This alternative history asks, what if Napoleon won the battle at Waterloo th dinosaurs? In 15-year-old Willem's world, dinosaurs, called saurs, roam the forest near his village. Many of them are small and harmless, although others, such as the firebird, are lethal. The son of an illusionist who fled Napoleon's court, Willem shares his father's flair for stage magic and the ability to hypnotize saurs. When his village is attacked by an enormous saur, one never seen before, Willem uses his talent to help destroy the beast. Then the villagers learn that Bonaparte has escaped from Elba and is aiming to retake his army, using gigantic saurs. Willem embarks on a desperate and dangerous journey to help the British oppose the erstwhile emperor. The leisurely pace of the beginning of the novel quickly ramps up to suspense, immersing the reader in the swiftly moving plot. Characters are very well drawn, capturing the reader's sympathy. With an ending wide open for a sequel, complete with a plot-thickening cliff-hanger, one can only hope that Falkner is a speedy writer.

Gr 5-8 What if dinosaurs never went extinct? What if they lived in the wilds of the European forests? What if Napoleon used dinosaurs as weapons during the Battle at Waterloo? Battlesaurus answers all of these questions and more. The story begins shortly before the infamous battle of Waterloo, in a small village in northern France. The people of the village never had to worry much about the dinosaurs who roamed the forests on the edges of town, until the day the body of a young woman is found mauled by some horrific monster. This first death unleashes a chain of events, culminating in a giant carnivorous dinosaur invading the village. When a young man successfully defeats the dinosaur, he must flee the country before Napol&3;on has him destroyed for his knowledge. Part historical fiction, part dinosaur fantasy mash-up, this book will appeal to history buffs and dinosaur fanatics alike. The battle scenes between Napol&3;on's army and the British are depicted in incredible detail, making readers feel as if they are right in the midst of the fight. While the dinosaurs are obviously not historically accurate, they are a humorous addition to the history of the Napoleonic Wars. VERDICT The first of a promising duology that readers will find thrilling and positively addicting. Annalise Ammer, City of Rochester Public Libraries, NY

Falkner's alternate history adventure, set in the wake of Napoleon's victory at Waterloo, which he achieved by using dinosaurs, is a stunning conclusion to a duology that began with Rampage at Waterloo: Battlesaurus (Macmillan, 2015/VOYA June 2015). General Thibault is determined to invade England and lay waste to the country with his battlesaurs. Standing against him is a small group of dedicated dinosaur fighters being trained in England by Willem, the young magician whose ability to mesmerize and control dinosaurs is a very real threat to the French plans for world domination. Assisting Willem is Lieutenant Hunter Frost, blinded at Waterloo but still working to bring Napoleon and Thibault down, and Heloise, the wild girl who can lead them to Thibault's dinosaurs, if they can break her out of Bedlam and get her safely back to France. The fact that Thibault is holding Willem's parents and Cosette, the girl he loves, as prisoners only makes the young man that much more determined to foil his battle plans.For those new to this world and these characters, the author does a good job of integrating the backstory of the first book into the fast-paced narrative of this sequel. In an author's note, Falkner explains that the first book was as historically accurate a depiction of the Battle of Waterloo as he could make it, except for the dinosaurs, of course. There is significantly less real history in the sequel, except for locations such as Bedlam, but the dinosaur battles are terrific and should appeal to teen readers with a penchant for action and suspense.Bonnie Kunzel.