The Adventures of Grey-Dawn

Kristin Butcher writes novels for young adults. Her most recent works
are Cairo Kelly and the Mann, The Gamma War, and The Tomorrow Tunnel.

From birth, Grey-Dawn is shunned by his people because of his eyes,
which are yellow like those of “Dawn-treader,” the mystical wolf
spirit. As a result, Grey-Dawn grows up with only his grandmother to
look after him and the animals of the forest to keep him company. On his
14th birthday he is given a medicine bag containing such items as
stones, eagle talons, bear claws, and an assortment of herbs. Then he is
sent on a journey to the centre of the island on which he lives to find
the Spirit of the Flame. His quest is hampered repeatedly by Coyote,
Raven, and Fox, who are determined to stop him. However, their evil
tricks are always countered by Moose, Eagle, and Owl, Grey-Dawn’s
devoted friends and allies.

The tale is related in traditional aboriginal storytelling style.
Magic, courage, loyalty, greed, and guile all play a part as the forces
of good and evil battle for supremacy. Unfortunately, these devices
aren’t enough to carry a plot which lacks focus and organization and
is riddled with holes. The author is constantly backtracking to provide
information about characters and events that would have been useful to
know earlier. In addition, it never becomes clear to the reader—or
Grey-Dawn—exactly what he is searching for, or why—a situation that
is likely to leave a young audience confused and frustrated. Not a
first-choice purchase.