IT'S HARD FOR Elissa to comprehend everything that has happened to her. In "Elissa's Quest," she discovered the truth about her father, and she and her new friend, Maya, justbarely escaped a madman's clutches. And Elissa's Gift is not only growing in power . . . it's changing. Elissa could always speak to animals, but now she's able to control otherthings in the natural world. But when Elissa becomes separated from her friend and her faithful donkey, she embarks on a perilous voyage that introduces her to others who have special Gifts, too. It's almost asif an unseen hand is guiding her to the pieces of the prophecy . . . the Prophecy of the Phoenix. The climax is building In Book 2 of the Phoenix Rising trilogy, Erica Verrillo manages to make us laugh while falling evenmore deeply in love with a fabulous, strong, girl coming of age. "From the Hardcover edition."