Urchin and the Heartstone by M.I. McCallister

This is the second book in The Mistmantle Chronicles, and I gave it a rating of five out of five. Urchin is kidnapped and taken away to the island of Whitewings where the king and his followers have plans for him. They believe the prophecy "He will bring down a powerful ruler" applies to their island and was not fulfilled in the first book. King Silverbirch believes Urchin can find silver, so he does not kill Urchin right away, much to the displeasure of his sorcerer. However, the king promises Smokewreath that he will be able to kill Urchin and use his body to create magic when the first snow falls. Urchin learns that he has animals willing to help him and someone he knows may hold special powers. Meanwhile, back on Mistmantle, Crispin vows that he will not be crowned king until Urchin is safely returned to the kingdom. They must also find the missing Heartstone before his coronation. In addition, unbeknown to the kingdom, there are traitors secretly plotting to overthrow Crispin's rule.


Again, I think this series is similar to the Redwall books with a little more mystique sprinkled in. I enjoy the conflicts and subplots, and the author does a nice job of keeping the interest flowing. One question that is addressed in this book is why the mist surrounding the island will not allow citizens of Mistmantle to return by water once they leave. There's still a bit of mystery about it even after the explanation. I also have a hard time keeping track of what animals are represented by the different characters, but it's not a big deal. Readers can remember the main characters, and the minor characters aren't real important.