The Master of Misrule

May 1, 2012
Creepy, tarot-infused magic and mayhem take center stage in part two of this unusual duology that began with The Game of Triumphs (2011). Despite holding the Triumphs that promise answers to their various back stories (including the murder of Cat's parents, Blaine's abusive stepfather and Flora's comatose sister, all related to the Game of Triumphs), resolution eludes Cat and her friends. They must fight the Fool, now the Master of Misrule, whom they released in the first volume, not only for their own success, but to save the world. Episodic but engrossing adventures in the Game give way to a showdown in the real world as the lines blur between Game and reality. Powell's descriptive writing brings the dreamlike, decaying card-world to eerie life; the childish oracle smearing car oil across her mouth in an underground parking lot is only one of a host of haunting images. In the end, there are no easy answers, but the four teen protagonists get the closure they need and grow into themselves as they move out of the Game. Little synopsis of the first volume is provided, making this a poor starting point for readers. Thriller, magic, mystery, love and betrayal: in the cards and in these pages. (listing of tarot cards, author's note) (Urban fantasy. 13 & up)

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June 1, 2012

Gr 7-10-Taking up right where The Game of Triumphs (Knopf, 2011) leaves off, Cat, Toby, Blaine, and Flora are back in the real world after having released the Fool and won the Game. But when they try to claim their prizes, they discover that they were pawns in the Fool's plan to take over. Now calling himself the Master of Misrule, he appears to be well on his way and the Game is no longer confined to the Arcanum, but has spilled over into the everyday world. Throughout London, people are finding mysterious scratch-off cards and becoming caught up in the Triumph Lottery of Luck. If the card reveals heads, it leads to untold riches; tails is a harbinger of disaster. When the four friends return to Temple House, a looted and destroyed version of its former glory, the High Priest informs them that because they released the Hanged Man, they are to blame for the current mayhem. They realize they must go back into the Game to set things right. Since their previous actions overthrew the kings and queens of the four courts, Cat and her friends will go in as their substitutes, and each one undertakes a quest in order to win the highest prize of all, the Triumph of Eternity. Only then can the Master of Misrule be stopped. Readers might find it difficult to keep up with the plethora of cards and what they represent, but the action is fast-paced and the four main characters are nicely fleshed out. Purchase where the first book is popular.-Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2012
Grades 10-1 Deceived into freeing the Hanged Man from imprisonment on the Tree of Life, Cat and her three friends thought they were simply ending corruption in the ancient tarot cardbased Game, but instead they released chaos in the form of the Master of Misrule. They must stop him before he enslaves everyone in a new, more sinister Game of chance. This sequel to The Game of Triumphs (2011) essentially asks the four teens to undo the deed they did in the first book by becoming senior members of the Game itself. Although the stakes are higher, the individual tasks are straightforward, and the path to completion seems less precarious than in Powell's previous entry. Still, it is a well-told tale that hints at future episodes, with a satisfying, if occasionally sad, resolution for each character's heart's desire.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)