Cadnum, Michael 1949-

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Cadnum, Michael 1949-

PERSONAL:

Born May 3, 1949, in Orange, CA; married; wife's name Sherina.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Albany, CA. Agent—Michael Thomas, A.M. Heath & Co., 79 St. Martin's Ln., London WC2N 4AA, England.

CAREER:

Writer, novelist, poet, and short-story writer. Has worked as a laborer for the York Archaeological Trust, York, England, and as a substitute teacher.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Creative writing fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts; Helen Bullis Prize, Poetry Northwest; Owl Creek Book Award; National Book Award finalist; Los Angeles Times Book Award finalist; Edgar Allan Poe Award finalist, Mystery Writers of America, for Calling Home and Breaking the Fall; National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship.

WRITINGS:

NOVELS

Invisible Mirror, Ommation Press (Chicago, IL), 1987.

Nightlight, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1989.

Sleepwalker, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1991.

Saint Peter's Wolf, Carroll and Graf (New York, NY), 1991.

Calling Home, Viking (New York, NY), 1991.

Ghostwright, Carroll and Graf (New York, NY), 1992.

Breaking the Fall, Viking (New York, NY), 1992.

The Horses of the Night, Carroll and Graf (New York, NY), 1993.

Skyscape, Carroll and Graf (New York, NY), 1994.

Taking It, Viking (New York, NY), 1995.

The Judas Glass, Carroll and Graf (New York, NY), 1996.

Zero at the Bone, Viking (New York, NY), 1996.

Edge, Viking (New York, NY), 1997.

In a Dark Wood, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1997.

Heat, Viking (New York, NY), 1998.

Rundown, Viking (New York, NY), 1999.

Redhanded, Viking (New York, NY), 2000.

Raven of the Waves, Scholastic/Orchard (New York, NY), 2001.

Forbidden Forest: The Story of Little John and Robin Hood, Orchard/Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Daughter of the Wind, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Ship of Fire, Viking (New York, NY), 2003.

Blood Gold, Viking (New York, NY), 2004.

Starfall: Phaeton and the Chariot of the Sun, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 2004.

Nightsong: The Legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, Orchard Books/Scholastic (New York, NY), 2006.

The King's Arrow, Viking Children's Books (New York, NY), 2008.

Peril on the Sea, Farrar (New York, NY), 2009.

"CRUSADER" TRILOGY

The Book of the Lion, Viking (New York, NY), 2000.

The Leopard Sword, Viking (New York, NY), 2002.

The Dragon Throne, Viking (New York, NY), 2005.

POETRY

The Morning of the Massacre, Bieler Press (Marina Del Rey, CA), 1982.

Foreign Springs, Amelia Press (Bakersfield, CA), 1988.

The Cities We Will Never See, Singular Speech Press (Canton, CT), 1993.

OTHER

The Lost and Found House (for children), illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, Viking (New York, NY), 1997.

Also author of Wrecking the Cactus, 1985; Long Afternoons, 1986; By Evening, 1992; and the chapbooks Ella and the Canary Prince: Cinderella Retold, 1996, and Together Again, 2005.

Contributor to anthologies, including Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears, 1995; Lethal Kisses, 1996; Twists of the Tale, 1996; Black Swan, White Raven, 1997; The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror Eleventh Annual Collection, 1998; Second Sight: Stories for a New Millennium, Putnam (New York, NY), 1999; Silver Birch, Blood Moon, 1999; Black Heart, Ivory Bones, 2000; A Wolf at the Door, 2000; and The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest, 2002.

Author of essays, including "The Ghost and the Panda," in Mystery Writer's Annual; "Dreams with Teeth," in Mystery Scene; and a commentary to his poem "Sunbathing in Winter," in Poet and Critic.

Contributor to periodicals, including America, Antioch Review, Beloit Fiction Journal, Beloit Poetry Journal, and Commonweal; author of reviews for "Read This"; author of column for New York Review of Science Fiction.

ADAPTATIONS:

The Book of the Lion was made into an audio book, Recorded Books, 2004.

SIDELIGHTS:

Michael Cadnum is a prolific poet and novelist. His young adult horror fiction has earned praise from reviewers who point to his precise and lyrical use of language. "The first thing we notice in any Cadnum novel is that he writes dialogue uncommonly well," remarked a contributor to the St. James Guide to Horror, Ghost and Gothic Writers. "His characters are capable of conversing at one level while battling one another in the subtext."

