Foxcraft: The Taken

Gr 3–6—Isla's life is carefree and comfortable, although she lives in the Great Snarl with Ma, Fa, Greatma, and her inseparable and more talented twin, Pirie. Suddenly, all is snatched from her when she lags behind and comes back to her den to find a shulk of mean-looking foxes, led by the one-eyed Karka, burning down her home. She takes off before she can be captured, but finds herself in the dangerous world of the furless (humans) following the deathway (highway) and unable to eat anything more than beetles and worms. The young kit soon finds herself in the company of a dog. When she begins to see his true shape, he wa'akkirs (shape shifts) to reveal his true self: the beautiful red fox Siffrin, sent by the Elders to retrieve Pirie. He teaches Isla about Foxcraft, the cunning magic of the fox, and she is able to connect with Pirie in her dreams as they continue their search. But all is not as it appears with Siffrin, and Isla realizes that he might not be a friend when she catches sight of the half rose mark on him. The mark is that of the foxes of Karka's shulk, those called the Taken, who are controlled by the evil Mage. With so many questions remaining at the end, there is sure to be another installment in this series that will explore more parts and places of the fox world. Reminiscent of the "Warriors" series (HarperCollins), to which the author contributed, and similar to Kathryn Lasky's "Guardians of Ga'Hoole" series (Scholastic), this title takes the actual habits and attributes of real foxes and mixes in magic and a complex social structure. This book will be enjoyed by readers who like well-crafted fantasy of the furry kind.