(4) 4-6 Wing & Claw series. Illustrated by James Madsen. In this trilogy finale, apothecary Raffa and the Afters--refugees from a great quake--resist the Chancellor who's trying to exterminate them. With his talking bat and human friends, Raffa uses herb lore to generate nonviolent ways to disarm the guards and drugged animals sent to attack them. Although Raffa isn't a believably childlike character, his team's creative solutions keep the story moving.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 4-6 Wing & Claw series. Illustrated by James Madsen. Apothecary apprentice Raffa (Forest of Wonders) attempts to rescue enslaved animals used by Senior Jayney to attack recent immigrants. After a botched raid, Raffa's father is accused of setting the fire Raffa created as a distraction. Despite some heartwarming teamwork among Raffa's friends, the amount of contrivance needed to keep the plot moving hampers a sense of rising tension.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by James E. Madsen. Yearning to use his apothecary talent to create cures, Raffa discovers a new vine that gives his patient, a wounded bat, the power of speech. But Raffa's cousin Garith takes the vine to the city, where it's exploited to train animals to attack humans. The plot never works up much menace, but Raffa's dreams and hopes will earn him readers' sympathies.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam