The Reluctant Assassin

ian21tang - Parents need to know that The Reluctant Assassin is the start of a new series from the author of the bestselling Artemis Fowl series, so many kids will want to read it. The publishers recommend this exhilarating time travel read for ages 12 and up, but it seems a better fit for teens who've already digested many high-action, high-violence PG-13 movies. The villain isn't the reluctant assassin -- he's very willing to kill and does it often, both for hire and for himself, with some gory detail. His assistant, 14-year-old Riley, is the reluctant one. Riley and Native American Chevie (hooray for girls in sci-fi!) face nonstop danger, including kidnapping, fighting for their lives in an arena, poisoning, and more. There's lots of talk of how they were orphaned and a view of a London slum with despair and death all around. Both Riley and Chevie are resilient characters who use serious smarts to stay ahead of the killer on their tail.

Starred review from February 18, 2013
Readers mourning the end of the Artemis Fowl series can take heart: this first book in the time-bending W.A.R.P. series is an all-out blast. And its stars—17-year-old Chevie Savano, a quasi-disgraced FBI agent (of sorts), and Riley, the reluctant young assassin of the title—are every bit as dynamic as Artemis and Holly. After a bungled mission, Chevie has been sent to London where she is “babysitting a metal capsule,” which she learns is one end of a wormhole to the year 1898, when Riley (and a corpse) materialize, direct from the Victorian era. Riley has been raised by Albert Garrick, a magician turned killer-for-hire; as Garrick follows Riley to the present day, intent on changing the course of history, Riley and Chevie must use every bit of their expertise to take him down. Colfer blends grisly moments of horror, sharply funny dialogue, science fiction spectacle, and characters with depth to create a story that strikes the ideal balance between escapist fun and thoughtful commentary on the ways history, both personal and global, can shape a person. Ages 10–up. Agent: Ed Victor, Ltd.

June 24, 2013
Best known for his Artemis Fowl books, Colfer introduces a new YA series here with the first installment in his W.A.R.P. series. Set in Victorian London, an orphan boy named Riley falls into an apprenticeship with Albert Garrick, an illusionist-turned-assassin. Garrick coerces Riley into committing his first murder, but his victim is a part of the FBI’s Witness Anonymous Relocation Program (W.A.R.P.). Zapped into present-day London, Riley is aided by 17-year-old FBI agent named Chevron Savano. This audio edition is crisply narrated by Maxwell Caulfield, who does an expert turn providing the voices of Garrick and Riley, capturing the growling menace of the former and the haplessness of the latter. However, Caulfield is less deft when performing the Savano. Maxwell’s voice possesses a gravitas and authority that is ill-suited to embodying a plucky American girl. Still, fans of Colfer will likely find much enjoyment here, and be back for the next audio installment in the series. Ages 10-up. A Disney-Hyperion hardcover.

April 1, 2013
Colfer opens a new series that promises to be every bit as brisk and violent as Artemis Fowl--this one featuring travelers using steampunk-style time machines for (usually) evil purposes. Chevron Savano is a teenager of Shawnee descent trained as an FBI agent in an ill-fated anti-terrorist program (and named, as it turns out, for a gas station). He hooks up with Riley, a 19th--century lad trained in the killing arts by Victorian-era master assassin/stage magician Albert Garrick. Their purpose? Simply to stay alive, as a secret device that opens wormholes between past and present but sometimes causes weird mutations in those who use it has turned Garrick into a shape-changing supergenius. He now has modern memories and a new, horrifying agenda that requires the Timekey Chevie carries around her neck. The plot moves back and forth between modern times and 1898 London (or an alternate, as in his lurid descriptions of the city's festering stews the author makes several seemingly offhand references to "slum cannibals"). The chase hurtles along through washes of gore and less wholesome substances to a massively explosive resolution. Riley and the "Injun princess," as she is repeatedly dubbed, make reasonably resourceful protagonists, but the scary, casually murderous Garrick really steals the show. A ghoulish thriller: melodramatic and tongue-in-cheek, sometimes both at once. (Science fiction. 11-14)

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July 1, 2013

Gr 8 Up-Seventeen-year-old FBI agent Chevron Savano thought her time in London would be an exercise in boredom, but between dead scientists, scrappy would-be assassins, and a malevolent Victorian illusionist, boredom may be the least of her worries. The FBI's Witness Anonymous Relocation Program (W.A.R.P.)-where time travel is used to hide witnesses in other times-has gone horribly wrong. Fourteen-year-old Riley must kill or be killed by his assassin master, but the teen is spared when his target turns out to be from the future and he's inadvertently transported from Victorian times to present-day England. Unfortunately, the orphan's murderous master, Albert Garrick, follows the boy, and his trip through the portal gives him knowledge and abilities that only make him more dangerous than ever. Garrick will do everything in his power to reclaim his apprentice and the Timekey that Chevie possesses. This science-fiction thriller provides readers with a breathless ride through modern and Victorian Londons as these two resourceful teens struggle to stay alive and one step ahead their pursuer. This offering is darker, bloodier, and much more serious in tone than the author's popular "Artemis Fowl" series (Hyperion). It may not be for the faint of heart, but the intricate plot, strong writing, and intrepid characters who must survive by their wits will make it hard to put down. Readers who enjoy Anthony Horowitz's "Alex Rider" series (Philomel) and Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan (S & S, 2009) are sure to enjoy this nonstop adventure.-Stephanie Whelan, New York Public Library

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2013
Grades 7-12 Magic and murder kick off this new series about former illusionist Albert Garrick and Riley, his 14-year-old apprentice. Add in Chevie Savano, a 17-year-old FBI agent with a chip on her shoulder and a fierce determination to prove herself, and the stage is set for a fast-paced thrill ride. Garrick makes use of magician's secrets to carry out his nefarious tasks, and the FBI employs WARP technology to conceal people in a truly secure witness protection programthe past. Unfortunately, not all of those who are hidden have learned their lesson, and the stakes are amped even higher when Garrick manages to transport himself into the future. By setting the story in both present day and 1898 London, award-winning author Colfer is able to explore the intersection of magic and technology in a clever, double-pronged way. Fairly gruesome murders and mutations, as well as alternating time periods and points of view, keep the action moving. Everything is tied up sufficiently at the end, but Colfer leaves a few threads that can be pulled to further the universe of this fascinating high-octane thriller. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: A new series by the author of the internationally best-selling Artemis Fowl books? Yes, please.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)