Spell Robbers

November 25, 2013
When grandmotherly Dr. Hughes’s afterschool science camp turns out to be a training ground for “Actuators,” 12-year old Ben’s life becomes much more interesting. Using quantum mechanics and augmenting equipment, he learns to manipulate his thoughts to create clouds, rain, and lightning. After two groups of rival scientists, the Dread Cloaks and the Quantum League, discover that Dr. Hughes has invented a “portable augmenter,” Ben is enmeshed in a power struggle of cosmic dimensions. Kirby (The Lost Kingdom) infuses this action-packed spy thriller with layers of moral ambiguity. Identified as an actuating prodigy, Ben struggles to decipher how to manage his gifts and which side to use them for, knowing his choice has high stakes. Although tempted to believe one leader’s warning—“Evil people can do great harm with very little power.... We are not perfect, but we are all the world has”—Ben questions the dogma and tactics of all combatants. This first book in the Quantum League series provides satisfying partial closure, while intriguing storylines to be developed will leave readers eager for the next installment. Ages 8–12. Agent: Stephen Fraser, Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency.

November 15, 2013
When 12-year-old Ben joins an after-school science club, he has no idea that the price of membership will be the loss of everyone he loves. Ben has always been a science nerd, but when his abilities in quantum mechanics prove to be more than just academic, it is only a matter of time before his proficiency makes him a target for some very dangerous people. Ben and his new friend Peter are recruited into the Quantum League, a group of special agents with the ability to bend matter to their will or to "actuate." Actuators can create fire from the air, manipulate another's emotions, or "detach" a child from his or her family, severing all connections and even memories. When a rival group kidnaps Ben's mentor and steals a dangerous device, he agrees to help the League if they will reattach him to his mother. This high-energy spy story is enhanced by the addition of scientific theory (if rather unsteadily grounded) and authentic characters. Ben's integrity, bravery and desire to forgo his special-agent status for his mother differentiate him from other familiar genre heroes. Unfortunately, uneven pacing, loose threads and a meandering plot are ultimately the story's undoing. An open ending promises a sequel. Refreshingly different in some ways but ultimately unsatisfying. (Adventure. 8-12)

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