Out Of Their Minds

Lenora and Coren journey to Coren's home for their wedding, but it seems that the Andillans' power to live in their minds is not working, and Lenora believes the Skwoes are responsible for the disruption of the sacred Balance.

Grade 5-8-In this third fantasy of the sequence, Princess Lenora and Prince Coren journey to Coren's kingdom of Andilla to try, yet again, to have their wedding. Lenora, determined and aggressive, can change the world with the power of her imagination. Coren comes from a kingdom in which people choose to live in their minds and ignore the real world. As the couple approaches Andilla, they find that the people have lost their special powers. Something is upsetting The Balance, and the young couple must find out what it is. Could the evil Hevak be involved in another takeover plot? On their quest, Lenora and Coren encounter the Skwoes, uniformed clonelike people who have neither imagination nor emotion-the opposite of the court Andillans, in fact. The resolution-hard to attain since each of Lenora's solutions seems to create new problems-involves cooperation, communication, and community as the Skwoes and Andillans learn from one another. The book ends with a hint at another sequel. Lenora is a strong female protagonist, committed, albeit somewhat haphazardly, to making the world a better place. Several messages are delivered, some with wit, humor, and satire, others less successfully. Because the story and the sometimes convoluted thinking of the royal couple are difficult to follow, readers not familiar with Of Two Minds (1995) and More Minds (1996, both S & S) may be confused. However, dedicated fans of fantasy and those who have read the previous installments will appreciate this new episode.
Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.