events unfold through the alternating voices of Dina and her older brother, Davin, who is determined to rescue her. Occasionally readers will need to double-check the chapter headings to be sure which sibling is speaking, and Davin's liberation of Dina and the child seems a bit facile. However, there's plenty to savor in the gripping, relentless flight that ensues--certainly enough to leave readers looking forward to the next Shamer adventure. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition edition (April 14, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805075429
• ISBN-13: 978-0805075427
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,513,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lene Kaaberbøl was born in Copenhagen in 1960, with suitable drama: the obstetrician had to rush from banquet and was still wearing his white tie and tails. She was 15 when her first two books were published, and since then she has written more than thirty novels and children's books. She has won several national and international awards for her fiction, and her work has been translated into more than 30 languages. At her recent nomination for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, the IBBY Committee wrote: "She is incredibly skilled at constructing universes and shows remarkable loyalty to her stories and her characters. Lene Kaaberbøl's writing captivates the reader; her worlds draw you in, move you, make you laugh and cry and give you ample food for thought. And it is our assessment that her works have not just national and international potential, but the potential to become classics."

While fantasy is her preferred genre when writing for children and YA, there is nothing remotely fairytale-like about her crime novels for adults. The Boy in the Suitcase, written in collaboration with Agnete Friis, was called a "first rate thriller" by Michelle Wiener of Associated Press: "Written in that sparse, uniquely Scandinavian style sure to draw comparisons with a certain blockbuster trilogy (this is better), this story packs plenty of emotional suspense and interpersonal friction without veering into melodrama."

"I really enjoy writing in many different worlds - including our own - and for many different audiences. I sometimes feel it's the literary version of living in an auto camper: you can always change the view, and you're constantly meeting new people," says Kaaberbøl, who in real life lives in an old water mill in the countryside near Aarhus, Denmark, with her four dogs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great installment, June 7, 2006

By 

Silverhand - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Shamer's Signet (Hardcover)

Warning: Spoilers in text

In this 2 novel of the Shamer Chronicles, Lene Kaaberbol continues the story that first started out in The Shamer's Daughter.

10 year old Dina, her family, and their assorted friends move to the Highlands for refuge from the Dragonlord, Drakan. The story first starts out with Dina and her mother on their frequent journeys that require the Shamer's services (a Shamer is able to look a person in the eye and shame them with past acts.)However, when traveling with a man that tricks them under the guise of a member of the Laclan Clan, an ambush catches both Dina and her mother by surprise, gravely injuring Dina's mother.

When their mother proves to be recovering and okay, Davin, Dina's brother, swears to kill the man who betrayed and then tried to murder his sister and mother. Davin, who is 16 years old, is still confused about his adolesence and tries to make his family proud of him by learning the ways of the warrior. Unfortunately for him, everyone treats him as "the Shamer's boy" rather than the man he wants to be seen as.

While Davin is away, secretly searching for the men who ambushed his mother, Dina finds out his plan and leaves her home to stop him. Soon after, Dina is captured by the very men who previously ambushed her and she shockingly discovers that the culprit is named Valdracu, cousin to Drakan. Her capture soon leads her friends to search for her, Davin being prominent among them.

Meanwhile, a war is starting between Dina's clan (more accurately, the clan that protects her family) and the Laclan clan over a matter of killed sheep.


The story then leads towards rescue attempts, the value of friendship, and the meaning of love.

I believe that this is a great story because of the well written plot and the detailed writing. Kaaberbol understands the feelings of friends under pressure, teenagers, and love when it is strained. She takes her time writing and developing each section of the story before moving on to the next.

Kaaberbol also knows how to keep the reader hanging and just waiting to turn to the next page.

The only problem I have with the Shamer's Signet (the signet represents Dina's apprenticeship to her mother), is that the plot doesn't really have a point. By the end of the novel, most of the enemies are killed or imprisoned and the war is over. How does all this contribute to the actual series? However, not having read the sequels yet (The Serpent Gift and The Shamer's War), I will say that this was an excellent novel.

A must read for teens because the writing is great and the literary quality, wonderful. Not a great book for kids because violence and cruelty are very prominent in this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Shamer's Signet, August 6, 2005

By 

S. Calahan "Jumper girl" (Kentucky) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Shamer's Signet (Hardcover)

Wow! I love this series. It just keeps getting better and better. Dina and Davin have more adventure in this book. I was left wanting more when I finished this book. This is a wonderly written story with great imagination. Yet it is something we can relate to. The look one is given when a teacher or a parent knows you have done wrong can bring shame to us even without the shamer's eyes. I think that even though I would call this book a fantasy it also holds so many truths. If you haven't read the Shamer's Daughter I strongly suggest you do and then read the Shamer's Signet. I can also tell you that book 3 and 4, The Serpent Gift and The Shamer's War, are just as good and maybe better. Read them all and enjoy!

4.0 out of 5 stars Shamer Chonicles, November 20, 2007

By 

Amanda Aker (OK, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Shamer's Signet (Shamer Chronicles) (Paperback)

This is a wonderful series for teens and adults alike. I found this in the juvenile section of the library, but it is wonderful for moms like me. If you like the pace of Harry Potter books (especially the earlier ones) then you'll love the entire Shamer series. This is a fun must read.