Gr 5-8Callum, known as "Call," has spent six months in the Panopticon, bored by a lack of visitors and stressed out over the constant interrogations about his identity as Constantine Madden, a likeness he doesn't relate to or want. With his secret exposed and others afraid of him, he is surprised by assistance from an unlikely source, and finds his own trust violated by a demand to do the impossible in return for his freedom. Call's guilt over Aaron's death as well as the possibility that Constantine's powers could fall into the wrong hands move him to action, but the horror of success leads to devastation. What does it mean to be a hero, and is Call up to the challenge when he has lost so much already? Black and Clare bring the intensity of this series to an all-time high, with an emotional turn of events involving the dignity of life, the nature of a soul, and the value of true friendship. The budding romance between Call and Tamara feels a little out of place under the circumstances, as readers might expect the two of them to focus on their predicament rather than sharing kisses, but the inevitability and chemistry of their relationship is undeniable. VERDICT A must-purchase for libraries that carry this series; devotees will be thrilled to get their hands on this installment, which ends on a chilling cliff-hanger. As the characters age, so should readers, as the story grows ever darker and thought provoking.Kerry Sutherland, Akron-Summit County Public Library, OH

As Callum Hunt gets older, his life grows more difficult, and this installment in the Magisterium series finds him at his lowest yet. For the first time, he's not headed back to school at a magic academy with his best friends, Aaron and Tamara cause Aaron is dead and Call is in prison, having finally been exposed as the reincarnation of famed, feared villain Constantine Madden. When he's broken out of prison by people loyal to Constantine, Call is suspicious, but they want to train him to do the thing that even Constantine, "The Enemy of Death," couldn't accomplish: raise the dead. This fourth book in the series treads darker ground than its predecessors, and Call's struggles with his magic, his morals, and, yes, even everyday teenage boy problems are compelling. The ending comes with several tense cliff-hangers, but with one more volume in the series still to come, that's only to be expected.