Fifteen-year-old Princess Avielle is a "silver skin," a Rhian who has the silver coloring, pointed ears, and forehead ridges that mark the Rhian's magical Dredonian neighbors. Though many Rhians are part Dredonian, Avielle is shunned for resembling her Dredonian great-great-grandmother, infamous for placing a terrible curse on the kingdom. When Dredonia, ruled by evil wizard-priests, slaughters the Rhian royal family, Avielle escapes and goes into hiding as an apprentice weaver. In this close-knit community of artisans, she discovers that she has a magical gift for weaving but fears embracing it will cause further evil. Avielle is clever and compassionate, and her spot-on descriptions of the individuals she encounters ("the medals and the top of his head both shone, as if both had been freshly spat upon and polished") are delightful. Evocative scenes of Avielle's weaving symbolize her inner journey, and readers will empathize with the girl as she struggles to accept her Dredonian heritage, her magic, and her duty while weathering prejudice and her own unconscious hatred. The ending is pat and overdone, but the pattern author Calhoun weaves is rich and complex. Krista HutleyCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved