Second in the projected Pendragon Quartet, this flabby adventure owes nothing to Camelot but the name. Previously, jock Bobby Pendragon, 14, discovered that he’s a Traveler, responsible for preventing chaos across the dimensions. Now, with his mentor, Uncle Press, Bobby travels to the water world of Cloral in pursuit of interdimensional baddie Saint Dane. Teaming up with the devil-may-care Vo Spader, they discover that the food supply has been poisoned, threatening to destroy Cloral’s utopian society. Their only hope is to locate the mythical city of Faar (think Atlantis), source of Cloral’s civilization, sunk long ago beneath the endless sea. Meanwhile, back on Second Earth, Bobby’s friends Courtney and Mark run into their own spot of trouble when the school bully blackmails Mark into turning over the journals in which Bobby recounts his adventures. MacHale (The Merchant of Death, not reviewed) displays a flair for action-packed pacing, and the final cliffhanger would be an effective hook into the next title—if not for the unrelieved flatness of both characters and setting. MacHale’s world-building is devoid of either logic or wonder, and he substitutes irritating invented slang (“tum-tigger,” “natty-do,” “hobey-ho”) for developing Spader’s personality. Bobby’s own voice also grates unconvincing, describing every new experience as either “bizarro” or “cool.” Bobby’s constant puzzlement over why he was chosen to be a Traveler is likely to be shared by readers, who will see little of the likable charm or grand destiny to which the other characters constantly allude. Hobey-hum. (Science fiction. 10+)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-7434-3732-2
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2003
A romance born from danger with a fantastic buildup.
Secrets of the past and familial tensions abound in this sequel that teases forbidden romance.
Quell’s connection to her toushana, or dark magic, poses such a great threat to the magical Order of grand Houses, haughty debutantes, and high-stakes bureaucracy that the powerful Dragun brotherhood has determined she must die. Jordan, a former lover still hurt by Quell’s decision to bind to her toushana, is leading the charge—and unbeknownst to them both, Yagrin, his brother who has long hated the Order, has sided with Quell under false pretenses. The narration alternates among the voices of Quell, Jordan, and Nore, who wants a simpler life than her role as heir to the House of Ambrose can afford her; she’s dedicated to resolving this problem by any means necessary. The racially diverse cast of characters is large and at times unwieldy, but as Quell decides to leave the safe houses that have kept her hidden and reenter the world of lavish magical balls to find her long-lost mother, reminders of the earlier volume—beautiful gowns, cattiness, fish-out-of-water awkwardness—bring all the threads together, allowing for continued worldbuilding and a fuller story. Ultimately, Quell and Jordan’s tension boils over into the passionate romance it was always meant to be as the two partner with Yagrin and Nore to reveal the Order’s biggest secrets and potentially change the future of magic forever.
A romance born from danger with a fantastic buildup. (author’s note, histories of the houses, map, lexicon) (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9780593527733
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play.
Garber returns to the world of bestseller Caraval (2017), this time with the focus on younger, more daring sister Donatella.
Valenda, capital of the empire, is host to the second of Legend’s magical games in a single year, and while Scarlett doesn’t want to play again, blonde Tella is eager for a chance to prove herself. She is haunted by the memory of her death in the last game and by the cursed Deck of Destiny she used as a child which foretold her loveless future. Garber has changed many of the rules of her expanding world, which now appears to be infused with magic and evil Fates. Despite a weak plot and ultraviolet prose (“He tasted like exquisite nightmares and stolen dreams, like the wings of fallen angels, and bottles of fresh moonlight.”), this is a tour de force of imagination. Themes of love, betrayal, and the price of magic (and desire) swirl like Caraval’s enchantments, and Dante’s sensuous kisses will thrill readers as much as they do Tella. The convoluted machinations of the Prince of Hearts (one of the Fates), Legend, and even the empress serve as the impetus for Tella’s story and set up future volumes which promise to go bigger. With descriptions focusing primarily on clothing, characters’ ethnicities are often indeterminate.
Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play. (glossary) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: May 29, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-250-09531-2
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: March 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
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