The Book of Dreams. (The Chronicles of Faerie). O.R. Melling. Toronto, ON: Penguin Canada, 2003. 538 pp., pbk., $22.00. ISBN 0-14-100434-7. Subject Headings: Fairies-Juvenile fiction. Spirits-Juvenile fiction. Quests (Expeditions)-Juvenile fiction. Sacrifice-Juvenile fiction. Grades 8-12 / Ages 13-17. Review by Ian Stewart. ***1/2 /4 Reviewed from uncorrected proofs.

excerpt:

They were two young women just out of home and newly launched upon the world, yet they were more, much more. Both had traveled far, not only across the Atlantic to the green isle of Ireland, but also across the ocean of infinity to the land of Faerie. Both had undertaken quests, faced danger and death. Both were heroines of song and story. When Laurel didn't answer, Gwen cleared her throat. It was time.

"Something terrible is coming. A great attack against Faerie. Against all our hopes and drams." A tremor ran through Laurel, but she wasn't surprised. She had already been warned. "My sister spoke of a 'dark hour' some time ago." Laurel's tone was wry, "But of course the warnings were couched in the usual cryptic premonitions. How do they expect to get a clear picture of the future from the flight of birds or the movement of clouds beats me."

In this, the massive concluding volume of the "Chronicles of Faerie," the heroes and heroines of the first three quests face the greatest evil that the worlds of faerie and human have ever encountered. Malevolent forces have destroyed the portals that link the two worlds, and now Dana, the halfling heroine of The Light Bearer's Daughter, must undertake her own perilous quest.

     When readers were introduced to Dana, she was 11-years-old, had just become aware that her mother was a faerie and was learning to accept her supernatural heritage. However, along with daughter and new bride, Dana's father decided to return to his native Canada. Two years later, Dana is horribly unhappy living in Toronto, as only a young teenager can be, alienated from both her faerie and human lives. When the portals between the worlds are destroyed, she feels the terrible rent that has occurred. Her mother comes to her in a dream, and Dana learns that she is the key to restoring the portals and must find the Book of Dreams. Only this book holds the secret that can defeat the foes of Faerie. It is hidden somewhere in Canada, but Dana has no clue where to start her search or how to use the book, and a powerful, elemental servant of darkness, Grimstone, is readying to kill her to ensure the ultimate death of faerie land. Because of her Irish heritage and scant knowledge of the faerie world, Dana is unaware that Canada is an old country with myths and legends as ancient as those of Ireland. Powerful spirit beings and supernatural forces are an integral part of the lives of Canada's First Peoples, and supernatural forces, including some that altered the lives of her ancestors, followed the country's colonial pioneers to the new homeland. As Dana's quest takes her the length and breadth of the country, she learns of the life forces binding Canada to worldwide family of spiritual entities and finds the strength to face the ultimate evil in a titanic struggle worthy of Tolkien.

     Although Melling seems intent to match J.K. Rowling in length and weight of tome, does the book work? There seems to be a problem with a book that has a 13-year-old heroine, yet is assigned a 14+ rating by the publisher. In large part, this arises because under the guise of "We are family," Melling is intent on cobbling together virtually every First Nations' mythological structure and medieval concept onto a rambling and skimpy framework. Younger readers with little to no background in First Peoples' spirituality will be frustrated and flounder. Hopefully, because the core elements of the story are so engaging, Melling's fans will skim those parts if their anxiety rises to a dangerous level. Overall, however, there is magic in the collected "Chronicles of Faerie" which will awe and inspire.

Highly Recommended.

Ian Stewart teaches at David Livingstone School in Winnipeg, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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