Castles in the Mist

October 15, 2002
In the last of Litton's Akora trilogy, Atreus has recovered from his injuries and is ready to seek a wife. During the secret ritual that made him Vanax, or ruler of the island kingdom, he had a vision of a young woman. Now this prophecy takes human form in Brianna, a nurse. Atreus is sure that she'll marry him, but Brianna, who arrived at Akora at age eight after the ship she and her parents were traveling on sank, feels impelled to travel to England to look for any remaining family members or at least someone who can tell her about her parents, whom she barely remembers. The Vanax becomes impatient for her return to the island and sets out after her. Brianna is vaguely attracted to Atreus, but her quest is of the utmost importance to her, and her secret affiliation with an organization on Akora renders impossible even the thought of marriage to the Vanax. Filled with danger and romance, Litton's elaborate trilogy does end happily.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)