Keeper of the Waters » (REV)

Jenna Solitaire was raised in Ohio, and now lives the life of a vagabond, searching the world for the next Board. When she was nineteen, she learned that she was the Keeper of the Boards, and her life has been filled with magic and mayhem ever since. With Simon Monk, she continues to travel the world and learn about the Boards of Babylon. She believes that sharing her story with others is important and plans on continuing to do so for as long as she can. The first chronicle of her journey was Book 1: THE KEEPER OF THE WINDS. Her next journey is chronicled in Book 3: THE KEEPER OF THE FLAMES.

The launch of dark fantasy series with strong paranormal romance elements written by Jenna Solitaire, a young college student who, upon the death of her grandfather, inherits a mysterious journal and discovers her destiny as The Last Princess of Babylon a

Kathleen Beck - VOYA

Jenna Solitaire is Keeper of the Boards, the unwilling heir of the long-ago enchantress Shalizander. Having in the first book of the Daughter of Destiny series, Keeper of the Winds (Tor Teen, 2005/VOYA review above), retrieved the Board of Air with considerable mayhem and danger to her small town and her friends, Jenna flies to the Holy Land in search of the Board of Water. She must collect and master the Boards-each controlling a force of nature-before the bad guys, represented by evil sorcerer Peraud, can find them and wreak unspecified havoc. Her guide in Jerusalem is handsome, seductive Saduj, supposedly a Templar Knight. Jenna's companion Simon, a Catholic priest, doesn't trust Saduj but Jenna knows he is literally the man of her dreams, whom she sees in her sleeping visions of a past existence. Saduj leads her to the ruins of the ancient city of Petra, where Jenna must fight for control of the Board of Water as Simon and Saduj square off in a contest of faith vs. magic. Jenna Solitaire, character and author, needs to get a grip. Every clichT of fantasy literature is here: flawed mentor, nanve girl, unmastered magical object, unsought but vital mission, evil powers, and yes, even demons. The quest is vague -- what does the Keeper do with all these Boards, anyway? -- and the fantasy elements clash with one another. Adding insult to injury, Saduj quotes bad poetry. With so many excellent fantasies available, readers can pass on this one. VOYA CODES: 2Q 2P J S (Better editing or work by the author might have warranted a 3Q; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2006, Tor Teen/Tor, 225p.,Trade pb. Ages 12 to 18.