Fan CastingTHE PRINCE OF SHADOW (Seven Brothers)

Mindful of his noble background and yearning to find his brothers, Llesho volunteers for gladiator school as the first step toward freedom. He studies with several teachers who seem to appreciate his special character, but one, Markko, has evil designs on him. The teenage Llesho eventually battles Markko, leads an army and reaches the kingdom of Shan, where he locates two of his brothers in a slave market. Despite a somewhat plodding style (torpor especially sets in during the war scenes) and superficial characterization, the vivid fantasy elements revive the plot whenever it slips too far into the doldrums. Lacking any sexual episodes, this coming-of-age story will appeal to younger readers as well as to those with more traditional tastes in boyish adventure tales.