In this final volume of the Navigator Trilogy, the Harsh have returned after a very short interval, determined to reverse time permanently and eliminate life from the universe. Owen, now a teen, travels through time finding ways to stop the frequent invasions, while the Resistors hold the enemy off at home. The series’s readers will rejoice at meeting favorites from previous books, while McNamee provides new (and predictably unconventional) acquaintances to balance them. Suspense and tension mount with each new chapter of this page-turner. The author’s skillful use of fantasy tropes produces interesting juxtapositions that place traditional elements in unexpected settings with unique, eccentric characters. The ending will please fans: The climax is breathtaking and the resolution satisfactory (if a little fuzzy on detail). Although the swiftly moving plot may draw in the uninitiated, devotees of the first two books are the natural audience for this one. The story ends with the dissolution of the villainous Harsh, but the Resistors have retired again to the long sleep of the Starry. Here’s hoping for another threat to the universe! (Fantasy. 10-14)
Pub Date: June 9, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-385-73563-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Wendy Lamb/Random
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2009
Guaranteed to enchant, enthrall, and enmagick.
An elderly witch, a magical girl, a brave carpenter, a wise monster, a tiny dragon, paper birds, and a madwoman converge to thwart a magician who feeds on sorrow.
Every year Elders of the Protectorate leave a baby in the forest, warning everyone an evil Witch demands this sacrifice. In reality, every year, a kind witch named Xan rescues the babies and find families for them. One year Xan saves a baby girl with a crescent birthmark who accidentally feeds on moonlight and becomes “enmagicked.” Magic babies can be tricky, so Xan adopts little Luna herself and lovingly raises her, with help from an ancient swamp monster and a chatty, wee dragon. Luna’s magical powers emerge as her 13th birthday approaches. Meanwhile, Luna’s deranged real mother enters the forest to find her daughter. Simultaneously, a young carpenter from the Protectorate enters the forest to kill the Witch and end the sacrifices. Xan also enters the forest to rescue the next sacrificed child, and Luna, the monster, and the dragon enter the forest to protect Xan. In the dramatic denouement, a volcano erupts, the real villain attempts to destroy all, and love prevails. Replete with traditional motifs, this nontraditional fairy tale boasts sinister and endearing characters, magical elements, strong storytelling, and unleashed forces. Luna has black eyes, curly, black hair, and “amber” skin.
Guaranteed to enchant, enthrall, and enmagick. (Fantasy. 10-14)Pub Date: Aug. 9, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-61620-567-6
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Algonquin
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
Bold, extraordinary storytelling: not to be missed.
A crisis forces a talented young football player to consider what he values most.
Henson Blayze, an African American 13-year-old, is looking forward to football season—he’ll be joining the high school team despite still being in eighth grade. The entire town of Great Mountain, Mississippi, which is mostly white, is excited about Henson’s bringing them a championship win. Henson’s fifth grader friend, Menkah Jupiter, who’s like a little brother, is eager to see his idol in action. Townspeople make T-shirts and signs supporting their “Great Mountain Messiah.” At school, teachers and students fawn over Henson, offering him special favors, while his friend Flowell Bridges, a “hive of magnetic personality,” regales all who will listen with stories of Henson’s heroics. But Henson’s vineyard owner father is less enthusiastic—sports have “never been of grave importance” to him—and Henson’s longtime crush, Freida St. Louis, is more interested in social causes. The local news covers their first game—and Henson is outstanding from the beginning. But at halftime he learns that state troopers have badly beaten up Menkah, who’s been hospitalized, and he chooses to leave the game. Adulation quickly turns to fury when it becomes clear that Henson places justice above entertaining the town. Barnes has masterfully crafted a story that’s grounded in history and has fantastical elements woven into it. Henson is an irresistible lead surrounded by a strong supporting cast, and his story sheds light on the reality of racial dynamics.
Bold, extraordinary storytelling: not to be missed. (author’s note) (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9781984836755
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
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