Author Description

From School Library Journal Grade 3–7—In this prequel (HarperCollins, 2008) to Swordbird (HarperCollins, 2007), Nancy Yi Fan reveals the origin of the legendary bird that serves as savior to the world of birds. Although the moral values imbedded in the story are sometimes handled in a heavy-handed and didactic style, Yi Fan manages to weave a fascinating story about four birds on a quest to locate a magical sword. On their journey, they gain insight into their own strengths and frailties. While the novel is fascinating, the audio version is a disappointment. Janellen Steininger, the narrator, does not have the vocal range to adequately portray the multitude of characters in the story. Except for Maldeor, the evil one-winged archaeopteryx, all the voices sound essentially the same. As a result, the text sounds stilted and juvenile. There is the additional problem of the lack of background music for the songs of the birds. For libraries where the first book is popular, purchase the print version only.—Connie M. Pierce, Falling Water Elementary School, Chattanooga, TN Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Product Description Wind-voice the half-dove, formerly enslaved, is now free, and Maldeor, the one-winged archaeopteryx, hungers for supreme power.Can Wind-voice and his valiant companions—Ewingerale, the wood-pecker scribe; Stormac, the myna warrior; and Fleydur, the musician eagle—save the future of their world?An exciting prequel to the New York Times bestseller Swordbird. About the Author Nancy Yi Fan is the New York Times bestselling author of Swordbird and Sword Quest. She appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show as one of the World's Smartest Kids and on The Martha Stewart Show. Nancy spent part of her childhood in China, where she was born in 1993. Birds have been a lifelong passion of hers and provided the inspiration for her novels. She began writing her first novel, Swordbird, when