Return of the Forgotten

August 15, 2015
In this final volume of the Mouseheart Trilogy, warrior mouse Hopper seeks his estranged brother while a new traitor threatens the peace of underground Atlantia. Since defeating the feral cats, Hopper and his rat friends, Zucker and Firren, have rebuilt Atlantia in Brooklyn's subway tunnels into a visionary rodent colony. Hopper's the proud godfather of Zucker and Firren's daughter, Hope, and his sister, Pinkie, ruler of the Mus, has mellowed. However, his embittered, younger brother, Pup, avowed enemy of Atlantia, has vanished. Unaware that Pup regrets his past behavior and seeks forgiveness, Hopper and Pinkie organize a search party. Meanwhile, Pup's captured by Devon, one of Pinkie's elite guards. Consumed with a thirst for vengeance against Firren for past deeds, Devon kidnaps Hope and threatens to use her and Pup to punish Firren. When Pup and Hope discover Devon's dark plan, they escape and journey aboveground for help from Hopper's old pals. As Hopper and his friends rally, Pup and Pinkie make their way across the East River to confront Devon. While Volume 3 focuses on Pup's redemption and Devon's despicable deeds, the return of familiar characters, added Mus back story, atmospheric illustrations, and romance for Hopper should delight readers. A satisfying, exciting, and fitting finale to a memorable mouse saga. (Animal fantasy. 8-12)

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October 1, 2015

Gr 4-6-The trilogy set in the world of mice concludes with a rousing adventure packed with revenge, kidnapping, redemption, pirates, and a wedding. Hopper and Zucker are still leaders of the underground city of Atlantia, and their friendship grounds the narrative, but Fiedler allows "Chosen One" Hopper's siblings to become important characters in their own right. This entry is younger brother Pup's turn to shine, and he evolves from outlaw to hero as he helps rescue Firren and Zucker's children, held captive by a traitor to the city with an old grudge against Firren. New readers may have trouble keeping track of the novel's different tribes and family trees, but fans will relish surprises in the backstories of characters they have grown to love. Fiedler keeps the pace moving quickly and the tension tight; the traitor's identity is revealed early to readers but not to the characters. The peril is on the lighter side, making this series ideal for younger middle grade readers who enjoy animal fantasy. The novel's New York City setting continues to be a strong, appealing element as the rodent heroes venture into Manhattan, and Fiedler playfully mines local history and culture for character names, some obvious (Verrazano), some sublte (Vigneault). VERDICT A bonus story about the founding of Atlantia caps this satisfying tale full of cat, rat, and mouse heart.-Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY

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