Frostfire

Returning to the troll world of her Trylle trilogy, Hocking explores another tribe of trolls in this first book in the Kanin Chronicles. Bryn Aven is a tracker who recovers changelings (Kanin children reared by humans) once they reach adulthood. An outsider in appearance and powers, Bryn straddles the line between Kanin and the Skojare, her mother’s defected tribe. When changelings are threatened by Konstantin Black, a sworn enemy of the Kanin, Bryn weighs her devotion to her father, who was attacked by Black, against her growing conviction that Black is merely a pawn. In addition to tribe rivalries and changeling abductions, Hocking brews sexual tension between Bryn and her boss, Ridley, while introducing secondary plots: a pregnant friend, a mother who doesn’t approve of Bryn’s job, and Bryn’s growing distrust of the royals she is sworn to protect. Those unfamiliar with Hocking’s Trylle novels may find the boundary between the human and troll worlds difficult to discern, but the novel’s lingering questions and the author’s knack for cliffhangers are reason enough to anticipate the next installment. Ages 12–up. Agent: Steven Axelrod, Axelrod Agency. (Jan.)