Julie Hahnke

I only gave this one three stars because of the beginning. It moved very slowly for the first few chapters, as she read the diary and studied, it was too slow for me, however the ending made up for that. The last few chapters moved at more my speed, and intrigued me.

I really like the way the author made it so different from the norm. There is no bad guy and good guy. There are just two sides who both feel they are right. And the only thing that makes either side wrong is their violence toward each other.… (mais)

Eleven-year-old Angus finds himself the sole surviving member of his clan, when Black Duncan Campbell invades Macnab land, claiming it for his own. The aunt and uncle with whom he lived after the death of his parents, his cousin Brian of Loch Dochart Castle, and Smooth John himself - the Chief of Clan Macnab - had all been murdered, together with their families and dependents. On his own in the dangerous world of 16th-century Scotland, Angus must find a way to win back the symbols of his Macnab heritage - the family seal, the crozier of St. Killan, and the chief's sword - and bring the Duncan to justice. An impossible task, were it not for the assistance of three magical animal friends: Pip the luna moth, Tethera the pine marten, and Yann the goshawk.

The first in The Wolf's Apprentice series, Julie Hahnke's The Grey Ghost is an engaging historical-fantasy for young readers, and will appeal to children who enjoy animal-fantasy, or who have an interest in the history of the Highlands. I know very little of this period of history, and found myself wondering how closely Hahnke - herself descended from Clan Macnab - followed actual events. However that may be, this was an engaging story, and provided a quick and satisfactory read. I did have my doubts at the beginning, put off by a few odd word choices, but was soon involved in the narrative.

On the whole, I also enjoyed Marcia Christensen's accompanying illustrations, although a few of the full-page spreads - particularly the one depicting the burning of Angus' cottage - seemed a little crude in style. Angus' first meeting with Pip, on the other hand, was beautifully detailed and expressive. All in all, I thought this well worth the time of anyone interested in children's fantasy, and look forward to reading the next installment, The Strath of Death.

On another note altogether, does it strike anyone else that there seems to be a superfluity of dastardly Campbells in fiction about Scotland...?… (mais)