AMBERGATE
Patricia Elliot
Little, Brown for Young Readers
Fantasy
ISBN-10: 031601060X
ISBN-13: 9780316010603
400 pages

Scruff has worked as a kitchen maid at Murkmere ever since she was taken from the Capital five years earlier. Much has changed during that time --- the Master is dead, Leah's whereabouts are unknown and Aggie is the new caretaker --- but what remains are the unanswered questions that continue to haunt her. Scruff has vague recollections of a life before she was found wandering the streets and put into a Home, but they provide no answers as to where she came from.

Then Murkmere has some unexpected visitors from the Capital. The Lord Protector is seeking an orphan for reasons not entirely clear, though Scruff thinks it's herself. Anyone who has lived in a Home can be called back to work in return for the "debt" they owe the Home. However, children never receive wages; instead, all they get is pain and suffering through terrible living conditions and often at the hands of their supposed caregivers. The youngsters are branded with a number that identifies them and, in effect, stigmatizes them for life.

Desperate to save Murkmere and herself from danger, Scruff seeks Aggie's help in avoiding the police. Aggie hides the young maid in the Master's tower, but when the police return with some other unwanted guests, Scruff realizes she must leave Murkmere. In a harrowing escape, Scruff somehow ends up in the mysterious Wasteland, where she is cared for by a kindly gentleman named Gadd and his son Erland. Over time, Scruff develops a deep connection to Erland and eventually uncovers a strange secret, one that may include her own past.

There is another reason why Scruff is afraid of being captured: she committed a crime, though its nature isn't revealed until later in the novel. But the incident is innocent compared to the crimes of individuals with whom Scruff crosses paths throughout her journey. From the Eastern Edge to the streets of the Capital, old and new acquaintances, along with startling new revelations, make Scruff question everything as she tries to figure out who she really is and perhaps start a new life.

With complex, intriguing characters and suspense throughout, this sequel to Patricia Elliot's MURKMERE is a thrilling story that will surprise and satisfy readers.

   --- Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle

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