Gr 5-8Tanner's trilogy concludes with a meticulously plotted, rapidly paced adventure that both stands alone and richly satisfies fans of the first two novels. The narrative picks up where Sunker's Deep left off, with the crews of both the Oyster and the Claw on dry land searching for the captain and the legendary Singer. Enter young Gwin and her family, traveling entertainers called "Fetchers," whose performances bring moments of pleasure to the downtrodden population while preserving traditional lore and keeping ancient secrets from the Anti-Machinists. Tanner's unparalleled world-building seamlessly weaves Gwin's tale into a complex narrative told from multiple perspectives. The author provides just enough backstory to keep new readers engaged and the action moving toward a thrilling ending that unites characters from all three installments. Attentive readers will be intrigued by early plot details that later on return to add significance at pivotal moments. Masterly writing brings the stark landscape to life and reveals characters' deepest emotions. VERDICT A first purchase for collections that already have the other volumes in the series; expect interest in them if ordering this third entry on its own.Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY

In a post-apocalyptic land where people survive without knowledge of past technology, “Fetchers” preserve heritage and artifacts of the past. Teenage Gwin, and her sightless brother Nat, are Fetchers who, along with their father, travel the countryside to entertain and enlighten others. Like all Fetchers, they are being hunted by Devouts. Gwin’s father gets captured, and rescuing him takes Gwin inside a mountain, up a monument, and to new heights of performance. Within the songs and stories that Gwin knows lie hidden truths that can help restore their world. Struggling against the Devouts and the villainous Brother Poosk, who press children into service, the starving citizenry must rise up against the Citadel to take back their families and rights. Battlesong is the action-packed final book in Tanner’s Icebreaker trilogy, following Icebreaker (Macmillan, 2015/VOYA August 2015) and Sunker’s Deep (Macmillan, 2016). Petrel, Fin, Sharkey, and the mechanical Captain, familiar characters from the series, return along with Mister Smoke and Miss Slink, the heroic, talking rats. The new setting on land works well, and Tanner’s use of an eclipse cleverly refers to Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. The weakness of the series is that characterization of the Devouts conveys a stereotypical anti-religious undertone that is too common in much contemporary fantasy. Nevertheless, this imaginative series is engaging and contains valuable themes about the love of parents and the importance of helping others. Like a Fetcher, Battlesong offers a narrative to help in times of tribulation.—Amy Cummins.