Ten thousand years before ElfQuest: The Grand Quest begins, the elfin High Ones became too many for their planet, so they boarded spaceships and left to find a new home. They brought with them trolls to be their helpers, but as they neared the World of Two Moons, the trolls revolted, causing the ship to crash. The survivors stepped onto the planet hoping for assistance, but they met instead with violence from ape-like humans. The High Ones scattered into the forest, and the trolls retreated underground. From these events was born the animosity between the three species that exists at the heart of ElfQuest. In saving a tribesman who is slated to be a sacrifice to the human gods, the Wolfrider elves inadvertently kill a man. This begets a chain of events in which the Wolfriders flee their forest home, seek shelter with the trolls, and discover another tribe of elves living in the mountains. The storyline is initially complicated since the reader must sort out the convoluted history of the characters. The illustrations are small b/w drawings. As a result, only devoted comic book readers will be immediately attracted to this novel. The large-bosomed elfin women and bare-chested elfin men with liquid eyes and adorable pug-noses will turn off some serious fantasy readers. However, the story is fun, and it could appeal to young readers new to the fantasy genre who are willing to give it more than a cursory glance. (The Grand Quest, Volume One). KLIATT Codes: JS—Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 1978, DC Comics, 220p. illus., Ages 12 to 18.