The Dark Beast by Dave Mazeriski

What worked:

The concept of the Dark Beast is intriguing, as a boy is overcome by embarrassment and anger to become a dangerously magical fiend. The transformation of his personality is rather abrupt and hard to believe, but the beast he becomes is ruthless. The beast is a contradiction of thoughts, as he wants to be accepted by others but punishes them for the slightest hint of criticism. His internal conflicts and growing magical power make the Dark Beast the most interesting character in the book.

The trio of heroes is a team that’s dedicated to its loyalty to the king. They persevere in their quest to locate the Dark Beast, although their roles in the group are less clear. Ravai and Raven are introduced while causing mischief in a memorial hall dedicated to knights of the past. Their playfulness doesn’t continue during the mission, so the purpose of the first chapter is confusing. Romda joins them at the start of Chapter 2 without any further information about her character before she whips out a potion to help defend the trio. How does she know about potions, and what is her relationship to the other two boys?

Minor characters along the way share stories about the Dark Beast, and they help to understand its history. The tales about the beast make it the most well-understood character in the book. It seems all of the characters have heard details from the same tales, since they’re able to pick up the story where others left off. The stories begin when the Dark Beast is a little boy and take readers through his transformation and growth into the vindictive monster currently terrorizing villagers.

What didn’t work as well:

The book doesn’t take the time to develop characters, so it’s difficult to make personal connections with them. All three main characters are flat and lack distinct, memorable personalities. The story is told in the present tense, but the narrator is not one of the characters. It sounds strange to have someone describe what’s happening at that moment when they’re not even present. It might be more effective to have the story told first-person by one of the main characters.

The Final Verdict:

Birth of a vengeful monster. The concept of a monster arising from an offended young boy creates conflict and tension, and his character is intriguing. The story can entertain readers, although it could be more engaging with additional description and detail.

Marco Swift and the Mirror of Souls: A Middle-Grade Fantasy Adventure by D.E. Cunningham

What worked:

The author manages to create subtle doubt as the plot develops. Readers use clues to determine which characters are good and which ones are bad, and this book doesn’t make things obvious. Marco’s mom needs medical help, and he’s feeling tremendous guilt for her condition and his father’s death. He jumps at the chance to heal her when he passes through a mirror to meet the Illustra, Queen of Souls, and she asks him to retrieve a powerful sword called Straya. Dark is traditionally evil in novels, and Illustra is surrounded by shadows and ill-tempered creatures. However, she says Marco’s father helped defend the realm of Mortem before his death, and she has the golden armor he left for his son. Is this queen good or evil?

The plot has familiar elements that make it easy to follow. Marco’s sole focus is on protecting his mother and little sister, so it’s easy to manipulate his feelings. He discovers new abilities with the crystals, but his overconfidence puts him in situations he’s unprepared for. He’s given a quest to retrieve three pieces of a key that will lead him to his father’s hidden sword. The queen says Straya’s power will enable her to restore glory to Mortem and save Marco’s mother. Clues hint that there’s more to Marco’s character than it appears, and other characters allude to underlying events that will be revealed later.

While there are familiar elements to the plot, the cast of characters keeps the story uncertain. The queen tells three other kids to train Marco in using his crystals, but one of them openly detests him. The other two are helpful, but their motivations and alliances aren’t clear. A tiny dragon called Elune, with the appearance of a small cat, helps Marco along the way, but it enjoys teasing him about being a weak human and doesn’t always jump in to help. El says it has trouble remembering previous people and events, so there are questions about what it’s done in the past. The characters create an atmosphere of suspicion and distrust, as they express little empathy for Marco. The truth about everyone’s identity will eventually be uncovered.

What didn’t work as well:

Marco’s power in the mirror world comes from different-colored crystals on his armor. Twisting each of four colors presents a different ability such as strength, speed, or wielding a sword. The combat scenes feel like video games, as Marco quickly adjusts the different crystals to overcome the dangers. The crystals lose power fairly quickly, so there’s always a question of when they’ll run out and leave him in peril. While manipulating crystals in a fast-paced battle is strange, it results in more tension as the outcomes of the conflicts are less predictable.

The final verdict:

There is more bravery in us than we imagine. The author creates a puzzling world of uncertainty that pits good versus evil. Hidden identities cast light on the problems, and also the solutions. The book is recommended for lovers of fantasy worlds, mystery, and family. Give it a shot!

Whispering Alaska by Brendan Jones

What worked:

The Covid-19 pandemic has hit the whole world, and this book addresses it head-on. The mother of middle-grade twins, Nicky and Josie, dies from the virus, so the father moves them to live with relatives in Alaska. The family falls into the middle of a contentious debate that will impact the future of the tiny, remote lumber and fishing village. The town economy has been devastated by the virus, even though no one has been infected, so the debate of commercial development versus preserving nature will end in a critical vote for the town’s survival.

Most of the story sounds like realistic fiction, but a speculative fiction angle is infused into it. Nicky’s cousin Clete informs her that the trees predicted she would arrive and save them. Talking trees? Nicky slowly accepts the fact that she’s able to make a connection with them and sense their thoughts. It’s not like they have a conversation, but she becomes aware of ideas that eventually help her resolve the problem. The author comes up with a very unexpected, creative resolution that makes almost everyone happy.

