Johanna and Rafi are in a race against time to save their country before a power-mad Keeper destroys everything they hold dear in the “enthralling magical world” (Cinda Williams Chima, author of The Heir Chronicles) introduced in The Storyspinner . As the last of the royal line, Johanna is the only person who can heal a magical breach in the wall that separates her kingdom of Santarem from the land of the Keepers, legendary men and women who wield elemental magic. The barrier protects Santarem from those Keepers who might try to take power over mere humans…Keepers who are determined to stop Johanna and seize the wall’s power for themselves. And they’re not the only ones. As the duchys of Santarem descend into war over the throne, Johanna relies more than ever on the advice of her handsome companion, Lord Rafael DeSilva. But Rafi is a duke too, and his people come first. As their friendship progresses into the beginnings of a tender relationship, Johanna must wonder: is Rafi looking out for her happiness, or does he want the throne for himself? With war on the horizon, Johanna and Rafi dodge treacherous dukes and Keeper assassins as they race to through the countryside, determined to strengthen the wall before it’s too late…even if it means sacrificing their happiness for the sake of their world. Gr 8 Up-This second installment picks up right where The Storyspinner (S. & S., 2014) left off. Johanna, with help from Rafi and Jacaré, continues on her quest to restore the magical barrier, but things get complicated as she and Rafi explore their budding feelings for each other. Rafi's brother Dom is left to handle the duties of duke at home in Santiago, which becomes dangerous as nearby fiefs move to draw their homeland into the looming war over the throne. Pira and Leão are left searching for and rescuing each other while also trying to catch up with Jacaré and Johanna. All the while, there are Keepers already on this side of the wall who will stop at nothing to keep Johanna and her allies from achieving their goal. Readers will be pleased with the continuation of the story of Johanna and the Keepers. This volume has more romance and clichéd dialogue than the previous entry, as well as Wallace's page-turning action sequences. Multiple character perspectives continue with two new voices, which leads to surprising character development. VERDICT A compelling, unique world with Portuguese-inspired echoes of Patrick Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind (DAW, 2007), this series is a must for fans of fantasy.-Stephanie DeVincentis, Downers Grove North High School, ILα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Adventure abounds and stakes are high, keeping readers in suspense through the wild and romantic end. -- Booklist "A compelling, unique world with Portuguese-inspired echoes of Patrick Rothfuss’s The Name of the Wind (DAW, 2007), this series is a must for fans of fantasy." ― School Library Journal "Rich in both emotion and action, The Skylighter is a thrilling and heartfelt fantasy that will keep readers frantic to turn page after page until the very end." -- VOYA Becky Wallace grew up in house full of stories with people who loved them. Her parents, both school teachers, only took her books away when it was very late at night—and usually pretended not to notice when she read by flashlight. She wrote and directed her first princess-related play in sixth grade, started her first “romance” novel in seventh, and penned a binder full of bad poetry in high school. She’s very grateful all those manuscripts have been lost. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Public Relations and worked in minor league baseball as a journalist and in sports marketing. She was lucky enough to find and marry a real-life prince charming. They have four little munchkins and are living out their own happily-ever-after in Houston, Texas. The Skylighter Chapter 1 Pira Millions of tiny feet stampeded over Pira’s skin, under her shirt, through her hair, into her nose. Leather strips bound her wrists and ankles together, making it impossible for her to dislodge the nasty little creatures. She thrashed, rolling across the gravel-strewn campsite, trying to crush the paraponeras under her weight, but nothing deterred them from reaching her flesh. As if responding to a silent command, the ants sank their needle-sharp pincers into her body, injecting a venom that burned and throbbed. She bit her tongue to keep from crying out, and letting the ants crawl in. “You will answer my questions,” a voice whispered from somewhere both near and far. Coming from both within her mind and without. Pira couldn’t see the speaker, couldn’t see anything with her eyes shut tight against the agony. Sweat dripped from her forehead as her body shuddered and rocks dug into older wounds. Those injuries gave a different sort of hurt, dull and achy, the bruises f