January 1, 2012
Gr 5-8-At the end of Rise of the Darklings (Egmont, 2010), Emily and William Snow, their human friend Jack, and their piskie ally Corrigan traveled 200 years into the past, to London, 1666, just before the Great Fire. Finding themselves in a new and confusing world, they must try to find allies and prevent the Fire King, the source of the Great Fire, from destroying all of England. When the siblings disagree about how to defeat the Fire King, they split up in search of the elusive Raven King and the legendary Merlin, creating a double adventure and double dangers. The children and their friends travel from a magical London Bridge to the Faerie Tree to the Tower of London, chased by dangerous magical forces, including the Faerie Kelindria, who unleashes the Fire King as part of her attempt to take over the throne of Queen Titania. Emily and William and their realistic rivalry will appeal to readers of both genders, and they will be drawn into this creative combination of history and magic. Crilley's evil faerie characters are genuinely scary, and his Merlin is engaging as well. Readers new to the series will be able to jump right in and follow the Snows as they explore a fully realized magical alternate London.-Beth L. Meister, Milwaukee Jewish Day School, WI
Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.