After two volumes of poetry and two adult-targeted works of fiction (Nightlight and Sleepwalker), Cadnum broke into the youth market with Saint Peter's Wolf, the story of a doctor who acquires a set of wolf teeth. A werewolf drama unfolds, complete with midnight rages and even an encounter with a female of the species. Though some critics questioned the appropriateness of scenes of graphic violence and rape in a book aimed at young adults, School Library Journal critic Phillip Clark maintained that "YAs are sure to identify with [the main character's] frustration and helplessness."

While other Cadnum novels are occasionally reviewed with young adults in mind, Calling Home and Breaking the Fall feature adolescent protagonists and were written specifically for this audience. In Calling Home, protagonist Peter turns to drowning his sorrows in alcohol after accidentally killing his best friend. However, drunkenness does not dull the feeling that he is gradually being inhabited by the spirit of his dead friend, whom he impersonates on the phone in reassuring calls to the boy's frantic parents. While a critic in Kirkus Reviews called this "a disturbing story" that will leave readers feeling "weighed down by the heavy atmosphere and events," Patrick Jones remarked in Horn Book that it "is not a pretty novel, nor is Peter particularly likable, but Cadnum locks his readers in … and pulls them through as Peter daily wrestles with the horror of his action."

Like Calling Home, Breaking the Fall disturbed critics with its portrayal of a young man's antisocial behavior depicted against a background almost devoid of moral guidance. In this work, young Stanley finds relief from the chaos and confusion of his home life by breaking into houses with a charismatic friend. "Tension hums beneath the surface of Cadnum's riveting novel," commented Booklist reviewer Stephanie Zvirin. Other critics singled out the author's signature evocative prose and careful characterization. "Mature teens may find it a more realistic reflection of a troubled world, in the manner of Robert Cormier, S.E. Hinton, and many adult writers," Susan L. Rogers wrote in the School Library Journal.

Cadnum is also the author of Ghostwright, a "compelling, lyrically written thriller," according to a critic in Publishers Weekly, in which a successful playwright named Hamilton Speke is haunted by a man from whom he stole the ideas for his early works. Marylaine Block commented in the Library Journal that the book's "elliptical style keeps readers as uncertain as Speke about what is real, what only imagined."

The Horses of the Night retells the story of Faust, who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for earthly success. In Cadnum's version, Stratton Fields, an architect and member of a powerful San Francisco family, is cheated out of a job that will revive his career by an enemy of his family. When the man who wins the job and Fields' enemy both die suddenly, Cadnum's protagonist begins to wonder whether he has inadvertently made a pact with the demon who continues to haunt him. A critic writing in Kirkus Reviews called The Horses of the Night "beautifully observed—typical of Cadnum—and effectively disturbing." Library Journal contributor A.M.B. Amantia wrote: "This well-written thriller takes its time, building evidence and events slowly so the reader can savor every scene."

Skyscape, Cadnum's next novel, again brought responses from critics that centered on the author's ability to keep his audience guessing about the true nature of his characters, as well as his tendency to slowly build tension to a shattering climax. In Skyscape, a successful painter suffering from a creative block is taken to the desert by a celebrity psychologist for a cure. By switching back and forth between these two protagonists' inner voices, Cadnum discusses issues of the media, fame, and art, while confounding readers' expectations about which of the men is insane. Library Journal critic Robert C. Moore concluded: "As a study of characters in the cultural spotlight, Skyscape is intriguing."

With Zero at the Bone, Cadnum ventures into psychological horror as a family tries to cope with the disappearance of one of their own. When Anita, an intelligent and responsible high school graduate, fails to return home on time one night, her parents and younger brother, Cray, are not too concerned. But when hours stretch into days, the police and community are brought in to investigate. Months pass, followed by word of an anonymous body in the city morgue. The family arrives at the facility where the author "portrays the interminable wait by drawing out his prose and describing the minutiae of the coroner's office," as Maeve Visser Knoth described it in a Horn Book review. Meanwhile, the family's exploration into Anita's journals and other personal effects reveals a side to the young woman that no one had suspected. In her review, Knoth praised the tempo of Zero at the Bone, pointing out that in tense moments time seems to stand still. In the words of Booklist contributor Linda Perkins, Cadnum's portrayal of a terror that could strike any family "is much more frightening than [any] horror tale."

In Edge, Cadnum presents a teenage protagonist, Zachary, who is driven from his comfortable middle-class life into despair and revenge after his father is paralyzed in a random traffic accident. Horn Book writer Amy E. Chamberlain commented: "Readers empathizing with Zachary's helplessness, confusion, and search for identity are sure to enjoy this … novel." With Heat, a 1998 release, the teen in turmoil is a girl this time. Bonnie, a talented diver at her private high school, is faced with the twin traumas of a concussion that threatens her Olympic dreams and the revelation that her attorney father is arrested for fraud. As in his other works, "Cadnum challenges [his young adult readers] with hard questions about the nature of fear and of betrayal," a critic for Publishers Weekly noted.

While In a Dark Wood—a twist on the Robin Hood tale told from the view of the beleaguered Sheriff of Nottingham—is likewise written for the middle school set, Cadnum reached out to an even younger audience with a 1997 picture book, The Lost and Found House. This gentle work acknowledges the pressures of moving for young children. A little boy glances around the emptiness of his familiar house and contemplates what awaits him in his new house in what Booklist reviewer Stephanie Zvirin called a "soothing, earnest book that shows both the pain and the promise of change."

In Taking It, the author tells the story of Anna, whose problems at home lead her to begin shoplifting even though her family has money. Feeling isolated from her father and brother, who moved after her parents' divorce, Anna finally breaks down, both literally and figuratively, as she drives to Las Vegas to see her brother. In a review of Taking It in Booklist, Merri Monks noted that the author's "postmodern tone of despair and his expressive writing style, which presumes a sophisticated reader, stretch the literary boundaries of the YA problem novel," A Publishers Weekly contributor commented: "With subtlety and tremendous insight, Cadnum draws connections between the causes and manifestations of Anna's kleptomania." Maeve Visser Knoth wrote in Horn Book that "Cadnum's telling is tense and clipped" and went on to say that the author "creates a complex portrait."

The Judas Glass tells the story of a young lawyer who becomes a vampire, resurrects his dead lover to join him in this new experience, ultimately rejects the abnormal life, and seeks a return to mortality. "Cadnum brings an intensity of vision to this novel found in few other vampire stories," wrote a Publishers Weekly contributor.

Cadnum tells the story of Jennifer Thayer, a teenager who lies about being raped, in his young adult novel Rundown. Jennifer seeks attention, and for a while her plan works as police investigate a serial rapist and Jennifer is in the news. But she starts to make mistakes and wants to find a way out of her lie. Michael Cart, writing in Booklist, commented that the author "demonstrates his usual mastery of mood and characterization in this acutely observed portrait." A Publishers Weekly contributor commented: "The author uses bold, dramatic strokes to paint a haunting portrait of his protagonist and … leaves plenty of blank space for readers to fill in."

The Book of the Lion returns to the era of the author's In a Dark Wood. It focuses on the Crusades as Cadnum tells the tale of the young Edmund, who is made to serve as a knight's squire. Soon Edmund is off to Jerusalem along with his new squire friend Hubert. Writing in Booklist, GraceAnne A. DeCandido commented that the author "brilliantly captures both the grisly horror and the taut, sinewy excitement of hard travel and battle readiness." In a review in the School Library Journal, Barbara Scotto wrote: "Cadnum paints a vivid, but not idealized, picture of the times." A Publishers Weekly contributor called the novel "majestic" and added that "the message about the romance vs. the reality of war proves powerful." The Book of the Lion was a National Book Award finalist.

In the sequel to The Book of the Lion, titled The Leopard Sword, Cadnum continues the adventures of squires Hubert and Edmund as they attend to the knights Nigel and Sir Rannulf. Returning home to England, the group encounters political upheaval and treachery while Hubert ponders his life and duties. Carolyn Phelan, writing in Booklist, called the novel a "realistic portrayal of the late twelfth century." Kliatt contributor Paula Rohrlick remarked that the novel is a "stirring, violent tale of life in the Middle Ages." In the third volume of this "Crusade" series, The Dragon Throne, the author recounts Crusader Edmund's adventures as he and three companions provide escort for young Ester de Laci, who is returning from a pilgrimage to Rome. But the group must battle their pursuers sent by Prince John of England as they try to protect their charge, who reveals that she can also fight. "This is marvelous historical fiction, well plotted and well researched," wrote Paula Rohrlick in Kliatt. Rohrlick went on to note that "readers will be captivated by Edmund's brave adventures, even if they haven't read the previous volumes."

In his young adult thriller Redhanded, the author lets protagonist Steven tell his own story. Steven recounts his dream of entering a Golden Gloves boxing competition and his involvement in a robbery that threatens everything. "The bashing, smashing, and sly jabs of boxing come bruisingly to life in this story," wrote Ilene Cooper in Booklist. Edward Sullivan noted in the School Library Journal that "Cadnum's prose is typically raw and taut."

