Ingeldove

By Marly Youmans

Book Overview

A gripping, fantastic battle against an evil creature After rowing across the waters that cover what was once their home, a valley intentionally flooded during World War II, Ingledove and her older brother, Lang, visit their mother's remotely situated grave, where they find a mysterious inscription on her headstone: A daughter of Adantis. Vaguely remembering hearing of Adantis when they were younger, the two siblings find themselves unwittingly entering into it, a magical place hidden deep in the Great Smoky Mountains. But they seem predestined to encounter something terrible as they continue what Lang thinks is just a good camping trip. A strange music hangs in the air, and eventually Lang is entranced by its source - at first sight, a beautiful woman. In fact, she is part serpent, an ancient creature of evil who is out to drain the life from Lang. Only with the help of a man called the Master of Witchmasters and only by venturing into enchanted tunnels will Ingledove be able to save her brother from death. Mining the rich legends of the Cherokee Indians, Marly Youmans has crafted a decidedly American fantasy written in breathtaking prose.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0142407046
• ISBN13: 9780142407042
• Release Date: November 2006
• Publisher: Firebird
• Length: 197 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 4.3" x 7.0"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

A gem of MG/YA fantasy, tragically overlooked

This is a marvelous literary MG fantasy, set in Adantis, a hidden world in the Appalachians that is a blend of Old World Scots-Irish-English settlers and Cherokee. The setting is uniquely American, and told with beautiful descriptive prose. The characters are all brought completely to life with just a bit of description and dialog, and the relationship between Ingledove, a young girl who is wise beyond her years, and Jarrett, the Master of Witchmasters, was touching and bittersweet. This book really deserves to take its place as a classic of children's literature. Youmans's other book set in Adantis, The Curse of the Raven Mocker, is also good, but in my opinion, Ingledove is even better.

Experience the Lure of Music

Ingledove and her brother, Lang, set out to visit the grave of their mother in the mountains of the Carolinas. However, on their journey, Lang is enchanted by a mysterious music, resulting in complications that draw the children deeper and deeper into the land of Adantis. As I read Ingledove, I found myself connecting with Lang, feeling the lure of music, for me, the magical music of Youman's writing. Attempting to put the book down, I found that I, too, was hooked, needing to learn more about Adantis, the land of the Hidden People. As with The Curse of the Raven Mocker, her first book about Adantis, Youman's writing is rich with description. Her books not only advance the plot, but they invite the poet in the reader to stop and dwell in the beauty of language. As a middle school teacher, I'm particularly pleased to discover Marly Youman, for really fine writing is in short supply for this age reader. However, I'll not concede her writing solely to the young adult reader. This magical book will find its place on my bookshelf alongside The Curse of the Raven Mocker to be taken down and read again and again.