The White Guardian

The Eternal Guardians possess powerful magic stones that not only make their bearers immortal but also enable them to travel through time and to alter history at whim. Originally there were four Guardians, but in this third book of the series (following The Fourth Guardian and The Lost Guardian), Elena, the Guardians' former leader, is lost and feared dead. Her son Raphael now wears her stone, coming into his own power under the streetwise tutelage of Thaddeus, the Guardian whose love of jazz nearly outweighs his resolve to use his stone for humanity's good. Violet, logical and intelligent, is the Guardian most skilled at wielding the power of the stones. Accompanying her is Tippi, thought to be at least half insane, who seems to have a native skill with the stones, though she doesn't have one of her own--yet. When Raphael has a vision that his mother is still alive, the Guardians set off to find her before she can be manipulated into using her stone to help an ancient Wiccan group take over the world. Characters both major and minor are sacrificed without hesitation in this headlong rush of arcane intrigue and earthly violence. All the sound and fury ultimately is trumped, however, by the arrival of a deus ex machina that winds the various plot strands into a neat spool. Readers new to the series may have a tough time orienting during the first half of the narrative. Veteran fans, meanwhile, are likely to be the only readers who will relish staying the course with this awkwardly plotted, choppily told tale. (May)