Set in medieval times, Raven of the Waves tells of a young Viking warrior named Lidsmod, who at age seventeen is anxious to sail on the Raven for adventure and pillage, and his counterpart, the thirteen-year-old Wiglaf, a boy with healing gifts who will soon meet the plunderer and become his captive. A Publishers Weekly contributor called this young adult novel a "swashbuckling, often violent adventure." John Peters, writing in Booklist, considered the book "a noble effort that may lead to some valuable historical insight." In a review for Book Report, Donna Miller wrote: "This book will be relished by readers who appreciate vivid adventure tales with male protagonists."

Forbidden Forest: The Story of Little John and Robin Hood is the sequel to In a Dark Wood. This time the story revolves around John Little, who encounters Robin Hood as he is being chased by the sheriff and the ruthless outlaw and villain Red Roger. "The characterizations, major and minor, are consistent throughout, adding texture to this compelling tale," noted Sally Estes in her review in Booklist. Kliatt contributor Paula Rohrlick wrote: "Full of carefully researched details of life in medieval times …, this dark tale also abounds with thrilling fight scenes and gory deaths."

In his Nordic historical drama titled Daughter of the Wind, Cadnum focuses on the adventures of the kidnapped Hallgerd, daughter of a Norwegian nobleman. School Library Journal contributor Barbara Scotto commented that "it is Cadnum's glimpses of everyday life and the stirring sagas that bring the inner world of these Northern people to life."

Ship of Fire tells the story of seventeen-year-old Thomas, who finds himself on a high seas adventure with the ship's surgeon master, William. When William dies, the inexperienced Thomas is promoted to ship's surgeon by Sir Francis Drake. The story follows Thomas's coming of age as he fights battles and treats the sick and wounded on the ship. "Brimming with historical detail and ambience, this fast-paced maritime adventure will surely please devotees of the genre," wrote Karen T. Bilton in the School Library Journal. Booklist contributor John Peters noted that the novel adds to the author's "reputation for rousing historical adventures."

In Blood Gold, Cadnum offers readers a vivid portrayal of the mid-1800s, setting his story in 1849 during the gold rush in California. However, the book actually begins in Panama, introducing eighteen-year-old William Dwinelle, who is traveling in the company of his friend, Ben Pomeroy, as he follows a route through the jungle along with a number of men hunting treasure, risking his health through exposure to cholera, as well as to bandits, all with the intention of tracking down Ezra, the man who deserted his friend Elizabeth back in Philadelphia. It is this search that leads William on a treacherous journey from the jungles to a dangerous ship's voyage to the streets of San Francisco. Once out West, William gets a job driving horse-drawn wagons out to the gold fields, and he even meets a girl, but his focus remains on locating Ezra. Ed Sullivan, reviewing the book for Booklist, commented that the author's "painstaking attention to historical detail brings the setting vividly to life," and concluded that the action-adventure story would be of particular interest to young male readers. A contributor for Kirkus Reviews observed that "the prose is lively, though over-written at times," but concluded that "it's a spirited introduction to the gold rush." Paula Rohrlick, writing for Kliatt, remarked that "Cadnum … does his usual excellent job integrating historical research into an exciting story." School Library Journal writer Kimberly Monaghan observed that "this novel is fast paced, and although it is peppered with numerous people and places, the narration is easy to follow."

The author turns to mythology in Starfall: Phaeton and the Chariot of the Sun as he retells the legend from Ovid's Metaphorphoses. Phaeton learns he is the son of the god Apollo and sets out on a journey to meet his father, who reluctantly grants Phaeton's wish to drive the god's chariot across the sky. The ride leads to the unleashing of worldwide catastrophic events. Writing in Kliatt, Paula Rohrlick called the book a "brief, accessible, and dramatic retelling of the Roman myth." A Publishers Weekly contributor wrote that the author "once again displays his expertise as a storyteller."

