Scales and Stardust

Now firmly established in her role as Major, Queen of the Bear Highen, young Aster Lourdes finds herself and her entourage en route to Felisbrook for the Shooting Star Parade. A fallen star is a rare occurrence, and all of the Heads of Houses throughout the kingdom are making their way to Felisbrook for this grand celebration. Aster looks forward to being reunited with the friends that she made when they stood together against her traitorous uncle Bram when he attempted to seize control of the Highen. But, despite the fact that peace has been restored, she has other issues to contend with as they journey to this historic event: her mother's ceaseless haranguing about finding her an acceptable suitor; her fear that Arthur Conri will seek to wed her older sister Ursula and Aster will lose her; a rift that seems to have arisen between her and Dev, the High Keeper and her very dearest friend.

When they arrive, Aster soon begins to suspect that all is not as it would seem within the Felisbrook court. Their new Queen, Iris, seems uncomfortable in her role, and it becomes apparent that there are definitely those who do not support her. She tries to discuss her misgivings with Dev, but, somehow, he always seems to be angry at her. Then, before Aster can get to the bottom of any of her personal or professional concerns, an unexpected turn of events transpires. The Moon Door, the door to death, is opened, and the Terror Maids, the most horrific of the evil creatures that are trapped therein, are released. Malice, their leader, has a plan which first involves kidnapping the Major, Aster Lourdes. While Dev and Iris and their friends struggle to understand what is happening and to find a way to rescue her, Aster valiantly tries to find a way to save herself from her hideous captors. But ultimately, they all come to realize the full extent of Malice's evil intent which is to ransom Aster for the fallen star, and then to use the fallen star to break open the Moon Door completely and unleash unimaginable darkness upon the world.

In this follow-up to The Bear House, (www.cmreviews.ca/node/2645) readers are once again immersed in the politics and personal dramas of feisty Aster Lourdes as she adjusts to her new role as Major of the Bear Highen. The author continues to develop the mythology of this intriguing world in which the story is set, highlighting the significance of the stars and the moon in their lives and in their history. The various political intrigues and court dramas are neatly woven into the story of Aster's kidnapping by the Terror Maids and the desperate plan to rescue her and save the entire kingdom from Malice's treachery. While the characters from the first book are reunited here, Scales and Stardust focuses more on Aster and Dev; the others feel less fully-realized than in their previous adventure. Aster's desire to prove herself as the daughter of Jasper Lourdes and her struggle to live up to her lofty new role are convincing and continue to make her a highly sympathetic protagonist. She makes mistakes and is unsure of herself; she can be careless of others' feelings; and she is still rash and impulsive. But she cares deeply for her family, her friends and her kingdom, she is brave and bright and determined, and she is open to change. Dev and Bernadine (Aster's cousin and daughter of the traitorous uncle Bram) also face their own internal struggles and have to set those struggles aside in the face of this new threat to the kingdom. Although the pacing is somewhat uneven (with most of the action taking place in the last third of the book), Scales and Stardust is nonetheless a compelling fantasy adventure that is filled with likeable characters in a world that is clever and vividly-depicted. Readers will undoubtedly look forward to whatever the next book in the series will hold.