The Books of Beginning #2: The Fire Chronicle by John Stephens

My name is Michael, and my older sister Kate vanished into the past and hasn’t returned. A prophecy says my sisters and I will reunite three books, but that may not be a good idea. Kate disappeared with the Atlas, and I’m going to become the keeper of the Chronicle. My little sister Emma and I have journeyed to Antarctica where we’re being hunted by the Dire Magnus’s army of Screechers and Imps...... This is Kate. Tell Michael I've traveled two hundred years in the past and don't know how to get back. I've been helped by a boy named Rafe, but I can't tell if he's my friend or an enemy. The Dire Magnus seems to have plans for Rafe and I, and that can’t be a good thing.

I recommend you read the first book in the series first. The more important plot this time focuses on Michael's quest to find the Chronicle, while the subplot follows Kate's difficulties in returning to the future. Rafe’s character adds an interesting twist to the book. He helps Kate with while in the past, but it's evident he's going to become the main antagonist in the series. Kate's not sure how to deal with him; is he a friend or an enemy? Michael is the middle child and seriously accepts the responsibility of protecting his younger sister Emma. His character matures a lot, as he becomes more decisive. Absorbed memories provide him with impressions and feelings that lead him toward the second book. Michael, Emma, and Gabriel travel to the South Pole but discover a few magical surprises once they arrive. We're talking elves, dwarves, and an enchanted dragon. Michael picks up a close elf "friend" along the way. Emma doesn't have a large role in the plot, but I assume she'll be the main character when the kids eventually search for the Reckoning in the third book. I'm enjoying the series and have already started reading the sequel to The Fire Chronicle.