TEN GOLD COINS

Getting abducted is only the start of a half-Elf, half-mortal’s ballooning troubles in Parker’s fantasy sequel.

Alex lives in both the mortal world and Eledon, an enigmatic land inhabited by Elves after they were forced to leave Earth. She’s been looking forward to her three-month vacation from her modeling career in the mortal world, but her relaxation plans didn’t include helping her grandmother clear out a warehouse in the Elf city of Meridian. Before Alex can finish the job, someone grabs her and takes her to a familiar enemy: Lord Fissure, a Rock Elf (“He was an arrogant son-of-a-bitch, the only Elf I truly hated”) who wants the magic of the Keys of Eledon. (As the Keeper of the Keys, Alex may be able to “fix” a practically uninhabitable island.) Other heartless baddies pop up as well, hoping to coerce her into using her skills with the Keys. To get back to Eledon, Alex must traverse the Underworld and the mortal world (of another time), all while bumping heads with gods, various fantastical creatures, and Mentors, the powerful beings who created Eledon. Parker’s follow-up to The Epsilon Account (2023) feels like a collection of subplots. Alex moves from one dilemma to the next through a constantly changing environment confronting a variety of foes. There is a cohesive through-line; her goal through all of this is getting home, and at least one villain has a fairly consistent presence. The story rarely slows down as Alex is pitted against vicious monsters, lethal robots, and a few double-crossers. As in the series’ preceding installment, Alex is tough, valiant, and compassionate; at one point, she leads a dangerous mission to destroy a red crystal solely for the benefit of an oppressed group of people. Readers just joining the series will surely become fans of Alex, who makes appearances in many of Parker’s multiple book series.

A smashing hero leads the charge in this diverting tale of perilous other worlds.