Some teenagers uncover a plot against their kingdom in this third installment of a middle-grade fantasy series.

Fourteen-year-old Goff, having faced off against a dark wizard, is ready to enjoy his days at a boarding school. Elsewhere, his “magical friends from past adventures,” Bones and Maxim, find and inadvertently activate a Time Lock. Around the campus, Goff, his romantic interest, and his best friends all vanish with a “pop.” The story then moves to a past era—the kingdom of Slaathwick, in which Goffren works in the Royal Kitchen. When he delivers food to a royal, the result is unexpectedly lethal, and reputed murderer Goffren lands in the dungeon. Luckily, his friends, from performer assistant Lydianna to potions apprentice Halstrohm, help him escape and prove his innocence. That entails making their way to an eerie castle on an even spookier island. They also stumble on someone’s diabolical plan to overthrow the kingdom, which they can thwart by warning the royal family—preferably without getting tossed in the dungeon, or worse. Gracely practically sprints through the present-day opening, and readers unfamiliar with the earlier installments will likely get confused. But once in Slaathwick, the similarly named characters (for example, Lydia becomes Lydianna) are essentially brand new, with their own backstories. This lengthy (over 370 pages) but well-written adventure is consistently thrilling. Goffren, Lydianna, and Halstrohm pass through a dark forest, deal with gargoyles and various other creatures, and experience heaps of magic. The magic even involves Goffren. He’s secretly a magic-capable Verlokken—a being who, according to a minstrel’s song, should be feared. In addition, recurring scenes with Bones, who’s an actual skeleton, and Maxim, a cat, are fun. The two watch everything unfold via the Time Lock, and Maxim must insist that Bones not help their friends in peril. The benevolent action could “cause a breach in the time continuum that turns everything on its head.” While the final act offers some resolution, it’s aimed more at setting up another installment.

A riveting, otherworldly tale of magic, monsters, and unwavering friendships.

A teen becomes the caretaker of a magical artifact hunted by malevolent forces in Gracely’s YA novel.

Max Berger takes a temporary reprieve from his ramshackle orphanage with a midnight stroll. Away from the generally chaotic downtown of Warwick, Max spots a “floating creature”—the same otherworldly blonde girl he’s been dreaming about. She’s Sarina, a moon spirit who has stolen a gumball-sized “Orb” in an effort to keep it out of the hands of an unnamed diabolical being. Max willingly holds on to it while Sarina seeks a witch’s advice; they agree to meet near the same dumpster one month later. Unfortunately, Max must swallow the Orb when a greedy bully comes after him, but on the plus side, a foster family takes him in. He settles into his new home with same-aged foster siblings of clashing personalities. It’s not a bad life, and it’s one he’ll sadly have to give up if he breaks the rules to sneak out for Sarina’s meetup. Meanwhile, sinister moon spirit Garook, on behalf of the Orb-seeking entity, scours the humans’ realm for the coveted object. Gracely layers this story with mystery: Sarina’s kind don’t really know what they are; Max can’t remember anything before getting hit by a taxi a year earlier; and an overly curious shadow spirit is following Sarina. Standouts among a well-developed cast are Max’s charmingly nerdy foster siblings Sam (“I can teach you all about caterpillars!”), Zoe (who affects an Emo-like style), and Marta, who’s always ready to fight (but only those asking for it). The fantasy elements are subtly incorporated (the Orb still inside Max makes him occasionally glow). The engrossing buildup leads to an exhilarating final act and a gratifying resolution, even if a few questions linger.

Engaging characters battle evil in this diverting urban fantasy.

A seemingly average boy finds that he’s destined to battle against dark magic in Gracely’s debut middle-grade novel.

All that Goff Grahmwants is to get away from Spraksville, a small, spooky town where he lives with a foster family that bullies him relentlessly. His plan is to win a scholarship to prestigious Amworth Academy and eventually become a journalist. To that end, he decides to try to cast a spell at the local cemetery to help spice up his application essay about the town’s legendary witches. However, after he does so, talking gargoyles confront him and tell him he must play his part in maintaining the balance of magic in the world. It turns out that evil local wizard Harkland Mathers XIII is trying to use the upcoming Halloween holiday to maximize his powers; Goff is chosen by the gargoyles as his opponent. Learning magic doesn’t interest Goff, but people are disappearing, mysterious Halloween decorations are popping up all over town, and no one seems to be able to contact or enter the world outside Spraksville. With the help of tightly wound Lydia Garcia and deadpan Halstrom Flint, two student friends, and spirit pals Maxim and Bones, Goff must find a way to stop Mathers. This action-packed adventure draws on several familiar Halloween-themed elements; Gracely adds his own innovations with mixed success. The opening of the story is slow, and many characters feel cartoonish until the story picks up and fleshes them out halfway through the book. The setup of an orphan boy fated to use magic to defeat an evil wizard is unoriginal, but the author still makes it compelling. Overall, the story remains entertaining throughout and may appeal to middle-grade readers of such fantasy titles as The Halloween Moon (2021) by Joseph Fink.

An uneven but often engaging fantasy debut.