Despite being mirror twins, a conflict between Nicky and Josie has developed since their mother died. Josie has become bitter and angry, and her focus is on saving the Alaskan wilderness from deforestation. She’s a zealous advocate for nature and doesn’t have much of a filter for her thoughts. She lets her feelings control her voice and manages to offend almost everyone she meets. Some of her most hurtful comments are directed at her father. Nicky misses the twin who was also her best friend, and her attempts to reconnect with Josie don’t go well. However, Nicky must eventually embrace some of her twin’s personality in order to get things done.

What didn’t work as well:

After a while, Josie’s negativity gets tiresome. Nothing makes her happy, and she never stops talking long enough to consider anyone else’s thoughts or feelings. However, her character performs an important role in the plot, as her passion toward the problem evokes equally passionate feelings from other characters.

The Final Verdict:

Save the trees or save the town? The book presents the real-life, emotional conflict between nature and people trying to survive. Characters from both sides of the issue are represented, and the result is a gripping story that can be enjoyed by all, especially lovers of wildlife.

The Fowl Twins Get What They Deserve by Eoin Colfer

What worked:

The format is very similar to Artemis Fowl books, so fans of that series should readily enjoy this book too. The intelligence of Myles rivals his older brother, and he frequently informs readers that he’s actually the smartest Fowl. His twin brother Beckett is more physically gifted and likes to trust his instincts, so the pair make a formidable team. As in the Artemis Fowl books, the twins work with an officer from the LEP, but she’s off dealing with her own problems and has a less visible role with the Fowls. Her subplot may become more prominent in a future book.

The author consistently puts the twins in impossible situations and lets them escape through ingenious/lucky events. Myles accepts an impossible challenge from ghosts in order to keep his head attached to his body. Most of the time, Myles is able to think through situations and come up with “logical” plans to resolve them. Beckett has an innate ability to quickly calculate angles and time in order to react at just the right moment. Together, they make an amusing pair and add funny banter with other characters.

As the title implies, the major conflict centers on Lord Teddy’s diabolical plans to get revenge against Beckett and especially Myles. Myles admits that Teddy’s plans are truly devious and match what he might have devised himself. Lord Teddy shares needless antagonist banter that allows Myles time to figure out a solution. Adding humor to the scenes, Lord Teddy is aware he’s giving Teddy an opportunity to escape, and the characters make fun of this flawed tradition among bad guys. Their relationship might be compared to classic enemies in old cartoons, like Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd.

What didn’t work as well:

As mentioned above, LEP officer Lazuli spends much of the plot dealing with her separate story. She seems impossibly lost and near death in a totally different part of the world, so it’s challenging to keep her character connected with the twins. The assumption is that she’ll eventually reappear to save the day, but this thought drags on. Rest assured, the characters are reunited, but you’ll need to imagine the circumstances until you read the book.

The final verdict:

The final confrontation between archrivals. The Fowl twins are creative, resourceful, and humorous, and they create a wildly entertaining adventure. This book is the third in the series, but it can be read independently. Readers who have enjoyed Artemis Fowl will surely love The Fowl Twins Get What They Deserve too.

Ronan Boyle and the Strangeplace (Ronan Boyle #3) by Thomas Lennon

What worked:

Ronan is a human detective, but he investigates crimes related to faerie creatures. The first third of the plot finds him transporting rogue leprechauns imprisoned in a magical purse to a leprechaun king who will administer their punishment. This trip takes place below ground where Ronan encounters many other strange characters and beasts. However, the real story begins after the prisoners are delivered, as Ronan and a ladyship of female colleagues set out to capture Ronan’s nemesis, Lord Desmond Dooley. Dooley has enlisted the help of a world-famous entertainer who is bankrolling their evil deeds, and he always seems to be one step ahead of Ronan.

Ronan has a crush (or is he in love?) with his superior officer, and these feelings have been growing throughout the series. In a previous book, Ronan impulsively told her he loved her, so now he struggles to figure out if they might actually become a couple. Other characters notice which adds to the humor of the book. The thoughts pop up in Ronan’s mind more than necessary, but their relationship gains some clarity later in the plot.

This book is meant to be humorous, and it succeeds using bizarre mental images and wordplay. Picture a piece of cheese being the mayor of a town, Ronan wearing a pink wig during the adventure, and a villain having magical dancing feet as his superpower. Imagine a delegation of characters including the ghost of a toad wearing kabuki makeup, a Scottish cat wearing a soccer jersey, and a buff mythological Hawaiian dwarf wearing a grass skirt and lei of flowers. Ronan suggests his group should be called a ladyship, not a fellowship since most of the participants are female. They are captured in a tricky replica of a castle, and their escape requires a very unusual strategy.

What didn’t work as well:

This book requires a tolerance for silliness and crude humor, but thankfully, many middle-grade readers love these same qualities. The biggest issue is overly-descriptive details that are used to emphasize the humor. While funny, these descriptions slow down the plot and create distractions from what’s actually happening. The playfulness of the narrative is often strange, so readers need to balance their experiences with absurdity and the “seriousness” of the plot. The over-description is less noticeable during the mission to find Dooley.

