MARVELOUS WORLD

At the end of the first book in this series, teenagers Louis, Cyndi and Devon were abducted, their bodies left in this dimension’s Earth as their spirits were translated to Midlandia, a world mortally wounded by an unknown source. Now, each of them wants to return home to family and friends, but two armed camps of Midlandian inhabitants battle to prevent this. This sequel explores the makeup of the teens’ talents as well as the nature of each one’s responsibilities. Structured in levels like a video game, this installment lacks the speed and impetus (and much of the explicit violence) of the first book—there’s much more tell here than show. The portrayal of the large cast of secondary characters remains sketchy, sometime adding suspense but just as often creating confusion. The resolution is not totally satisfying, ending as it does on a cliffhanger. Lack of an integrated back story will make this volume challenging for readers new to the series, but fans of the first novel will devour it and wait breathlessly for the next. (Fantasy. 11-13)