Urchin and the Heartstone is the second book in the Mistmantle Chronicles by Margaret McAllister. With order restored on the island of Mistmantle, the animals are preparing for the coronation of Crispin the squirrel as their new king. As the time for the ceremony approaches, a ship arrives on the island from another island called Whitewings. The crew claims that exiles from Mistmantle are causing problems on their island and wish to request aid from Crispin, specifically that he would send Urchin to Whitewings because of a prophecy of a marked squirrel saving the island. Crispin sends moles to scout the island and verify the truth of the newcomers' stories, but the treacherous crew are not willing to wait and quickly kidnap Urchin. On Whitewings, Urchin finds King Silverbirch believes that he can find a pocket of silver large enough to satisfy the king's greed. His old enemy Granite is in charge of the king's soldiers and would like nothing better than to turn Urchin over to the evil Smokewreath to be sacrificed for magical power. Yet even on this desolate island, Urchin finds friends. Hidden from the wrath of the king are the true queen of Whitewings, her faithful priest, and a group of animals that are loyal to her. When King Silverbirch orders his moles to travel underground and launch an attack on Mistmantle, Urchin must choose between saving his own life or saving the island that he loves.
This second installment in the series is a delightful continuation of the story that I would recommend for ages 6 and up, and my boys and I are looking forward to the third book in the series.
No comments:
Post a Comment