From Publishers Weekly With this new novel， Alexander adds another delightful adventure to his many popular and award-winning books. (His Prydain Cycle was adapted for the recent Disney movie， The Black Cauldron.) This time， the intrepid protagonist is 16-year-old Vesper Holly. She's a precocious orphan from Philadelphia who sets out to prove her scholarly father's theories about the national legend of Illyria， a small Adriatic nation. It is 1872 and Illyria's ethnic conflict is brewing into a revolution. Vesper is caught up in the intrigue， and proves a shrewd and valiant ally. She reconciles the king and the rebel leader， thereby preventing a war， and in the bargain finds the historical evidence she seeks. The appealing characters and the nice blend of challengesintellectual and moral as well as physical are matched by lively storytelling. Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information， Inc. From School Library Journal Grade 5-9 Vesper Holly at 16 is an intrepid heroine too candid for 19th-Century comfort and more than a match for the villains she meets in this charming fantasy adventure. Whisking her staid guardian Brinnie off to Illyriaa tiny kingdom on the Adriaticto investigate one of her late father's theories， she involves them both in a search for treasure， an attempted revolution and a conspiracy to murder Illyria's King Osman. With the help of the rebel leader Vartan and in spite of Brinnie's habit of trusting the villains， Vesper solves an ancient puzzle and shows rebels and proud King how to make peace. A touch of romance adds the finishing touch. Narrated by loyal， rather naive Brinnie， the story moves briskly from one crisis to another until the final， quite satisfying resolution. The language holds hints of 19th-Century expression without being overdone， and the contrast between Brinnie's formal habits of speech and Vesper's directness adds humor. Each character is sketched briefly but clearly， and the relationship between guardian and ward is developed nicely throughout their adventures， each showing a growing regard for the other. Young readers may find it hard to relate to middle-aged Brinnie's voice， but none will complain of lack of action. Sara Miller， White Plains Public Library， N.Y.Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information， Inc. See all Editorial Reviews