Secret Sacrament - Softcover

Jordan, Sherryl

3.94

807 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0064472302 ISBN 13: 9780064472302

Publisher: HarperTeen, 2003

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Can one man be the salvation of two nations?

Gabriel is a thinker, a healer, a dreamer. His past haunts him, and his future is intertwined with ancient prophecies. He is a son of the Navoran Empire, yet his soul can only find peace with the wild Shinali people on the outshirts of the city. He can interpret the dreams of the Empress and heal the wounded of her city, but as sinister forces take control fo the empire, Gabriel's destiny may be far greater than he can possibly imagine.

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Review:

In this luminous fantasy, Sherryl Jordan surpasses her award-winning novel The Raging Quiet with a vividly realized story that centers on a young healer, the evocatively named Gabriel, as he moves inexorably toward fulfilling his destiny with a heroic sacrifice. Born in the urban city-state of Navora, Gabriel is also strongly drawn to the tribal society of Shinali that survives on the plain outside the city gates. He is haunted by a secret guilt, a moment from his childhood when out of fear he failed to help a dying Shinali woman. The richly detailed narrative moves quietly through Gabriel's training at the Citadel, where he learns the mystical arts of healing mind and body, and then gains in pace and excitement as he attracts the unwelcome attention of the sly and unstable Empress and is drawn irresistibly into the intrigue that surrounds her dependence on the malevolent counselor Jaganath. When Gabriel must flee the city, he retreats to the simple life of the plains people and his love for the strong and serene Ashila. But when the Navorans imprison the Shinali and then plan to destroy them, Gabriel must find the courage to make the sacrifice that will save both their nations. Themes of forgiveness and redemption, echoes of the Nazi Holocaust and the genocide of Native Americans, as well as a radiant love story illuminate this beautiful and intelligent novel for fantasy readers of all ages. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell

About the Author:

Sherryl Jordan is the author of several critically acclaimed and award-winning books, including The Hunting of the Last Dragon, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults; The Raging Quiet, a School Library Journal Best Book and an ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults; Wolf-Woman, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults; Winter of Fire, an ALA/YALSA Recommended Book for the Reluctant Reader and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults; and The Juniper Game, a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. She is also the author of Secret Sacrament, the prequel to Time of the Eagle and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. She lives in Tauranga, New Zealand.

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