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| Library Binding ©2015 | -- |
Secret societies. Juvenile fiction.
Comic books, strips, etc. Juvenile fiction.
Paranormal fiction. Juvenile fiction.
Monsters. Juvenile fiction.
Secret societies. Fiction.
Cartoons and comics. Fiction.
Supernatural. Fiction.
Monsters. Fiction.
Michael continues the search for his father in this second volume of the UNICORNE Files series, and it is a quest laden with suspense and action. A distinct eeriness permeates the plot, which jump-starts with an invisible battalion of soldiers and Michael's dead friend, Freya, who has reappeared as a shape-shifting crow. As a UNICORNE agent, Michael's reality-altering talent involves him in the investigation of a suspicious new Crow Girl comic book and trendy Tommy trading cards that feature faceless WWII soldiers. Aside from dealing with the supernatural, the purpose behind UNICORNE remains cloaked in mystery and closely tied to both Crow Girl's sinister creator and Michael's missing father. Michael's personal struggles are every bit as grueling as the external threats, pitting friends and family against the demanding agency. Some dialogue and early instances of suspense feel forced, but later twists more than make up for it. Featuring telekinesis, a superintelligent android, and an insidious "boffin," this sci-fi adventure's final reveal will leave readers wanting more.
School Library Journal (Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)Gr 4-7 The second installment in the series, Alexander's Army picks up where A Dark Inheritance (Scholastic, 2014) left off. At the end of the first book, Michael is visiting the grave of his dead girlfriend Freyaor is she really dead? In the beginning of book two, Michael becomes convinced that Freya has returned from the dead as a crow and is following him around. His suspicions are confirmed when there is a bizarre attack by a murder of crows when he and his mother are at a local garden center. Michael, a rather unwilling agent for the clandestine organization Unicorne, is taxed with another mission. This time he must find out why there are comic books in a local store with Freya's image on the cover and no story inside. A set of collector cards from the school library book fair are the key to what creepiness is happening on the second floor of the comic book store. Michael visits the undersea craft that houses Unicorne and discovers Freya in a tank being converted from crow to girl. What he finds later in another tank stuns him and his sister Josie, who is pulled unwittingly into the plot. More clues about his missing father's whereabouts are revealed to Michael, but can he trust the source? Everyone seems to be lying to him, including Freya, returned to her girl form but still a member of the undead. Although action, mystery, bad guys, and scariness abound, this second book in the series seems disjointed. Readers may be confused by the long list of characters that appear and disappear as quickly as the incoming tides. Staunch fans of D'Lacey's "Last Dragon Chronicles" may be willing to sit through this book to find out if Michael ever finds his father, but chances are high they'll lose interest by the end. VERDICT Only purchase if the first book in the series has found loyal readers. Kathy Kirchoefer, Henderson County Public Library, NC
ALA Booklist (Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)
School Library Journal (Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)
"I told you, Michael, the multiverse has infinite possibilities and you have the power to jump across it, just like a freight train switching tracks." Klimt picked up the cube again and randomized the colors. "The limiting factor is your ability to maintain control of the shifts; the observable friction is simply your lack of belief in your gift."
"Curse," I said. "It's a curse, not a gift. Look what it's done to Freya."
"We will take care of Freya," he said.
I didn't like the sound of that. "How? In what way?"
"Be calm, Michael. She will not be harmed, but she must be controlled."
"How?" I said again.
He tapped the chair. "We have secure facilities--"
"You're gonna cage her? Hah! Are you mad?"
"She is dangerous. You witnessed that this morning."
"I won't betray her," I growled. "She was my friend once." My closest friend. The only girl apart from Josie I'd ever really liked. And now she scared the wits out of me. "I'm not gonna set her up or lead her to you."
"Trust me, we are capable of tracking down Freya. In the meantime I want you to investigate another situation. Something rather intriguing has developed, which appears to be connected to the shift you generated. Another . . . force has acted on the changes you made to the boundaries of the temporal equilibrium."
I spread my hands. "In English, please."
He reached into his jacket and pulled out what looked like a comic book. "Do you know a store in Holton called 'The Fourth Enchantment'?"
"Yes," I said, though I'd never been there. It was a tiny place off the main mall where you could buy any number of comic books or action figures. A hang-out for nerdy kids who dug superheroes. I'd read a lot of science fiction books, but Spiderman had never really been my thing.
Klimt leaned forward and handed me the comic. "This was prominently displayed in the window yesterday."
I looked at the cover and my heart all but stopped. The comic was called "The Amazing Crow Girl."
And there, on the front, was a pretty good likeness of Freya. Wild hair. Wings spread. Crows around her, flying. Trapped beneath her feet was a limp human figure.
Me.
Excerpted from Alexander's Army by Chris d'Lacey
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.