A horrific merging of dimensions looms for fans in the next installment as the teen archangels grapple their way toward...
This second book in the Revelation Saga finds teen archangel Gabriel in human form as he begrudgingly continues fighting demons from hell.
Drawing on Jewish tradition, this installment’s villain is the heartbroken and enraged Lilith, who has lost her child and her eternal love. She seeks seven magical vials that will bring about an apocalyptic union of heaven, hell, and Earth. The ring of Solomon, which binds demons and is Gabriel’s chief weapon, is slowly taking possession of the teen and sapping his strength. Micah, a female avatar of the archangel Michael, is still battling at Gabriel’s side. The archangels have yet to fully master their magic, though Micah wields her fiery sword with ever growing grace and Gabriel is better able to harness his power than in the series opener. Their journey to the story’s climax is treacherous, fraught with soul-eating demons. Duncan enriches the story with an Umberto Eco–esque essence, threading it with ancient religious lore, occultism, underground libraries with papyrus manuscripts, and cameos from the Templars. The flickering romance between Gabriel and Micah glows increasingly warm, but when Lilith captures someone Gabriel deeply loves, trap though it may be, there’s no stopping him from leaping headlong into a nightmarish battle.
A horrific merging of dimensions looms for fans in the next installment as the teen archangels grapple their way toward ultimate salvation. (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-60542-602-0
Page Count: 388
Publisher: Medallion Press
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The sardonic tone of the narrator’s voice lends a refreshing air of realism to this riotously paced quest tale of heroism...
Edgar Award–winning Riordan leaves the adult world of mystery to begin a fantasy series for younger readers.
Twelve-year-old Percy (full name, Perseus) Jackson has attended six schools in six years. Officially diagnosed with ADHD, his lack of self-control gets him in trouble again and again. What if it isn’t his fault? What if all the outrageous incidents that get him kicked out of school are the result of his being a “half-blood,” the product of a relationship between a human and a Greek god? Could it be true that his math teacher Mrs. Dodds transformed into a shriveled hag with bat wings, a Fury, and was trying to kill him? Did he really vanquish her with a pen that turned into a sword? One need not be an expert in Greek mythology to enjoy Percy’s journey to retrieve Zeus’s master bolt from the Underworld, but those who are familiar with the deities and demi-gods will have many an ah-ha moment. Along the way, Percy and his cohort run into Medusa, Cerberus and Pan, among others.
The sardonic tone of the narrator’s voice lends a refreshing air of realism to this riotously paced quest tale of heroism that questions the realities of our world, family, friendship and loyalty. (Fantasy. 12-15)Pub Date: July 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-7868-5629-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2005
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
None
None
The Potternaut rolls on, picking up more size than speed but propelling 15-year-old Harry through more hard tests of character and magical ability. Rowling again displays her ability to create both likable and genuinely scary characters, most notable among the latter being a pair of Dementors who accost Harry in a dark alley in the opening chapter. Even more horrible, Ministry of Magic functionary Dolores Umbridge descends upon Hogwarts with a tinkly laugh, a taste in office decor that runs to kitten paintings, and the authority, soon exercised, to torture students, kick Harry off the Quidditch team, fire teachers, and even to challenge Dumbledore himself. Afflicted with sudden fits of adolescent rage, Harry also has worries, from upcoming exams and recurrent eerie dreams to the steadfast refusal of the Magical World's bureaucracy to believe that Voldemort has returned. Steadfast allies remain, including Hermione, whose role here is largely limited to Chief Explainer, and a ragtag secret order of adults formed to protect him from dangers, which they characteristically keep to themselves until he finds out about them the hard way. Constructed, like Goblet of Fire, of multiple, weakly connected plot lines and rousing, often hilarious set pieces, all set against a richly imagined backdrop, this involves its characters once again in plenty of adventures while moving them a step closer to maturity. And it's still impossible to predict how it's all going to turn out.
None (Fiction. 12-15)Pub Date: July 1, 2003
ISBN: 9780439358064
Page Count: 896
Publisher: Levine/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2003
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
SEEN & HEARD
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