This gripping fantasy sequel fulfills the dramatic promise of Wolf Tower as the headstrong main character, Claidi, plunges into new adventures-and finds herself unexpectedly probing her clouded past.

On the eve of her long-anticipated wedding, Claidi is kidnapped and taken to a mountaintop palace in the shadow of an unearthly star. As she struggles to understand who kidnapped her and why, she must also grapple with strange surroundings, complete with mechanical servants and animals and rooms that move.

Claidi wins the trust of the palace's keeper, the enigmatic Prince Venn, and together they struggle to free themselves from the bizarre maze of taboo, repression, and mystery surrounding both of their long-lost families. Soon Claidi is on the run again, still yearning for a life that may be lived freely and with love.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-10-In this sequel to Wolf Tower (Dutton, 2000), readers will find Lady Claidi Star getting ready for her marriage to Argul, a Hulta hottie. She is kidnapped just before the ceremony by men from the Wolf Tower, whose Law she has recently destroyed. Her captors are double-crossed and instead of returning to the Wolf Tower, Claidi is dumped in the middle of a strange world peopled by robots and mechanical animals. Among her new companions is Venn, prince of the realm. He believes that she has asked to come there and together they start to unravel the mysteries behind her kidnapping and the Wolf Star. There are connections between Venn's mother and the families of the Towers (mentioned in the first book) and a not too surprising connection between Venn and Argul. Claidi is a likable character whose voice is true, but the tone and language in her writings never establish a sense of place or an understanding of the worlds in which she finds herself. The journal style and the episodic plot do not allow for a great deal of shading, and those who haven't read the first volume will be completely in the dark. Lee's tale offers readers lightweight confection, but for those who want to enter the world of the story, suggest Susan Cooper's "The Dark Is Rising" sequence (McElderry) or Robin McKinley's stories of Damar. For characters that are struggling to find their place in the world, try Ellen Kindt McKenzie's Taash and the Jesters (Holt, 1995) or Lloyd Alexander's "Westmark" trilogy.
Patricia A. Dollisch, DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, GA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. In the sequel to Wolf Tower [BKL Ap 15 00], Claidi is abducted on her wedding day by Guards from Wolf Tower and taken by balloon to a boat for a voyage across storm-tossed waters, and a difficult trek to a cliff house across from a palace, over which the gigantic Wolf Star rises daily. Claidi is eventually escorted to the sprawling palace, where whole rooms or groups of rooms move mechanically and at random, making it easy to get lost. When she meets the reclusive Prince Venn, she learns that he doesn't want her there any more than she wants to be there. The rest of the tale concerns their getting to know one another and searching for a way to get Claidi back home. Despite all the seeming action, the story moves slowly. Flashes of humor help things along, though, and readers who liked the first book will enjoy the new entries in feisty Claidi's journal while waiting for the next installment. Sally Estes
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