The Final Verdict:

A hilarious adventure into the faerie world. The book will definitely be fun for readers with patience for the absurd. The descriptions and humor can be distracting, but the underlying story of the hero hunting down a notorious villain is easy to follow.

Explorer Academy #6: The Dragon's Blood By Trudi Trueitt

What worked:

Cruz is focused on figuring out a cryptic message left by his deceased mother that will lead him to the seventh piece of a stone cipher. The completed cipher will reveal the recipe for a serum that will change the future of medicine and health all over the world. Cruz’s mother had an accident while she was pregnant, and the serum has given him amazing healing powers; he may be immortal. Nebula is determined to stop Cruz from finding the cipher, and it’s willing to go to any lengths to stop him. Cruz tries to make wise and just decisions, but maneuvering through confusion and suspicions is difficult. Plus, he has feelings for Bryndis, and everyone else on the ship knows they’re a couple. His various friendships in the Explorer Academy are complicated by the fact that he doesn’t know who to trust.

The plot includes a number of mysteries and uncertainties to keep readers wondering. Obviously, the clues to finding pieces of the cipher are cryptic, so the explorers are never totally certain they’re on the right track to finding them. The most interesting problem concerns Nebula’s spies within the academy and aboard the Orion, the ship acting as a mobile school for the students. Cruz and his friends know two spies are on board, code-named Zebra and Jaguar, but that only makes them suspicious of everyone not in their group. Cruz even suspects his own aunt might be Zebra. Every few chapters, the setting focuses on Nebula, so readers gain some insight into their plans. These pages also reveal distrust and sabotage among the antagonists, as the players position for power.

Each book in the series focuses on an ecological mission, and this one deals with finding a marsupial scientists assume is extinct. However, a video surfaced one year ago that seems to show a thylacine wandering through the forests in Tasmania. This book includes information about other rare animals, along with colorful photographs, as well as geographical and historical facts regarding Borneo, China, and Tasmania. Specifically in China, the book displays knowledge of the thousands of statues in the Terra-Cotta Army, the Xi’an City Wall, and the lantern festival. The facts shared throughout the plot don’t interrupt the flow of the story, and some of it’s important to how events progress.

What didn’t work as well:

This book is the sixth in the series, and a lot has happened. References are made to past events, but many holes are left for readers to figure out. Nebula is the evil organization trying to locate pieces of a cipher, while Cruz and his friends follow the clues left by his mother to find them first. Details surrounding Nebula and the Explorer Academy are missing, but reading the previous books will solve those problems. Readers probably won’t miss the information, but it’s helpful in understanding the overall situation.

The Final Verdict:

The search for the cipher nears its end. It’s recommended readers begin with the first book in the series, The Nebula Secret, to appreciate the full story. The science-based adventure is full of mystery and intrigue, as Cruz tries to fulfill his mother’s quest. The Dragon’s Blood should appeal to all middle-grade readers, especially lovers of nature, ecology, and science fiction.

Oliver Blue and the School for Seers #3: The Obsidians by Morgan Rice

My name is Oliver, and I must travel through a dangerous portal in time to have any chance of saving Esther's life. The key to finishing the recipe of the Elixir can be found somewhere in Rome around the time of the Renaissance. However, Esther is quickly nearing death, and my brother Chris has shown up with other Obsidians to kill me.

What worked:
Oliver has been having issues with his brother Chris since the series began. Chris loved to bully Oliver at every opportunity, but his anger and fury have increased with every page. The second book saw Chris recruited by the Obsidians, a school using dark magic to upset history, and he was sent on a mission to kill Oliver. His failure has put Chris into an uncontrollable rage, and this book sees him traveling back in time to end Oliver’s life. Plus, Chris now has received training with his dark powers, so he rivals Oliver’s abilities and is even more formidable than before.
Each book in the series finds Oliver traveling back in time to maintain the integrity of historical events. This time, he goes back to meet Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo in order to finish the recipe for a magical Elixir, although his motivation is saving Esther from dying due to time-travel sickness. It just so happens that creating the Elixir and saving her life will also save history and the future existence of everyone on earth.
Oliver is always helped by other seers and minor characters from the past. Every moment in time has a school for seers, and they’re always stepping up to help Oliver uncover clues for his mission. The story reveals another famous person in history who was secretly a seer. Additionally, the author introduces the possibility that a seer might have been corrupted and is working with the Obsidians. Obviously, this adds another layer of conflict and doubt to Oliver’s quest, as he questions the motivations of some allies. By the way, the truth about Oliver’s parents is finally revealed.
What didn’t work as well:
This book is the third in the series, and you should read the previous two books first. They explain the seer powers and how things have evolved to this point. Many sequels in other series recap previous events from earlier books, but The Obsidians assumes readers already have important knowledge from the past.
The Final Verdict:
The search for an Elixir to save mankind. Readers should read the series from the beginning, as this book continues the tale. Lovers of history, science, and magic should enjoy this book.