THE ROPEMAKER
Peter Dickinson
Delacorte Press
Young Adult
ISBN: 0385729219

For 20 generations, magic has protected The Valley from the taxes and turmoil of The Empire. However, the great ice glacier that blocks the entrance to The Valley is beginning to melt, and the magic that makes men dizzy in the forests on the other end of The Valley is also fading.  

Tilja Urlasdaughter has always felt a little left out. Her grandmother Meena, her mother, and her younger sister Anja all have the Urlasdaughter magic that lets them listen to the great cedar trees of the forest. But Tilja --- nothing! When the Winter Festival arrives, Tilja is very excited. Maybe she will get to see or do some magic there. At the festival, her family comes across the Ortahlsons, from the family that speaks with the great ice glacier. It is decided that the two families must journey to the one who can restore the Valley's magic. This man, however, has not been seen in many years, and no one dares utter his name.

During their exciting adventures, Tilja discovers that she has a magic all her own, unique and unlike any other known magic. She has the ability to channel and control the bad magic floating around The Empire and much more. You'll have to read ROPEMAKER to get the whole story!

Being a teenager, I have read many books geared towards teens --- and I would rate this book at the top of the list! It's an exciting, fantasy page-turner that will leave you wanting more. Dickinson writes the book in a way so that you feel like you're right there on the journey with Tilja, Tahl, Alnor, and Meena, experiencing all their problems and dangers. I leave you with this quote from the book that enticed me to read it, "Time is a great rope. Only as great a magic can unweave it."

   --- Reviewed by Jenny, Fabulous Fiction Fan

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