School Library Journal (Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2012)

Gr 3-6 In this well-written and hilarious sequel to The Call (HarperCollins, 2010), 12-year-old Mack MacAvoy's destiny as leader of the Magnificent Twelve, aka the "Magnifica," takes him to China, Germany, and a rundown Asgard. He is on a mission to gather the rest of the Twelve and stop the dreaded Pale Queen from escaping her 3000-year imprisonment and destroying the world. Risky, the Pale Queen's beautiful and dangerous daughter, and Paddy "Nine Iron" Trout are trying to stop him. Many of the same elements that made the first book such a success are still prevalent here. The action moves at a breakneck pace but never seems rushed. The characters are consistently entertaining and engaging. Grant knows when to dial down the humor and let the gravity of the plot take center stage. As with many other action adventures, some of the situations and dangers in this title come across as over the top, but the escapes work within the context of the story. Since Mack has only found fewer than half of the Magnifica and there are still 30-some-odd days before the Pale Queen escapes her bonds, this installation ends with plenty left for sequels to come. To help make the wait between books easier on his readers, Grant has established a website at www.themag12.com that offers several features that are entertaining, informative, and interactive. Erik Knapp, Davis Library, Plano, TX

Kirkus Reviews

This series continues as unlikely hero Mack, accompanied by bully-turned-bodyguard Stefan and spunky Jarrah, try to find the remaining 10 members of the Magnificent 12. With only 35 days before the evil Pale Queen's 3,000-year banishment ends and unthinkable terror begins, the apparition of ancient Grimluk sends them to China, where frightening creatures commanded by Nafia assassin Paddy "Nine Iron" Trout repeatedly attempt to kill them. Rapid action and death-defying adventures lead the trio into a hidden dragon world where Xiao, a shape-shifting dragon girl, joins them as the third in their quest. On to Germany they go, dodging the queen's daughter Risky's attacks, and discover annoyingly logical Dietmar, the fourth. In a most unwelcome twist, the group learns that old wheezing Paddy "Nine Iron" has an enthusiastic apprentice, Valin, who is the fifth. All the while Mack occasionally receives texts from Golem, who sincerely tries to pass as Mack back home with comically disastrous results. Whew! Where the first book was an exciting, fun-packed fantasy-adventure in which all the humor and action dovetailed nicely, the sequel feels a bit overdone. Readers may be overwhelmed by the sheer number of new characters and befuddled by several hard-to-follow action sequences. That said, Grant's talent for quick dialogue and vivid descriptions still shines and will have fans eager for book three. (Fantasy. 10-14)

Horn Book (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

Picking up where The Call left off, the story starts with Grimluck giving Mack cryptic clues to continue his quest. Fellow Magnifica Jarrah and bully-turned-bodyguard Stefan accompany Mack to China, Germany, and Asgard. They seek other Magnifica, the only hope against the Pale Queen. With several humorous viewpoints, Grant's series continues at a fast clip.

ALA Booklist (Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2011)

Assemble the Twelve!! Time is shooooort!!! So froths ancient and histrionic wizard Grimluk to multiphobic middle-schooler Mack in this second episode of the Magnificent 12 series. How short? Mack has but 35 more days to find 11 other preteens who, gifted with hard-to-say-with-a-straight-face enlightened puissance, can together prevent the world-destroying Pale Queen from escaping 3,000 years of imprisonment. Bringing his total of kids up to 3 requires journeying from Australia to Beijing, Germany to Stonehenge cing angry Norse gods, leprous pygmies, and other threats ghastly or just gross in this above-average quest fantasy.