Amazon.com Review
In this tightly woven sequel to
The Singer of all Songs, Calwyn and Co., still flush from their success in defeating the evil sorcerer Samis, are now on their way to the Empire of Merithuros. There, they hope to rescue two small siblings who were stolen away from Heben, a fallen prince with a decidedly suspicious nature toward magic makers. Within the lighter-than-air walls of Merithuros Palace of Cobwebs, Calwyn finds the children she seeks, but also a terrible secret of how these children and many others have been used and abused by the Empire for their power of chantment. Meanwhile, Darrow, Calwyns mysterious mentor and friend, has gone off on a lonely quest to decide the fate of the powerful ruby ring he pried from the dead Samiss finger. The two will finally meet again within the walls of the Black Palace, where Darrow will declare his feelings, and Calwyn will lose all she holds dear, in the dry desert world of the waterless sea.
The Waterless Sea is the rich centerpiece of the Chanters of Tremaris trilogy; answering questions raised in the first book, while piquing interest in the eagerly awaited third novel. Young readers will have their curiosity about Darrows troubled past satisfied, even as they are left hanging in a quietly desperate ending that finds Darrow and Calwyn separated once again. While awaiting the third volume, Tremaris enthusiasts can ease their fantasy jones by checking out the similarly fine Gifts by Ursula K. Le Guin. (Ages 10-14) Jennifer Hubert
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Grade 6 Up–Picking up within six months of the end of
The Singer of All Songs (Scholastic, 2004), Constable has created a worthy sequel. While Darrow has temporarily removed himself from the others to sort out some thorny personal issues, Calwyn and her friends are trying to liberate five chanter children who are being held in the Palace of Cobwebs in Merithuros. Without realizing it, Calwyn has led the others into a much bigger, and more dangerous, struggle for power between the Army and an oppressed rebel faction. Through alternating chapters, Darrow's past history and conflicting emotions regarding Samis are revealed, yet his response to power is still a surprise. Constable's writing is more refined in this book, her setting more detailed, and her main characters are taking fuller shape (particularly Halasaa and Calwyn). Though predictable in a few parts, and with some flat secondary characters,
The Waterless Sea is a well-written story and an excellent fantasy, pulling together issues of identity, belonging, equality, and the environment in a world not so very different, perhaps, from our own.
–Melissa Moore, Union University Library, Jackson, TN Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.