May 1, 2019
Following the events of The Spinner Prince (2018), leonine Prince Leo Kahn goes on a quest to find his mother, deep in enemy territory among the Maguar, and save the world. Accompanied by three of his allies, Stick, Anjali, and Zoya, narrator Leo both seeks his mother and flees his usurping older cousin Tamir, the self-ordained supreme military commander of the Singa Royal Army. Prince Leo is the true heir to the throne, but his cousin wants him dead. On their journey, Leo learns the source of his powers as a Truth Teller--he can summon things from fiction into reality--as well as a startling revelation about his lineage. The prince and his friends attempt to win over the Maguar by warning them about Tamir's intention to free the sea demon Hasatamura, imprisoned in the Great Mountain, by waging war--it is bloodshed that has the power to release Hasatamura. Everyone will suffer if the prides cannot band together, Leo argues. Laney's worldbuilding is baroque, leading to a narrative festooned with capitalized jargon. It is also appropriative, with embedded folktales and characters' names drawn from many different cultures and sources, including Cherokee, Buddhist, and Ghanaian, among others. The fantasy storyline gets lost in the collision of too many cultures, with appropriation that is both meaningless and confusing. (character list, story sources, author's note) (Fantasy. 10-12)
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May 1, 2019
Gr 4-6- The second title in Laney's "Pride Wars" series (after The Spinner Prince) finds young Spinner, Prince Leo, in exile deep in enemy territory. Leo and his quadron-mates may have escaped the immediate threat posed by Tamir in Singara, but now find themselves lost in Panthera and desperately seeking Leo's mother. As the four Singa make their way through the unfamiliar land, they soon discover the Maguar may know more about Leo and what his powers can do than even Leo himself. Leo believes he can somehow stop the impending war between the Singa and the Maguar, but isn't sure how to make the Twelver (the leader of the Maguar) listen to him, or even if he should trust her. Readers learn much more about the two prides, Leo's heritage, and the Jin that inhabit the realm. VERDICT Readers who enjoyed The Spinner Prince will be anxious to get their paws on this one.-Heather Webb, Worthington Libraries, OH
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