Cadnum takes up the retelling of another of Ovid's classical myths in Nightsong: The Legend of Orpheus and Eurydice. The author recreates the tragic romantic story of the musician and poet Orpheus, who falls in love with the beautiful Princess Eurydice, and who wins her heart through his talent in playing Apollo's lyre. However, on the couple's wedding day, Eurydice is bitten by a poisonous snake and dies. The bereaved Orpheus then descends into the dark realm of the dead, the horrific and treacherous underworld of Pluto, where he is determined to reclaim his true love. Orpheus gets his wish, but he cannot overcome the failings of his human form, and the tragic story ends in profound sadness. "This classic tragedy is told solemnly, in spare, poetic language," stated Paula Rohrlick in Kliatt. Readers, even those who have claimed to lack interest in classical mythology, will likely react well to the novel's "powerful love story, the perilous quests, the heartbreaking tragedy, and the magic," noted Booklist reviewer Gillian Engberg. Reviewer Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, writing in School Library Journal, observed that "the story is a powerful one, delivered in comprehensible yet elevated language, and is sure to resonate with adolescents and give them fodder for discussion." In "skillfully creating a complex, multidimensional portrait of Orpheus," noted a Publishers Weekly critic, Cadnum "brings new meaning to an ancient romance."

The King's Arrow takes place in approximately the year 1100 following the Norman Conquest in England. Over the course of the novel, Cadnum addresses a historical mystery that remains unanswered, and that serves as the focal point of the book: whether or not someone murdered King William. Eighteen-year-old Simon is the child of a Norman father—a nobleman—and an English lady, and he has been honored with an invitation to act as servant on a royal hunt, attending Walter Thiel, a friend of the king himself. However, during the outing, one of Thiel's arrows goes astray and strikes the king, and guardsmen immediately set out in pursuit of Thiel in order to arrest him. Thiel flees, with Simon accompanying him, and the two of them go into hiding in Normandy. Was Thiel culpable in the death of the king? Had he been carrying out orders for those, like Prince Henry, who might benefit from the monarch's death? Or was the incident merely an accident? Cadnum explores these questions throughout his novel. Paula Rohrlick, in a review for Kliatt, wrote that "despite the rather abrupt ending, this fast-moving, realistically brutal adventure will be welcomed by fans of the genre."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

St. James Guide to Horror, Ghost and Gothic Writers, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1998.

St. James Guide to Young Adult Writers, 2nd edition, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1999.

PERIODICALS

America, October 28, 1995, William Griffin, review of Skyscape, p. 27.

Booklist, July, 1995, Merri Monks, review of Taking It, p. 1879; August, 1996, Linda Perkins, review of Zero at the Bone, p. 1994; John Peters, review of Edge, p. 1684; December 1, 1997, Stephanie Zvirin, review of The Lost and Found House, p. 639; March 1, 1998, Anne O'Malley, review of In a Dark Wood, p. 1124; August, 1998, Stephanie Zvirin, review of Heat, p. 1990; June 1, 1999, Michael Cart, review of Rundown, p. 1812; September 15, 1999, p. 252; February 1, 2000, GraceAnne A. DeCandido, review of The Book of the Lion, p. 1016; September 1, 2000, Ilene Cooper, review of Redhanded, p. 116; April 1, 2001, John Peters, review of Raven of the Waves, p. 1481; April 15, 2001, Hazel Rochman, review of Edge, p. 1549; May 1, 2001, Stephanie Zvirin, review of Zero at the Bone, p. 1610; April 15, 2002, Sally Estes, review of Forbidden Forest: The Story of Little John and Robin Hood, p. 1394; August, 2002, Carolyn Phelan, review of The Leopard Sword, p. 1945; September 15, 2003, John Peters, review of Ship of Fire, p. 229; November 15, 2003, Linda Perkins, review of Daughter of the Wind, p. 591; May 15, 2004, Ed Sullivan, review of Blood Gold, p. 1628; October 1, 2004, Gillian Engberg, review of Starfall: Phaeton and the Chariot of the Sun, p. 321; December 15, 2006, Gillian Engberg, review of Nightsong: The Legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, p. 41.

Book Report, September-October, 2001, Donna Miller, review of Raven of the Waves, p. 58; September-October, 2002, Linden Dennis, review of Forbidden Forest, p. 52.

Childhood Education, fall, 2002, John McAndrew, review of Forbidden Forest, p. 51.

Horn Book, March-April, 1994, Patrick Jones, review of Breaking the Fall and Calling Home, pp. 177-180; May-June, 1994, Patty Campbell, review of Breaking the Fall and Calling Home, p. 358; January-February, 1996, Maeve Visser Knoth, review of Taking It, p. 77; September-October, 1996, Maeve Visser Knoth, review of Zero at the Bone, p. 602; July-August, 1997, Amy E. Chamberlain, review of Edge, p. 452; March-April, 1998, Ann A. Flowers, review of In a Dark Wood, p. 219; March, 2000, Joanna Rudge Long, review of The Book of the Lion, p. 192; July-August, 2002, Joanna Rudge Long, review of Forbidden Forest, p. 453; July-August, 2004, Betty Carter, review of Blood Gold, p. 448.

Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 2002, review of Forbidden Forest, p. 650; August 15, 2002, review of the The Leopard Sword, p. 1219; April 1, 2004, review of Blood Gold, p. 325; September, 1, 2004, review of Starfall, p. 861; April 15, 2005, review of The Dragon Throne, p. 469; October 15, 2006, review of Nightsong, p. 1067.

Kliatt, March, 2002, Paula Rohrlick, review of The Book of the Lion, p. 14; May, 2002, Paula Rohrlick, review of Forbidden Forest, p. 6; September, 2002, Paula Rohrlick, review of the The Leopard Sword, p. 8; September, 2003, Paula Rohrlick, review of Ship of Fire, p. 6; November, 2003, Claire Rosser, review of Daughter of the Wind, p. 5; May, 2004, Janet Julian, review of The Leopard Sword, p. 52; May, 2004, Paula Rohrlick, review of Blood Gold, p. 6; September, 2004, Paula Rohrlick, review of Starfall, p. 6; September, 2004, Paula Rohrlick, review of Starfall, p. 6; May, 2005, Paula Rohrlick, review of The Dragon Throne, p. 8; November, 2006, Paula Rohrlick, review of Nightsong, p. 6; January, 2008, Paula Rohrlick, review of The King's Arrow, p. 5.

Library Journal, July, 1993, A.M.B. Amantia, review of The Horses of the Night, p. 118; September 1, 1994, Robert C. Moore, review of Skyscape, p. 213.

Publishers Weekly, January 19, 1990, Sybil Steinberg, review of Nightlight, p. 98; May 3, 1991, Sybil Steinberg, review of Saint Peter's Wolf, p. 62; May 10, 1991, review of Calling Home, p. 284; June 1, 1992, review of Ghostwright, p. 53; November 16, 1992, review of Breaking the Fall, p. 65; June 21, 1993, review of The Horses of the Night, p. 87; August 22, 1994, review of Skyscape, p. 43; July 10, 1995, review of Taking It, p. 59; January 8, 1996, review of The Judas Glass, p. 59; June 17, 1996, review of Zero at the Bone, p. 66; June 2, 1997, review of Edge, p. 72; October 13, 1997, review of The Lost and Found House, p. 74; January 26, 1998, review of In a Dark Wood, p. 92; July 6, 1998, review of Heat, p. 62; June 21, 1999, review of Rundown, p. 69; February 21, 2000, review of The Book of the Lion, p. 88; August 28, 2000, review of Redhanded, p. 84; January 1, 2001, review of Rundown, p. 94; June 25, 2001, review of Raven of the Waves, p. 74; July 16, 2001, review of Forbidden Forest, p. 150; September, 2001, review of Raven of the Waves, p. 582; October 15, 2001, review of The Book of the Lion, p. 74; May 13, 2002, "In a Dark Forest," p. 72; August 26, 2002, review of The Book of the Lion, p. 70; July 14, 2003, review of Daughter of the Wind, p. 78; October 18, 2004, review of Starfall, p. 64; December 4, 2006, review of Nightsong, p. 58.

Reviewer's Bookwatch, October, 2004, Gary Roen, review of Starfall.

School Library Journal, February, 1992, Phillip Clark, review of Saint Peter's Wolf, p. 121; September, 1992, Susan L. Rogers, review of Breaking the Fall, p. 274; March, 2000, Barbara Scotto, review of The Book of the Lion, p. 233; November, 2000, Edward Sullivan, review of Redhanded, p. 150; July, 2001, Barbara Scott, review of Raven of the Waves, p. 102; June, 2002, Starr E. Smith, review of Forbidden Forest, p. 130; October, 2002, Renee Steinberg, review of The Leopard Sword, p. 160l; October, 2003, Karen T. Bilton, review of Ship of Fire, p. 162; December, 2003, Barbara Scotto, review of Daughter of the Wind, p. 144; June, 2004, Kimberly Monaghan, review of Blood Gold, p. 136, and Barbara Wysocki, review of The Leopard Sword, p. 76; October, 2004, Patricia D. Lothrop, review of Starfall, p. 158; June, 2005, Denise Moore, review of The Dragon Throne, p. 152; April, 2007, Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, review of Nightsong, p. 128.