An action-packed end to a wonder-filled trilogy.
Though life is less thrilling now that its citizens are protected from “pirates and sea dragons,” the island of Hazelport holds multitudinous marvels and irregularities.
Temperamental insects, talking birds, and a bottomless crack in the rocks stoke the imagination, but a man, someone who is “in his every aspect average,” takes notes and measurements—and performs the most gruesome of magic tricks. “The trick is: No more magic.” Surely this cannot stand—not in the swashbuckling world of Peter Nimble and Sophie Quire. Indeed, soon worlds collide, and Peter (who presents white), Sophie (who’s dark-skinned), and a ragtag assemblage of unlikely characters become separated, each caught in a complex and circuitous war of ideals. This final entry in the Peter Nimble series (which has been reissued as The Vanished Kingdom) is ripe with all the action, adventure, intensity, and wordplay of the first two stories. Auxier excels at connecting complex plot points and trusting his readers with darkness, nuance, and thorny concepts, creating complicated and morally ambiguous landscapes. At its heart, this work is about growing up, exploring the wonder found in the mundane beauty of humanity, and the fantasy of childhood giving way to the practical magic of science and progress. The author’s ambitious attempt to bring multiple characters and worlds together pulls focus away from the action and the book’s overarching beauty, however. Intricate, magical spot art opens each chapter.
An action-packed end to a wonder-filled trilogy. (author's note) (Fantasy. 10-14)Pub Date: April 29, 2025
ISBN: 9781419753947
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
Brilliant.
Young heroes rise to the challenge of protecting their home, family, and world when a new villain threatens the Glimouria Archipelago and the Immortal in this third series entry.
“New trouble” comes to the sanctuary of Glimt when Irian Guinne is kidnapped and Teren, the young Immortal, is threatened. Christopher Forrester, former princess Anya, jaculus dragon Jacques, and ratatoska navigator Ratwin undertake a series of herculean tasks to fulfill the kidnappers’ demands and free Irian, all without Nighthand’s knowledge or help. Christopher seeks knowledge from Naravirala the sphinx to understand his new, deeper connection to creatures (“It is the people you love who anchor you”), while Anya leans into her warrior nature (“What if I was born to be brave?”). Meanwhile, bandits with ouroboros bracelets pillage and burn across the Archipelago at the command of Astor Morax, and a fearsome tiger spies through mirrors. The white-presenting leads’ quest to save Irian is central, but brief sections visit Irian, Nighthand, and beautiful, deadly Carla Venasque. The climactic Battle of Glimt features ferocity, cleverness, sacrifice, and bravery, and the ending is more Shakespearean comedy than tragedy—but the danger to Teren is not over, leaving eager readers to await the fourth installment. This is a perfectly paced, mythology-laced tale of action, adventure, and heart that reminds readers that “the only thing stronger than fear is love, unceasingly and exultantly given.” Final art not seen.
Brilliant. (map, bestiary) (Fantasy. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
ISBN: 9780593809945
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel.
Sure signs that the creative wells are running dry at last, the Captain’s ninth, overstuffed outing both recycles a villain (see Book 4) and offers trendy anti-bullying wish fulfillment.
Not that there aren’t pranks and envelope-pushing quips aplenty. To start, in an alternate ending to the previous episode, Principal Krupp ends up in prison (“…a lot like being a student at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School, except that the prison had better funding”). There, he witnesses fellow inmate Tippy Tinkletrousers (aka Professor Poopypants) escape in a giant Robo-Suit (later reduced to time-traveling trousers). The villain sets off after George and Harold, who are in juvie (“not much different from our old school…except that they have library books here.”). Cut to five years previous, in a prequel to the whole series. George and Harold link up in kindergarten to reduce a quartet of vicious bullies to giggling insanity with a relentless series of pranks involving shaving cream, spiders, effeminate spoof text messages and friendship bracelets. Pilkey tucks both topical jokes and bathroom humor into the cartoon art, and ups the narrative’s lexical ante with terms like “pharmaceuticals” and “theatrical flair.” Unfortunately, the bullies’ sad fates force Krupp to resign, so he’s not around to save the Earth from being destroyed later on by Talking Toilets and other invaders…
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel. (Fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-17534-0
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 19, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012
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