ZANE COBRIANA, COBRA shapeshifter, thanks the gods every day for Danica, his hawk pair bond, and the peace their union has brought to the avian and serpiente. Soon, Danica will have a child to carry on their royal line. But what should be a happy time is riddled with doubt. Syfka, an ancient falcon, has arrived from Ahnmik claiming that one of her people is hidden in their midst. The falcons are more powerful than the avians and serpiente combined, and Syfka shows nothing but contempt for Zane and Danica’s alliance. To Zane’s horror, his own people seem just as appalled as Syfka is by the thought of a mixed-blood child becoming heir to the throne. Is Syfka’s lost falcon just a ruse to stir up controversy among them? The truth lies somewhere in their tangled pasts—and the search will redefine Zane and Danica’s fragile future. Praise for Hawksong : “Atwater-Rhodes has created a stunning adventure that draws readers in and leaves them begging for more.”— School Library Journal , Starred “Atwater-Rhodes takes a break from vampires to create two warring clans . . . [with] impressively complex cultures.”— Publishers Weekly A VOYA Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror List selection Grade 7-10–In this sequel to Hawksong (Delacorte, 2003), in which the characters switch between human and animal form, the war between the snake and bird peoples is over. Zane Cobriana, Diente of the serpiente, and Danica Shardae, Tuuli Thea of the avians, have brought peace with their marriage. Now they divide their time between their countries, encouraging their citizens to coexist and learn more about one another. Difficulties arise when a dangerous emissary comes from the falcons seeking a fugitive hidden in one of their courts. To complicate matters, Danica is pregnant and each domain wants the future heir to be raised in its own tradition. While Hawksong was told by Danica, Snakecharm features Zane's voice. The story is compelling, but the narration is oddly detached. Zane describes his feelings, but the text seems flat, almost as if he is speaking about someone else. This disconnect doesn't hamper the action, however. While some plot elements, like the eventual solution of building a third court between the two lands, are easily guessed, others are unexpected, and there is enough suspense to keep readers interested. This book is a must-have for libraries with fans of Hawksong . Others seeking out shapeshifter stories may want to investigate Patrice Kindl's Owl in Love (Houghton, 1993). –Lisa Prolman, Greenfield Public Library, MA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. ZANE COBRIANA, COBRA shapeshifter, thanks the gods every day for Danica, his hawk pair bond, and the peace their union has brought to the avian and serpiente. Soon, Danica will have a child to carry on their royal line. But what should be a happy time is riddled with doubt. Syfka, an ancient falcon, has arrived from Ahnmik claiming that one of her people is hidden in their midst. The falcons are more powerful than the avians and serpiente combined, and Syfka shows nothing but contempt for Zane and Danica s alliance. To Zane s horror, his own people seem just as appalled as Syfka is by the thought of a mixed-blood child becoming heir to the throne. Is Syfka s lost falcon just a ruse to stir up controversy among them? The truth lies somewhere in their tangled pasts and the search will redefine Zane and Danica s fragile future. Praise for Hawksong : Atwater-Rhodes has created a stunning adventure that draws readers in and leaves them begging for more. School Library Journal , Starred Atwater-Rhodes takes a break from vampires to create two warring clans . . . [with] impressively complex cultures. Publishers Weekly A VOYA Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror List selection Amelia Atwater-Rhodes wrote her first novel, In the Forests of the Night , when she was 13 years old. She has since published Demon in My View , Shattered Mirror , Midnight Predator —all ALA Quick Picks for Young Adults—and Hawksong , a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. CHAPTER 1 A Flicker of shadow against the sun made everyone in the serpiente market pause in their business and look to the sky. The fluttering of wings and the sight of a diving sparrow chilled me. Erica Silvermead, the sparrow who now shifted into her human form in front of me, had been guarding the front door of the palace. Her presence here meant that our dangerous visitor had arrived. Politely excusing myself from the merchant I had been speaking with, I followed Erica into the palace. Once we were alone, she confirmed my assumption. "Syfka, speaker for Empress Cjarsa, is at the gate. She has requested an audience with you and your pair bond." I would have liked nothing more than to order the guard and the Royal Flight to ban Syfka from our lands, but insulting the falcons would be suicide. While the serp