Reviewed by: The Keepers' Tattoo Kate Quealy-Gainer Arbuthnott, Gill. The Keepers' Tattoo. Chicken House/Scholastic, 2010. [432p.] ISBN 978-0-545-17166-3 $17.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 7-10. When the Shadowmen come to Nyssa's small island village, life as Nyssa knows it changes completely. Her foster father informs her that she bears the mark of the Keepers, a legendary people who, while once responsible for the prosperity of the Archipelago, are now hunted by the island nation's current despot, Alaric (known as the White Wolf), for their knowledge of an ancient spell. Fleeing her home with an uncle, Nyssa soon uncovers more secrets from her past, including the fact that her twin brother, once thought dead, is actually alive—as Alaric's personal slave. To save the people she loves, Nyssa ventures into the Wolf's lair not once but twice, each time bringing the tattooed words that potentially spell out Alaric's ultimate victory—or defeat, depending on who reads them. A taut, compelling fantasy that explores the blurred power dynamics of perception and reality, Arbuthnott's debut novel will please fans of Le Guin and McKinley with its rich characterizations and haunting setting. A world marked by destruction and loss, the Archipelago is revealed ruin by ruin in spare, eloquent language. Similarly, Nyssa and company are scarred by their individual pasts, making this less a story about a resourceful heroine and more a portrayal of the attempts of one family (albeit a makeshift one) at healing and reinvention. While the pacing falters at points, the ever-present shadow of the Wolf makes for a palpable tension that imbues even the quieter scenes with a sense of urgency. Both the human drama and the larger mystery of the Keepers' Legend will keep readers turning the pages. Copyright © 2010 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois