Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

The quest to find a cure for her poisoned mother sets young Emily to battling not only minions of the evil Elf King but also the enticements of the power-hungry magical amulet that has fallen into her possession. Taking up the tale where he left off in Book 1: The Stonekeeper (2008), Kibuishi contrives to fill spacious, cleanly separated sequential panels with nonstop and (usually) easy-to-follow action, lots of sound effects (SZRAK! FWOOM! TOK! SZRAK! FWOOM!!!) and, around Emily's human family, a large cast of colorful characters from shark-toothed elves to a grove of ancient, sentient Gadoba trees. Low on gore but high on fights, flights and scary monsters, the episode hurtles along like the mighty blasts of magical energy that emanate from Emily's amulet. By the end she has her mother back, but a Mission has emerged to keep her in the otherworld realm of Alledia. Stay tuned. (Graphic fantasy. 10-12)

School Library Journal (Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

Gr 4 Up-Emily and Navin return, in a fight to save their mother from a toxic poison. The evil Elf King is out to get Emily, however, since she is one of the only Stonekeepers left who can stop his reign of terror. He sends his disappointing son, Prince Trellis, and Luger, one of his most wicked cronies, out to find her, with the threat that if Trellis doesnt kill her, hell be killed himself. Emily, Navin, and their band of robotic protectors set out for the city of Kanalis to locate a doctor who can cure their mom. While there they encounter Leon, a bounty hunter whose mission in life is to defeat the Elf King. This band of heroes learns that their desired cure is the fruit of the gadoba tree, found only on deadly Demons Head Mountain. Emily, Leon, and her guard Miskit set out for the mountain, with Emily practicing control over her amulet along the way. This book ends with a thrilling fight and the promise of more adventures to come. Stunning illustration spreads open each new section, and the robots and animal residents of Kanalis provide a soft and sometimes humorous counterpoint to the action-packed story. This book will be extremely satisfying to fans of the first volume. Laura Amos, Newport News Public Library, VA

ALA Booklist (Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

Kibuishi continues the Amulet graphic novel series begun in The Stonekeeper (2007). A core group consisting of two sibling children, various animal-like creatures, and robots wends its way against domineering elves in a majestic and magical otherworld. Although the fantasy elements (a girl prophesied to overthrow an evil overlord with the help of a mysterious talisman and her own unharnessed powers) are recognizable from familiar touchstones ranging from Tolkien's works to Star Wars, the artistic virtuosity with which Kibuishi envisions them keeps things from being overly derivative. This series remains one of the better alternatives for young fans of Jeff Smith's Bone series.

Horn Book (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

The Amulet saga continues as Emily and her brother Navin journey to Kanalis City to save their mother; it also brings them closer to a showdown with the evil Elf King. To succeed, Emily must learn how to harness the power of the amulet without letting it destroy her. This graphic novel series features dramatic, well-drawn (emotionally and literally) characters and settings.