Product Description

When underlords burn her home, a young Solgant embarks on a dangerous mission to find her brother, aided by two enemies of her people, a Danturin goblin and an Eodan giant.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2429877 in Books
• Published on: 1990-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Library Binding
• 220 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 6 Up-- Forced to flee her home when the underlords revolt, Llyndreth sets off toward the mountains where her brother has gone with his army to attack the goblin stronghold. On the way she meets Angborn, the last of the giants, who offers assistance. The two come upon Zorn, a wounded goblin who is very much their enemy. Llyndreth insists they care for him until he can fend for himself, and her kindness and courage provoke a grudging response from this young "shadow warrior." Zorn soon finds himself helping Llyndreth in her quest, betraying all that he once believed and becoming an outcast in both his and Llyndreth's world. Zettner creates a believable backdrop for her fantasy and deftly fills in background detail on the three societies that inhabit it--giant, goblin, and Solgant (human)--without slowing the plot. The characters are well rounded and intriguing; by story's end readers will care deeply about what will become of Llyndreth and Zorn. Both must make some hard choices, and in the end their loyalty to each other and to their own belief in what constitutes right and wrong brings a triumph beyond their dreaming. Zettner cites the work of Tolkien and LeGuin among her sources of inspiration, and she has not embarrassed herself in her pursuit of them. --Elaine Fort Weischedel, Turner Free Library, Randolph, MA
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Fantastical story with modern undercurrents
This book is an excellent story that I have enjoyed again and again since I discovered it three years ago. It deals with modern prejudices and racial conflicts through the guise of Goblins, Giants, and Humans. When these three persons join forces against their own races, they ultimately come together conflicts, sacrifices, and disgrace to join their peoples in a peace a long time coming.

A book that deserves reviving! Memorable, original, compelling!
For years Solgants have called an enemy race "goblins" -- a people who come by night and raid Solgant settlements and villages. But the word "goblin" turns out to be a myth. There are no "goblins." There are only Solgants and Danturi (and Eodans). That is one of the points of the book. Another: Bridging the barrier of a hatred so old that no one ever has done so. Until now.

Fleeing her castle's downfall, searching for her brother and his army, befriended by Angborn the Eodan (whom her people call "giant"), a young Solgant girl named Llyndreth sees for the first time one of her people's age-old foes. He is a wounded, unconscious, half-dead "goblin" whom, strangely, she cannot find it in her heart to hate -- though, by race, he looks as different to her and she does to him. Things haven't been what they seemed to this point: There were no giants, only Angborn who has magical abilities.

So she convinces Angborn to aid her in helping the wounded "goblin." They dress his hurt which brings him to consciousness, and though he shows hostility Llyndreth asks if he wants water. He looks at her blankly. Then, at Angborn's suggestion, she tries the Common Speech, a language used by peasants but no longer by Solgant Lords, a language so old it belongs to no one...or perhaps everyone.

Recalling words from her childhood Llyndreth bridges the first barrier between them. His reply is proud, scornful, though he is near dying of thirst:

"I, Zorn, am Captain among Shadow Warriors. I have asked no help of the Sun-spawned. Let you keep your water."

But he, in turn, has seen the hurt in her eyes and has no doubt that she means kindly toward him, and, almost, he could accept kindness at her hands.

As Angborn with his own reason for hating "goblins" goads Zorn, Llyndreth learns that the "goblin" is Danturin and that the Danturi are the Shadow People, forced because of long-ago treachery to live in the dark halls of the mountain, living during night, sleeping during day. But they once roamed free and proud before the Solgants came and the light did not hurt their eyes. They had been ruled by the mighty prince Dantur (whose self-wrought armband was such a great thing of power that it was coveted by one of the powerful "Old Ones" who lived first in the land). Llyndreth hears Zorn's bitter, hopeless defense of his people, sees him conquer his need for food and water, and knows that her own brother Rothwyn would praise such honor. "And honor was the last thing she had been led to except of a goblin."

Zorn makes a valiant attempt to escape, leaving the sleeping girl and Eodan in peace. They find him almost immediately, in worse shape than before, and he is forced to lie quiet while Llyndreth tends to his needs and Angborn sees to his wound. He is too weak and too ill to care where his duty as a Danturin warrior lay, and by the time he is well enough, his fellow-warriors or "spear brothers" are near, and he knows only one thing: that he cannot let the girl be taken captive. He owes her his life. It is a debt and the Danturin keep their debts.

