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THE ADVENTURER'S GUIDE TO DRAGONS (AND WHY THEY KEEP BITING ME)

From the Adventurer's Guide series , Vol. 2

Fans of the first will not be disappointed with this humorous sequel

In this sequel to The Adventurer’s Guide to Successful Escapes (2016), Anne, Penelope, and Hiro are back for a second round of hilarity and impossible adventures.

After their last quest nearly destroyed the world, the three friends are settling in at St. Lupin’s Quest Academy. Their peace is shattered when a boy named Valerian steals Anne’s gauntlet at the Quest Academy Awards and the trio find themselves thrown into yet another quest. Their mission is to kill the dragon queen—which is illegal and could result in war. Anne and her team don’t intend to kill the queen, but Valerian is in cahoots with the Copper Knights (8-foot-tall, terrifying hunks of metal), who will stop at nothing to make sure she dies. It is up to Anne, Penelope, and Hiro to stop them. This quest takes them through a series of dizzying escapades that include searching for the legendary Three-Handed Sword, fighting for their lives in the dragon trials, and looking for a pair of eyes on the slopes of an active volcano. While White extricates the adventurers from scrapes with overly convenient solutions, readers will still find pleasure in his sense of humor. The sequel also offers more clues to Anne’s mysterious background. Anne is black, Penelope is white, and Hiro appears to be Asian in Epelbaum’s illustrations.

Fans of the first will not be disappointed with this humorous sequel . (Fantasy. 8-12)

Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-316-30531-0

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: June 4, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017

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THE LION OF LARK-HAYES MANOR

A pleasing premise for book lovers.

A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.

When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)

A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)

Pub Date: May 2, 2023

ISBN: 9780316448222

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023

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LEGACY AND THE DOUBLE

From the Legacy series , Vol. 2

A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship.

A young tennis champion becomes the target of revenge.

In this sequel to Legacy and the Queen (2019), Legacy Petrin and her friends Javi and Pippa have returned to Legacy’s home province and the orphanage run by her father. With her friends’ help, she is in training to defend her championship when they discover that another player, operating under the protection of High Consul Silla, is presenting herself as Legacy. She is so convincing that the real Legacy is accused of being an imitation. False Legacy has become a hero to the masses, further strengthening Silla’s hold, and it becomes imperative to uncover and defeat her. If Legacy is to win again, she must play her imposter while disguised as someone else. Winning at tennis is not just about money and fame, but resisting Silla’s plans to send more young people into brutal mines with little hope of better lives. Legacy will have to overcome her fears and find the magic that allowed her to claim victory in the past. This story, with its elements of sports, fantasy, and social consciousness that highlight tensions between the powerful and those they prey upon, successfully continues the series conceived by late basketball superstar Bryant. As before, the tennis matches are depicted with pace and spirit. Legacy and Javi have brown skin; most other characters default to White.

A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship. (Fantasy. 9-12)

Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-949520-19-4

Page Count: 224

Publisher: Granity Studios

Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021

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