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Slaves of the Mastery. (The Wind on Fire Trilogy, Volume II). William Nicholson. London, UK: Mammoth (Distributed in Canada by Stewart House Publishing), 2000. 339 pp., pbk., $19.99. ISBN 0-7497-4152-X. Grades 7-9 / Ages 12-15. Review by Jennifer L. Branch. **** /4
excerpt:
On the island called Sirene three people stand between the high arched windows beneath the racing clouds, and sing together a wordless song. On either side of the woman who was the first to return stand a young man and an old man. All three are bareheaded and barefoot; all three wear plain woollen robes that reach to the ankles, and are held around the waist with a knotted cord. The song they sing sounds like the rustling of stream water, or the whisper of wind in the trees, but there is a melody here, a pattern of notes that follow after each other in tranquil cycles. It's the song of foreknowing. As they sing, their minds become clear and receptive, and they begin to sense what is to come.
They see the cruelty spreading over the...