Conclusions to the Russian tales, probably does require to have read the previous books.

Sasha and his friends Petyor and Eveshka, are now livign happily with their daughter Illyata, alone in their house in the woods. AS wizards and russalkas aren't that happy in towns. Illyata is now 15, and still over-protected ny her mother, but she's been meeting her secret friend down by the river, and isn't as lonely as she could have been. Only her friend is obviously a ghost and it very quickly becoems apparent that it's the ghost of the young Kavi Chernavog - who has had at best a mixed relationship with the family. Illyata fless the resulting confrontation - as might be expected from tempestuous youth. However the woods aren't friendly places even now, especially scince the leshys haven't been seen for several years. And then Illyata meets Yvgenie - stumbled and near drowned in one of the darker streams

This is the revised edition - Jane Fancher has helped CJC "say what she wanted to say" with this story, many years after it's initial publication. Ihaven't read the original to compare, but it does work well, it flows, certainly faster than the first in the trilogy Russalka. There is still some confusion around this matter of wishes. Apparently now at least, they linger, and can interfere with later wishes on similar subjects, having previously not acted the whole lot will come by at once. It seems somewhat of a duex et machina to the reader, but is sort of explained in the text. It does also feature more of CJC's brilliant teenagers, perfectly portrayed mixture of angst, self confidence, anger and joy. Maybe her years as a teacher have allowed her to just capture how teenagers behave - they haven't changed

Although CJC seldom (never?) writes permenantly happy endings, everything is sufficently wrapped up that one feels the story has come to a natural pause. ( )