The Keepers’ Tattoo

In 14-year-old Nyssa’s world, nearly everyone has tattoos—“They were symbols of birth signs, clan signs, good-luck charms, or just family traditions.” But Nyssa’s mark is unlike anyone else’s, and she soon learns that she has another tattoo hidden in her hair—one that men will kill for. With her uncle Marius, Nyssa flees the only home she has ever known to seek the mysterious meaning behind her tattoos and, possibly, the long-lost twin brother whose life she occasionally shares through dreams. Although the nature of the evil in Nyssa’s world is barely explained, the day-to-day threat of the Shadowmen tracking her is palpable and creates real suspense (the narrative occasionally shifts to focus on Alaric, ruler of the Shadowmen, providing a chilling counterpart to Nyssa’s story). Her odyssey through the islands of the Archipelago calls to mind Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea books, and, like Le Guin, Scottish author Arbuthnott (the Kelpies series) writes with restraint and thoughtfulness, never condescending to her readers. Nyssa is a convincing mixture of ignorance, courage, and resourcefulness, and her pragmatic friend, Aria, is an ideal foil. Ages 9–14. (May)