HUNTED

In her American debut, British author Browne cleverly mixes fantasy and action. A gang of girls assaults Karen so viciously that she imagines herself a "fox set upon by slavering hounds" right before she loses consciousness. When she comes to, she has been incarnated as a fox, and now lives in another, more primitive realm. (A layer of the story shows Karen's grandparents at her hospital bedside, where she lies in a coma). A shepherd named Mowl befriends Karen, suspecting the fox is an arl, an "unborn soul from another tier of being... where the spirits of men took non-human form." Soon after, Mowl finds his life is forfeit for his dead father's alleged treason, and he flees, with Karen following; they learn of a rebellion brewing against the king and his corrupt adviser. Karen is in danger, too, because arls die if they don't transform into their "natural incarnation" in 24 days, moreover, the king's men are hunting her in order to prove that arls don't exist. Browne creates a broader context by adopting different perspectives (mostly Karen's, her grandmother's, Mowl's and a soldier-turned-rebel), and she deftly develops Karen's slow realization of her true identity (in the beginning, Karen knows only that she has not always been a fox). The tonal shifts between the two realms can be jarring and the story ends a bit sappily, but the mythology and culture of Mowl's realm are fascinating, and the fight scenes, escapes and revelations will swiftly propel readers through to the conclusion. Ages 10-up. (June)