The Rescue (Guardians of Ga'hoole, Book 3) (U)

Now that Soren has been reunited with his sister, Eglantine, he must face his next challenge making sense of the mysterious disappearance of his mentor, Ezylryb. When Soren discovers that Ezylryb is in danger, he and his friends Gylfie, Twilight, and Digger devise a plan to save the beloved teacher. In this process, Soren must fight a ferocious foe who wears a terrifying metal beak, sharpened for battle. It's not until the confrontation is over that Soren discovers the true identity of his opponent. The metal beaked warrior is Soren's evil brother, Kludd.Ann Welton - VOYAIn the third installment of the Guardians of Ga'hoole series, barn owl protagonist Soren and his friends Gylfie, Digger, and Twilight, along with new comrades Martin and Otulissa, decide to save Ezylryb, a beloved teacher who has gone missing. In the process, the young owls' investigations yield information on owl history. They discover the truth about the northern owl wars, the past of both Ezylryb and a rogue smith that they meet in an obscure area of nearby woods, and finally the identity of the evil owl who is behind both the mysterious death of another owl smith and the suffering of Soren's sister, Eglantine. The open end leaves the story set for a fourth volume. Sound characterization, a well-developed setting, and fast pacing compensate for the predictable plot. Fans of the series will be standing in line for the next installment, and readers with a penchant for animal fantasies will be engaged by this nice lead-in to the more complex tomes of Brian Jaques's Redwall series and Avi's Poppy books. VOYA Codes 3Q 3P M (Readable without serious defects; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8). 2003, Scholastic, 198p., Trade pb. Ages 11 to 14.