Pendragon's Heir

September 1, 2019
In this modern riff on King Arthur, Arthur is basically Iron Man--a rich, immature (but inherently good) superhero flying around in a metal suit. After finding herself caught in the crossfire after a strange series of visions, teenage Elaine is whisked from her ordinary, humdrum suburban family life to Keep Tower, an 85-story Manhattan skyscraper owned by Arthur Keep, aka superhero Pendragon. In this slightly alternate reality, superheroes are common, but Arthur and his tech genius wife, Ginny, are still big names; it turns out Arthur has a secret connection to Elaine and is the subject of many of her visions. What follows is in many ways an homage to superhero and '80s movies: There's a training montage, absurd but fun technology (particularly the flying robot knights), villainy, a possibly wicked international agency, and of course the requisite romance with a perfect hottie--who works for the dubious agency. The introspection is usually exposition, and the King Arthur references are mostly window dressing, but superheroics plus teen drama are beloved by plenty of readers; as a bonus, this is the first in a forthcoming series. Physical descriptions are vague, allowing readers to project their own imaginations onto characters' appearances. Derivative, good-natured fun. (Fantasy. 12-15)

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November 1, 2019

Gr 7 Up-At 16, Elaine considers her life normal. Well, aside from the occasional vivid scenes that invade her mind. In actuality, Elaine's "mind images" are part of a highly desirable untapped clairvoyance that soon gets her kidnapped by the famous superhero Pendragon (aka Arthur Keep) for her safety. Now living at Keep Tower with Pendragon, his tech-smart wife, and an elusive spy, Elaine's days meld into robotic knights and training, leaving her no choice but to drastically reconsider her roles as a daughter and a mundane human. Bond's twist on superheroes creates a world of heroes and villains that feels both familiar and new in this series debut. The play on King Arthur figures grows on readers as the story progresses, creating fun hidden gems as each Arthurian name is revealed. Arthur Keep mimics Tony Stark, albeit more quirky and with a band of robot knights at his disposal. Arthur's parental concern for Elaine is endearingly refreshing to witness as she transforms from helpless damsel to badass rescuer in a series of classic hero training montages similarly seen in Marvel and DC worlds. Additionally, the morally gray organizations (LANCE and the Dreki) both delightfully encompass the quintessential big bad personas down to the attractive agents and turncoats. VERDICT Those who enjoy exploring new superhero tales or have an appreciation for Arthurian-inspired characters will want this book on their shelves.-Emily Walker, Lisle Library District, IL

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