The first book in a trilogy about Pandora’s Box in the modern world and how Pandora’s descendent holds the key but is only just beginning to understand her power.
On the morning of her 16th birthday, Evangeline Theopolis’ mother places an ancient key on a chain around her neck. It’s a family heirloom, though her mother has no idea what the key unlocks. Later, Evangeline returns home from school to find her mother has collapsed and, at the hospital, Evangeline is forced to admit that her mom has been suffering delusions. The doctors reveal the reason is a terrible brain tumor. Running parallel to this story in alternating chapters is Malledy’s story, a young man who is also diagnosed with a fatal disease. Malledy is an archivist determined to find ancient artifacts of great power, including Pandora’s Box, which he believes may contain his cure. Evangeline soon finds out that she is the descendent of Pandora when she is kidnapped by a sect of women devoted to protecting Pandora’s Box. Her newly bequeathed key unlocks the actual Pandora’s Box from Greek mythology, which still contains a fifth Fury of Annihilation. As Pandora’s descendent, Evangeline also has powers originally bestowed by the other Greek gods. Her world collides with Malledy’s once he becomes determined to use her to become godlike himself. Fischer’s fast pacing and numerous plot twists are sure to keep the reader turning the pages to find out not only if Malledy will succeed, but if Evangeline will succumb to her curiosity about the box. Though the prose can sometimes be clunky, Fischer’s characters are well fleshed-out and sympathetic, and some have hidden alliances that serve to make Evangeline’s plight seem all the more realistic. With this fresh, intriguing novel, Fischer is clearly laying the groundwork for a trilogy that will successfully continue to bring ancient mythology forward into a modern tale of self discovery. With vivid imagery, compelling characters and plenty bursts of action, this first novel weaving mythology and contemporary teenage troubles is thrillingly memorable.
Pub Date: Nov. 20, 2011
ISBN: 978-1467966535
Page Count: 292
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
