A riveting, otherworldly tale of magic, monsters, and unwavering friendships.
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.Pub Date: July 13, 2025
ISBN: 9798991335522
Page Count: 333
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: June 18, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Full of puzzles to think about, puns to groan at and references to children’s book titles, this solid, tightly plotted read...
When a lock-in becomes a reality game, 12-year-old Kyle Keeley and his friends use library resources to find their way out of Alexandriaville’s new public library.
The author of numerous mysteries for children and adults turns his hand to a puzzle adventure with great success. Starting with the premise that billionaire game-maker Luigi Lemoncello has donated a fortune to building a library in a town that went without for 12 years, Grabenstein cleverly uses the tools of board and video games—hints and tricks and escape hatches—to enhance this intricate and suspenseful story. Twelve 12-year-old winners of an essay contest get to be the first to see the new facility and, as a bonus, to play his new escape game. Lemoncello’s gratitude to the library of his childhood extends to providing a helpful holographic image of his 1968 librarian, but his modern version also includes changing video screens, touch-screen computers in the reading desks and an Electronic Learning Center as well as floor-to-ceiling bookshelves stretching up three stories. Although the characters, from gamer Kyle to schemer Charles Chiltington, are lightly developed, the benefits of pooling strengths to work together are clear.
Full of puzzles to think about, puns to groan at and references to children’s book titles, this solid, tightly plotted read is a winner for readers and game-players alike. (Mystery. 9-13)Pub Date: June 25, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-87089-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: April 2, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
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