Thus begins the journey together of these three (along with Llyndreth's pony) as Zorn leads them safely to the where Llyndreth's brother is camped, and along the way friendship springs up between them. But in making his choice Zorn ends up outcast from his spear brothers and from his people. Alone when Llyndreth first met him, alone when she sees him again, Llyndreth herself sets her course by choice.

Overcoming fears, prejudice, barriers, both she and Zorn, and unwilling Angborn, even Rothwyn, become part of a waking of magic older and more powerful than even the priest-kind who keep Zorn's people, his spear brothers, even King Murgg, bound in fear. The strongest power of all is that of these representatives of the three races joined as one; the bond between Llyndreth and Zorn who become more-than-friends; and the softening of the King's sister-son Gryth, Zorn's best friend whom he betrayed to save Llyndreth, and who calls him again "spear brother."

This is a great book, one that the reader lives through; beautifully written. Pat Zettner's consistency, her choice of words, is simple, compelling, memorable, masterfully done. I pick the book up just to hear again the language:
"Let you not go through."
"At peace, are we? That's well."
"Wait a moment while I clothe me warmly."
"Think you...?"
"My mind has turned."
"Bide safe, friend."
"Spear brothers."
"Shadow Warriors."
"Hearth brothers."
"Sa."
"Na."
"Grief is a steed that must travel its own pace."

And to hear again Zorn's laughter on the dark mountainside when Llyndreth reveals her aversion, not to "goblins," but to bats. In that moment, I feel "young and carefree" once more.

Pat Zetner's exquisite use of blindness, in day or in dark., and the perspective-switch that happens in the reader; the meaning of "blind;" the setting side-by-side Llyndreth's being led blind by Zorn's hand into the tunnel, Zorn's seeing ahead of him only "a bright-blind emptiness of days" alone if Llyndreth were to be taken by the Danturi, to live blind in the darkness of the mountain halls. I love it when the two stand in the Cave of Fire and Llyndreth sees, by the flash of green light, gemstones glittering in cave walls, fulfilling Zorn's unspoken wish when he helped her climb to the blooming thornbush, that she would see and love as he did. And when Llyndreth glories in storms, Zorn's reaction makes me smile.

This little-known book deserves to be revived and reread. It does what all great books do: it changes you. Note to teachers: There are enough used copies available. Make this book part of your curriculum.

Wonderful, under-appreciated book. Read it!
A highly under-rated novel from Pat Zettner that should not be missed. Zettner tells a beautiful and at times very moving story of a created world in which three characters of different races form a friendship that holds great importance for not only themselves but also their world. The three enemy races are the Solgants (humans), Eodans (giants) and the Danturi (goblins), and the story focuses mainly on one girl. Llyndreth is an orphaned Solgant girl whose brother is away fighting goblins while she guards the home castle. When the situation changes Llyndreth goes off to find her brother (the inevitable quest/ journey) and along the way meets a giant called Angborn, and the wounded goblin Zorn, Captain of the Shadow Warriors.

The uneasy relationship that develops between the three is one of the strengths of the book: the trio must confront and re-evaluate their prejudices, while their loyalties to their own races and to each other are tested. While not particularly large in scope, Zettner's created world is nevertheless an interesting one and the sense of history, prophecies and tri-racial conflict works nicely. Zettner tells the story well and keeps it moving, with the only (minor) flaw in style coming towards the end where the narrative tone (ie, of King Myrgg) becomes a little jokey, almost as though trivialising the events. Overall, however, the tone is consistently good.

I have read this book many times over the years, but have only ever seen one copy (in my local library where often the only thing I could remember about it was its position - right down in the bottom shelf with the Zs). I hope other people don't miss out on it, because the characters are all wonderful and it's a well told story of friendship, loyalty and choices. The book was published over ten years ago, but I've never stopped hoping that Zettner might write a sequel, because these are great characters and I always wondered what happened to them. Not only a book that can be enjoyed by children and teens, it's a great story that readers of all ages can appreciate. I can't recommend this one enough.