Re-read it, still really into this world and these characters. Holds up well, love the Highland Scots setting in this particular book. I feel like these books fill the same reading niche for me as Tamora Pierce's fantasy -- characters you can grow up with, and a compelling pseudo medieval world. ( )

[This is a review I wrote in 2007]

**An exciting fantasy with a moral tale!**

This is the second in the Shamer's series. In fact when I was looking at the books on the bookshop's shelves I had trouble working out which one came first as the covers didn't say! In the end I picked this, which I now know follows on from "The Shamer's Daughter".

Having read a number of other children's fantasy novels recently I didn't have great expectations for this one. It's not that I hadn't heard great things about it - in fact I hadn't heard anything at all about the series or author before I picked it up! It's just that I didn't think I could be so lucky as to find yet another well-written fantasy that I would love!! Following on from reading other great authors like Catherine Fisher, Cliff McNish and Michelle Paver, I just didn't think I'd find book I like as much... but I have!!

This book follows the adventures of (and is alternately narrated by) 11-year-old Dina, and her elder brother, Davin. Dina has inherited from her mother a special quality, The "Shamer's Gift". This gift is not unique to Dina and her mother (as each clan will have its own shamers). However, it is powerful. It compels those who look into the eyes of the Shamer to search their own conscience, to see their own wrongdoings, and to confess and feel shame for committing such acts. The Shamer is a kind of public figure who can be called upon to seek out guilty culprits and settle disputes.

It is this role of the Shamer which brings a fresh moral twist to an otherwise action-packed good vs evil fantasy tale. Indeed, in the society we live in today (often without shame) wouldn't the Shamer be a useful figure to have around?! Beware, however, the powers of this gift, as Dina has to discover when she is forced to use this powerful gift of good, as a weapon in the hands of an evil Lord... Can Davin reach her in time?

Thoroughly recommended! ( )

A little slumpier than the first, but I don’t mind giving three heaping stars to it. It doesn’t feel like much in the world has changed. It’s not like great advancements in the personal life or life of the world change greatly in this book. No huge revelations, no new characters. Even the old characters aren’t seen much or developed upon. In other words, this is not “The Empire Strikes Back”. It more feels like an addendum or sequel, rather than the continued story of Shamers.

That being said it’s still a good book. This time you get a POV of her older brother (technical note: the book switches back and forth between Dina and Davin and I had trouble discerning whose POV was which, until I noticed their names at the beginning of each chapter). He acts like a typical hothead-fighter, wanting-to-prove-his-warrior-mettle, like Wart from “Sword in the Stone” or Taran from “The Black Cauldron”. But Dina’s got the biggest story arc and you feel more for her.

There’s more action and less world-building/plot development. I get the sense the author didn’t plan for a series, unless she’s setting up some real far-reaching dominoes. Still, I recommend it and will be reading more in the series. Plus it’s fun to write that O with the slash through it. ( )

Andra delen i böckerna om skämmarens dotter. När den här boken börjar har Dina och hennes familj flytt upp till högländerna för att komma undan Drakan. Men även där bland fåren och klanerna lurar faror för familjen Tonerre. När Dinas mor blir svårt sårad efter ett bakhåll på vät till ett uppdrag som skämmare får Davin, Dinas bror, anledning att prova sitt svärd och sitt mod. Även Dina råkar ut för problem, då det inte är riskfritt att vara född med skämmarögon i de svåra tider som råder.

Denna uppföljare är relativt fristående från första delen och utspelar sig på något som definitvt har skottska högländerna som förebild, med karga landskap, klaner och klankoder. De övernaturliga aspekterna är så nedtonade att det nästan skulle kunna vara en äventyrsbok som utspelar sig i en forntid, snarare än fantasy, om det inte varit för saken med skämmare och en och annan drake. Den här boken fokuserar mer på Davin än tidigare bok och hans försök att bli vuxen. Davins perspektiv är bra skrivet, även om jag upptäcker att jag skummar de avsnitten eftersom han som karaktär är rätt irriterande.

Skämmartecknet är spännande och den drar in en i berättelsen. Karaktärerna är i allmänhet väl utvecklade och intressanta. Eftersom boken är ganska kort för genren, med sina 283 sidor och lättläst kan den även funka bra för de något yngre läsarna i den här åldersklassen.