Humor, chills, and real-life challenges combine in this enjoyable, action-packed fantasy.
In this middle-grade novel, a boy makes the momentous discovery that gargoyle hunting is his destiny.
Twelve-year-old Milo Savage’s field trip to a local museum outside of New York City turns into a “super really bad day” when a statue comes to life, tries to tell Milo about a secret, and gets attacked by a monstrous tentacle that appears out of a red mist. Milo’s rescue attempt fails, the tentacle disappears, and all his teacher and classmates see is an inert, damaged stone statue. Milo’s reputation for getting in trouble doesn’t help when he tries to explain. His mom sends him to live with his mysterious Uncle Horace in the Catskill Mountains, not as punishment but as the man’s apprentice. Milo’s experience in the museum and another red mist monster attack prove that it’s time he takes up the family business as a gargoyle hunter. Quinton’s lively, fantastical worldbuilding has a deft twist: Most of the stone monsters, influenced by a magic Moonstone, are protectors of humankind. But Horace, the “Keeper of the Moonstone,” has disappeared, and evil gargoyles are after the object for nefarious purposes. Milo gets information and protective talismans from a comically cranky garden gnome named Grimlo and help from a benevolent talking sheepdog named Gerty. Can Milo and his own Savage Clan of gargoyle-hunting friends—tough, athletic Kat Black; uncoordinated brainiac Sammy Ballerini; and science-minded researcher Suzy Chang—find Horace in the gargoyle realm before the entire human race is in jeopardy? Quinton is the prolific author of a supernatural and techno-thriller series for adult and teen readers. In this first installment of a fantasy series, the author presents a diverse cast. Quinton seamlessly weaves such tween concerns and issues as learning disabilities (Milo), bullying (Sammy), and developmental and physical differences (a gate guardian appears to have Down syndrome characteristics; Milo and Sammy make involuntary gestures) into the story. The result is a nonstop, scary, and fun adventure.
Humor, chills, and real-life challenges combine in this enjoyable, action-packed fantasy.Pub Date: Nov. 19, 2022
ISBN: 978-1736659083
Page Count: 250
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship.
A young tennis champion becomes the target of revenge.
In this sequel to Legacy and the Queen (2019), Legacy Petrin and her friends Javi and Pippa have returned to Legacy’s home province and the orphanage run by her father. With her friends’ help, she is in training to defend her championship when they discover that another player, operating under the protection of High Consul Silla, is presenting herself as Legacy. She is so convincing that the real Legacy is accused of being an imitation. False Legacy has become a hero to the masses, further strengthening Silla’s hold, and it becomes imperative to uncover and defeat her. If Legacy is to win again, she must play her imposter while disguised as someone else. Winning at tennis is not just about money and fame, but resisting Silla’s plans to send more young people into brutal mines with little hope of better lives. Legacy will have to overcome her fears and find the magic that allowed her to claim victory in the past. This story, with its elements of sports, fantasy, and social consciousness that highlight tensions between the powerful and those they prey upon, successfully continues the series conceived by late basketball superstar Bryant. As before, the tennis matches are depicted with pace and spirit. Legacy and Javi have brown skin; most other characters default to White.
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-949520-19-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Granity Studios
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
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