The Taken

Starred review from July 1, 2015
A young foxling must navigate both the dangerous world of humans and the mysterious world of foxes as she searches for her missing family. After chasing beetles and eating berries, Isla returns to her family's den to find it on fire and overrun by an unfamiliar skulk. Isla barely escapes from the dangerous one-eyed vixen and her pack of branded foxes. Desperate to find shelter, she flees across the deathway (road), narrowly avoiding the manglers (cars). She must hide within the Snarl, the sprawling city of the furless ones. But Isla is naive, and the city is a dark place filled with danger. So when Siffrin, a handsome fox, finds her and talks of magic and prophecy, she is understandably suspicious. But she is also desperate. Isla narrates her beautiful and dangerous world, forcing readers to see their own lives from the perspective of wild animals. A smooth highway is a death trap. Garden sheds are shelter. Annoying rodents are food. Vivid details, intriguing characters, and a riveting plot are smoothly executed in this exciting new series from one of the authors who write under the pseudonym of Erin Hunter. Beautifully rendered and magical. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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August 1, 2015

Gr 3-6-Isla's life is carefree and comfortable, although she lives in the Great Snarl with Ma, Fa, Greatma, and her inseparable and more talented twin, Pirie. Suddenly, all is snatched from her when she lags behind and comes back to her den to find a shulk of mean-looking foxes, led by the one-eyed Karka, burning down her home. She takes off before she can be captured, but finds herself in the dangerous world of the furless (humans) following the deathway (highway) and unable to eat anything more than beetles and worms. The young kit soon finds herself in the company of a dog. When she begins to see his true shape, he wa'akkirs (shape shifts) to reveal his true self: the beautiful red fox Siffrin, sent by the Elders to retrieve Pirie. He teaches Isla about Foxcraft, the cunning magic of the fox, and she is able to connect with Pirie in her dreams as they continue their search. But all is not as it appears with Siffrin, and Isla realizes that he might not be a friend when she catches sight of the half rose mark on him. The mark is that of the foxes of Karka's shulk, those called the Taken, who are controlled by the evil Mage. With so many questions remaining at the end, there is sure to be another installment in this series that will explore more parts and places of the fox world. Reminiscent of the "Warriors" series (HarperCollins), to which the author contributed, and similar to Kathryn Lasky's "Guardians of Ga'Hoole" series (Scholastic), this title takes the actual habits and attributes of real foxes and mixes in magic and a complex social structure. This book will be enjoyed by readers who like well-crafted fantasy of the furry kind. VERDICT A solid contribution to anthropomorphized animal stories, though not completely original in concept.-Clare A. Dombrowski, Amesbury Public Library, MA

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