The Taste of Lightning picks up a decade or two after the events of Constable’s original ‘Chanters of Tremaris’ trilogy, this time with a new band of young characters-the self-reliant laundry-maid Tansy, self-centred but charming soldier Perrin and doubt-filled priest-king in exile Skir. When events conspire to bring the three together they end up on the run from the soldiers of Baltimaran, and although they must work together, each has their own motivation. Constable mixes fast-paced chases and fight scenes with magic and politics (the characters ponder the pros and cons of two nations, one that is concerned only with money and personal property and one that is based on communal wealth). The teenage heroes must face and overcome their own crises of character, and the love triangle-a Luke, Leia and Han Solo-type scenario-provides further opportunity to explore issues that Constable’s target audience (11 to 14) will be beginning to grapple with. Two horses play important roles in the story, which will no doubt add to its appeal for girls, but explosions, fights and a little gore stop this being a particularly ‘girly’ story. A good recommendation for Constable fans. 

Matthia Dempsey is deputy editor of BOOKSELLER+PUBLISHER

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