Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
The Revenge of the Shadow King
Fiction
For ages 9 to 12
Orchard Books, 2006 ISBN: 978-0439795746
Aside from being the son of the richest man in the town of Avalon, Minnesota, Max Sumner has a relatively ordinary life. He rides his bike around town, he hangs out with his friends, and he has to deal with bullies in school. Max and his friends Natalia, Ernie, and Harley have formed their own secret society, the Order of the Grey Griffins, and they often convene in one of the local shops to play a special card game. In the game, there are cards that have images of magical characters on them. There are goblins and other creatures of faerie, many of whom are decidedly unpleasant. Of course, no one needs to worry about them because they don't exist, right?
Wrong. Quite by accident, Max finds an old book in his grandmother's attic. He opens the Codex Spiritus, and when he says a magic word a creature called a spriggan comes out of the book. Though the spriggan is not to be trusted, it is not as dangerous as a goblin is. Unfortunately, the spriggan Max releases from the book manages to dupe Max into freeing the other creatures in the book, and suddenly Avalon is overrun with dark forces that threaten to destroy the world the Grey Griffins know and love. Two evil forces fight for control, and somehow Max has to find a way to undo the damage that has been done before it is too late.
This is a promising first book in a new series. By combining fantasy with Arthurian myths and real events from history, the authors have created a compelling tale that is sure to garner many fans.
