A rich, original, and imaginative sequel for fantasy fans
In this sequel to Dragon’s Green (2017), 11-year-old “true hero” Effie Truelove finds her life and her world in peril.
Effie and friends Maximilian (a mage), Raven (a witch), Wolf (a warrior), and Lexy (a healer) attend magic classes in the post-worldquake Realworld, where they’re forbidden from doing magic, owning magical boons, and traveling to the magical Otherworld. When Effie’s expelled from classes for violating these rules and her father confiscates her magical boons, she wonders how she will return to the Otherworld she loves. Meanwhile, Raven hears a rumor Effie will die on the day of a huge meteor shower, which is also when Skylurian Midzhar, a powerful witch and literary agent, plans to burn all remaining copies of the popular, Harry Potter–like The Chosen Ones in a public ceremony. Unaware she’s in grave danger, Effie sneaks back to the Otherworld, risking the loss of her magical lifeforce. A chatty third-person narrator manipulates complex, crisscrossing storylines in which Effie and her friends wield their diverse magical skills, hoping to uncover a dark conspiracy and expose Skylurian. Fascinating characters, a dramatic denouement, and an intriguing books-and-libraries subtext contribute to the success of this second book of the Worldquake series.
A rich, original, and imaginative sequel for fantasy fans . (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 29, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4814-9787-9
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
A strong start to a new series in the ever-popular Warriors world: Legions of fans will purr.
Increased evidence of encroachment by Twolegs and other ominous signs of change roil the five feline Clans of the lake territories in this kickoff of a new story arc.
In intertwined storylines, a distracting voice in a young apprentice’s head takes on increasingly scary strength, disturbing visions inform an experienced warrior that she’s been chosen by the spirit guides of StarClan to play an unwanted role in impending troubles, and a wise but weakening Clan leader faces being voted out of office due to her age. Meanwhile, the enigmatic Twolegs are tearing up a forested area, poisoning an important stream, and possibly threatening all the established territories of the five Clans. Avid series fans will welcome encounters with older versions of Leafstar, Tawnypelt, and other stalwarts whom they met in previous episodes. Detailed maps labeling the terrain in both cat and Twoleg terms appear at the beginning of the book, along with a cast list of truly imposing length, helping any readers who need reminders to keep track of the dozens of relationships and Clan affiliations. Better yet, expertly mixed in among dreams and discussions that crank up the general level of anxiety, the book has enough incidental action and individual wrestling with personal issues to help the main characters stand out from the furry crowd.
A strong start to a new series in the ever-popular Warriors world: Legions of fans will purr. (Animal fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780063357068
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Falters in its oversimplified portrayal of a complicated region and people.
Parallel storylines take readers through the lives of two young people on Sept. 11 in 2001 and 2019.
In the contemporary timeline, Reshmina is an Afghan girl living in foothills near the Pakistan border that are a battleground between the Taliban and U.S. armed forces. She is keen to improve her English while her twin brother, Pasoon, is inspired by the Taliban and wants to avenge their older sister, killed by an American bomb on her wedding day. Reshmina helps a wounded American soldier, making her village a Taliban target. In 2001, Brandon Chavez is spending the day with his father, who works at the World Trade Center’s Windows on the World restaurant. Brandon is heading to the underground mall when a plane piloted by al-Qaida hits the tower, and his father is among those killed. The two storylines develop in parallel through alternating chapters. Gratz’s deeply moving writing paints vivid images of the loss and fear of those who lived through the trauma of 9/11. However, this nuance doesn’t extend to the Afghan characters; Reshmina and Pasoon feel one-dimensional. Descriptions of the Taliban’s Afghan victims and Reshmina's gentle father notwithstanding, references to all young men eventually joining the Taliban and Pasoon's zeal for their cause counteract this messaging. Explanations for the U.S. military invasion of Afghanistan in the author’s note and in characters’ conversations too simplistically present the U.S. presence.
Falters in its oversimplified portrayal of a complicated region and people. (author’s note) (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-338-24575-2
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021
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