After a visit to the king of their Viking realm, teen hero Dane, female warrior Astrid, village sage Lut and various supporters and rivals set off to rescue Dane’s mother (who’s been kidnapped by the villainous Godrek Whitecloak) and recover Odin’s ring, an ancient artifact that is the source of never-ending treasure, from a cave guarded by a monstrous sea serpent. A flavor of the Norse is provided by the insertion of such mythological people, places and objects as the Valkyrie, the Norns, Asgard, Utgard and Thor’s Hammer. Otherwise, the characters and language are pure 21st century. After a slow start, the plot develops punch and the book becomes a page-turner. Readers who are drawn in by the low humor and make it through the extended setup of the book’s first quarter will be rewarded with a rollicking adventure, lots of body humor and a rousing climax. Developmental issues of identity, sexual innuendo and vividly described violence make this book appropriate for an older audience than the publisher-recommended range of eight to 12. (Fantasy. 11-14)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-06-144939-0
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2009
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Eighth grader Samantha has all the latest technological gadgets, thanks to her parents’ jobs at an electronics company. When a chance encounter with an eerie crystal in the woods mysteriously merges Sam with her innovative new cell phone, it leads to newfound abilities. Sam discovers she can access all of her phone’s technology literally with a blink of an eye. Suddenly, Sam has phone service via her palm, photographic and video capabilities through her eyes and more. However, when she reluctantly starts intercepting 911 calls, Sam garners unwanted attention from some menacing strangers. Townsend creates a believable character caught in extraordinary circumstances: Sam’s practicality and typical teen behavior—all she really wants is to have a date with her crush, Trevor—ground this fantastical tale. After a slow start, the story builds suspense with the addition of a corrupt congressman and a hint of corporate and international espionage as Sam uncovers a dangerous plot. While the denouement occurs rather abruptly, it does leave room for a sequel. Readers are bound to be intrigued by this new action heroine. (Science fiction. 11-14)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4022-4042-3
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2010
The author of Bran Hambric: The Fairfield Curse (2009) dishes up an equally maladroit sequel featuring the same sort of nonsensical plot, clumsy satirical elements and ham-fisted writing. Tucking in lines like, “It knew his name, which was enough to send terror through his skin,” and, “the creature leapt forward, striking his finger with her teeth,” Nation sends his young wizard-in-training on a rescue mission after a mysterious Key left him by his dead mother explodes with magic one random night and sucks the soul of his best friend/main squeeze Astara into a trap (her corpse conveniently disappears from its buried coffin some time later). Joined along the way by his previously unknown father and a Tinkerbell-style vampire fairy with obscure loyalties and motives, Bran eventually finds and destroys the trap (and the Key—supposedly, that is) in the sort of running battle with the mage who killed his mother that pauses while he dives into a lake to rescue the miraculously alive Astara and ends with everyone pretty much back where they started, poised for the next episode. Not a stand-alone, or, for that matter, a stand-at-all. (Fantasy. 11-13)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4022-4059-1
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
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