The Pearl of the Soul of the World

by Meredith Ann Pierce

Overview

The spellbinding conclusion to the Darkangel Trilogy!

Armed with a magical pearl imbued with all the sorcery and wisdom of the world, bestowed upon her by the Ancient known as Ravenna, Aeriel finally comes face-to-face with the White Witch and her vampire sons. Backed by her husband, his army of good, and a throng of magical steeds, she must unlock the power of the pearl to awaken her true destiny and save the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316067249
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	02/01/2008
Series:	The Darkangel Trilogy , #3
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	912,773
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Meredith Ann Pierce is a recognized and well-known author among fans of the young adult fantasy genre and the cross-over adult market. The Darkangel, her very first book, was an ALA Best Book, a New York Times Notable Children's Book, a Parent's Choice Award Superbook, a Booklist Best Book of the Decade, and was honored with the IRA's annual Children's Book Award and the California Young Reader Medal. She has received the Jane Tinkam Broughton Fellowship in Writing for children from the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference and an Individual Artist Fellowship Special Award for Children's Literature by the Florida Department of State's Division of Cultural Affairs. She currently resides in Florida.

Editorial Reviews

Readers who crave solemn tales peopled with strange beings will find much to relish in this final volume of the Darkangel trilogy. Deprived of both her memory and the power of speech, Aeriel awakens to find herself in a cave somewhere below the earth's surface. In the company of three underground-dwelling duarroughs--natives--Aeriel journeys to the city of Crystalglass. There she meets Ravenna, the last of the race of ancient beings who created the world. Ravenna restores Aeriel's memory and reveals to her the nature of the role she must play in the final battle against the cruel White Witch. Though good does finally triumph over evil, this novel's conclusion is not a typical ``happy ending'': Aeriel is reunited only briefly with her estranged husband before she must leave to begin the lonely task of healing her planet. Pierce's thoughtful characterization and well-constructed plot lead to a poignant and believable conclusion. The meticulous, creative use of language gives form and substance to a fascinating mythic world. Ages 12-up. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 6 Up-- A young woman wanders dazed through a labyrinth of caves, unable to speak or remember her own name. A glowing pearl hangs around her neck, and sunk into her skull is a tiny silver pin. With this arresting scene, Pierce opens the final volume of her award-winning ``Darkangel'' trilogy (Joy Street/Little). Her heroine, Aeriel, is a victim of the world-destroying witch she has tried to thwart; the silver pin has put Aeriel in this state. Rescued and restored by the Ancientlady Ravenna (who bestows her powers and knowledge upon Aeriel before dying), Aeriel must take the pearl to Ravenna's heir. The destruction of the witch crushes the immediate threat to the planet, but Aeriel, newly reunited with her husband, Irrylath, finds new sorrows in her role as world guardian. The striking opening scene draws readers irresistibly into Pierce's fantasy world, but the flashback necessitated by this beginning slows the pace of the story considerably. Those who have read the earlier books will find this no hardship, however. Pierce continues to have the power to capture the imagination of her readers. Her creativity never falters. --Ruth S. Vose, San Francisco Pub . Lib .

School Library Journal