The ante is upped and the magic bag is a little fuller in this diverting adventure for middle-grade readers.
A boy contends with a demonic underworld in the fifth installment of Genzano’s middle-grade fantasy series.
Hunter, a young boy, has had many adventures traveling alone through the once closed, now open Doors to the Stranger World. His exploits—which include exploring the realm of Faeries, working aboard a pirate ship, and escaping the mazelike museum of Aloysius Greel—have left him with a magic bag of treasures that once belonged to the Dark Child, a mysterious villain who came from Hunter’s own world in the past and attempted to cut off its magic by closing all portals to other worlds. When Hunter’s father visits a hospital for a cut finger on Thanksgiving, the boy finds a narrow stairwell leading to a wizard’s tower overlooking floating islands, and doors leading to a range of places. The experiment–obsessed, morally ambiguous wizard expounds on the nature of magic and insists that what Hunter needs next is the time glove, which can create temporal paradoxes. Why Hunter needs it is unclear, even when Raven shows up to offer prophetic riddles (“You carry it with you all the time, and open it often, though it can take you a day or more to reach it. The easiest to use – you can stumble on it by mistake – but often hardest to find when you go looking for it”). Hunter must retrieve the time glove from where it lies in an ancient pyramid, guarded by a dragon. Along the way, Hunter discovers that the Dark Child knows he is back. The author’s brand of fantasy reveres classic sword-and-sorcery tropes and his narrative is engineered for a young audience that craves variety, occasional humor, and a quick pace. His wide-eyed, powerful boy protagonist often feels derivative; however, the crystal caverns, constant action, and an elaborately unfolding plot may well scratch a fantasy itch for young readers who have not yet traveled to Narnia, Albion, or The Old Kingdom.
The ante is upped and the magic bag is a little fuller in this diverting adventure for middle-grade readers.Pub Date: June 5, 2023
ISBN: 9798391153580
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
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
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