Surprises, plot twists and shocking revelations characterize this book and deliver the proper ending for a splendid trilogy
This finale to the Ring of Five trilogy demonstrates the skills that make its author so successful in creating fantasy and thriller stories. It is a (very suspenseful) delight to read.
Danny Caulfield is on the run. His archenemy, Ambrose Longford, head of the Ring of Five, has infiltrated the Upper World, convincing the authorities that Danny is a dangerous threat to both worlds. In his journey back to Wilsons Academy of the Devious Arts, Danny travels the ghost roads, finds a resistance group founded by his parents and sails on a mysterious river that passes through both worlds. Known characters reappear, and new ones join the roster. Danny’s odyssey through the Upper and Lower Worlds takes readers to unexpected locales in both places. Double-crosses and betrayals abound, keeping readers’ attention and building anticipation of a rip-roaring ending—which does not disappoint. Fans of the first two books in this suspenseful and engrossing series will be totally satisfied, while skillful integration of previous events will enable newcomers to follow the story.
Surprises, plot twists and shocking revelations characterize this book and deliver the proper ending for a splendid trilogy . (Fantasy. 11-15)Pub Date: Aug. 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-385-73821-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Wendy Lamb/Random
Review Posted Online: June 19, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012
Wyatt (The Science Book for Girls, 1997, etc.) adopts an alien’s-eye-view of earthlings, comparing the human body with that of a friendly lifeform from outer space. A cartoon anatomical outline charts the alien Danoid’s first encounter with Pete. Danoid labels hands as primary manipulatives, feet as planet connectors, and knees, multidirectional movement facilitators. Earthling skin, hair, brains, bones, muscles, and organs are measured by these compare-and-contrast standards, delivering information along the way. Sifting through a flurry of text, readers will stumble upon headings marked “Science Fair Ideas,” consisting of simple, at-home experiments such as tracking one’s pulse with a dab of modeling clay or smelling foods that have strong odors. While the concept is attention-getting, and often humorous, the actual information is often overwhelmed by distracting asides, experiments, and reports filed to Danoid’s commander; this compendium may be more worthwhile for browsers than researchers. (diagrams, index) (Nonfiction. 8-11)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 1-55074-511-5
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
Thirteen-year-old Nick Kirov has a sort of wizard’s Bar Mitzvah in this, the third outing in the Magickeepers series. His desperate search for a fabled magical chalice that will save the life of his father, bespelled during an attack by the evil Shadowkeepers, takes the young visionary from the (sadly defunct) Liberace Museum’s warehouse in his hometown Las Vegas to Stratford-on-Avon, then to a climactic showdown in a Russian ice cavern with the evil Rasputin. As in past episodes, the parade of historical figures continues in visions and flashbacks, because in its long history the life-giving chalice passed through the hands of such luminaries as Shakespeare, Houdini, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Howard Hughes and Amelia Earhart. Nick’s relentlessly entrepreneurial uncle Crazy Sergei puts in occasional appearances for comic relief, as well. By the end, Nick has (seemingly) vanquished Rasputin, saved his father, buried the dangerously intoxicating chalice in a deep hole and, and keeping with an unusually specific Prophecy, been elevated to Prince of the Magickeepers. “You,” his uncle Theo informs him, “became a man.” After its strong start in The Eternal Hourglass (2009), this series has been treading water, but fans may still be willing to take a dip. (Fantasy. 11-13)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4022-1503-2
Page Count: -
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
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