The Shadow Arts

Breathlessly paced adventure with rousingly eerie and icky notes.

The breathless action is back... and fans of the first book will be happy to be pulled along.

Gr 4-6--In this sequel to Monstrous Devices, 12-year-old Alex and his grandfather are back on a new adventure involving Grandfather's past. Alex is struggling with getting back to his normal life after connecting with the word of God, and temporarily gaining powers that he enjoyed but could lead him down a bad path. Run-ins with old foes provide further temptation as they teach him how to use magic to control "flyers." Things are made stranger when his former bully, Kenzie, reaches out to him and provides puzzling prophetic warnings out of the blue. Grandfather unexpectedly comes back into Alex's life, insisting he needs help rescuing their friend Harry in the Black Forest, where there's a strong connection to the supernatural. While Alex is from England, the majority of the story takes place in Germany. Alex and his grandfather begin to have real conversations, where Grandfather finally explains his past and the identity of their nemesis, the Tall Man. Though there is still plenty of action to be found in car chases, heists, and kidnappings, the characters have matured from the first book and are willing to make big decisions. As prophesied in the previous book, Alex is destined to have power, and here he discovers that having power is a duty, as well. VERDICT For fans of the first book and readers who enjoy action mixed in with their supernatural.--Rebecca Greer, Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative, FL