The Witch's Revenge

October 15, 2011
Stolen magical artifacts! Kidnapped wizards! Assassinated queens! Earthquakes! Two months after saving the magical kingdom Marnoch Mor in Dark Isle (2008), Morag and her friends must save it all over again. Marnoch Mor, a secret kingdom in western Scotland, has been a safe haven for magical folk for hundreds of years. Now Morag and her friends (the dragon chief constable Shona, the prissy dodo Bertie, the rat Aldiss and Henry, the talking medallion) have discovered a terrible new danger. A disused magical train starts them on their adventure (good thing they have a jar of Instant Driver—"just add water"), Aldiss warmly clad in "a neon-pink bobble hat." Though the safety of the entire magical world is at stake, Morag has more mundane concerns to confront as well: Her evil, positively Dursleyesque foster parents are still seeking her, and now that she's left Marnoch Mor, she's in constant danger. The set dressing here almost seems to come from a simpler time in children's fantasy: "tiny star-shaped elves" holding "little measuring tapes," a weepy dodo loudly blowing his beak with "a large red and white polka-dotted handkerchief." Lovers of wisecracking fairies and broody vampires will find this twee, but it has its own silly charm. (Fantasy. 8-10)

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December 1, 2011

Gr 4-6-In DarkIsle (Delacorte, 2008), readers met orphaned Morag, 10, who escaped her evil guardians, and her newfound friends-a dodo bird, a rat, and a dragon. She saved the enchanted world by recovering the Eye of Lornish and vanquishing the evil Devlish of DarkIsle, who had taken it. In this book, his daughter, Mephista, is intent on exacting revenge on Morag by kidnapping the good wizard Montgomery, and Morag and her friends must save him before his disappearance becomes permanent. Children who enjoyed the "Harry Potter" series and other stories involving magic will appreciate this series. Fast-paced and action-packed, this volume is best suited to readers who are familiar with the first book; they're sure to enjoy the ride.-Kathy Kirchoefer, Prince Georges County Memorial Library System, New Carrollton, MD

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