Reaper's Legacy

March 15, 2013
Now that Nomad the supermutant has left a seed of power in Jack, will his growing superpowers be enough to save his family and what's left of post-apocalyptic London? In a London devastated by the release of Evolve, a chemical that killed most of the population but gave amazing powers to the survivors, Jack, Jenna and Sparky try to find Jack's father, the deadly mutant Reaper, in order to enlist his help in rescuing the rest of Jack's family from the clutches of Miller and his Choppers. Meanwhile, Jack's friend Lucy-Anne searches for her lost brother by trekking through the dangerous streets of the city with Rook, a troubled boy who can control flocks of birds. Jack unites the Irregulars (survivors with weaker powers) with the Superiors (his father's powerful minions) in an assault on Camp H, the holding facility where mutants are dissected when captured by Miller. Will they succeed? And will all be destroyed if Lucy-Anne and Nomad meet? They've both dreamed destruction. As with the first in his post-apocalyptic, near-future series, Lebbon wastes some intriguing worldbuilding on superficial characters who have a near-total lack of discernible motivation. What could have been brainless fun is further hobbled by amorphous "powers" and logic-defying plot devices (the government's fail-safe is a nuclear bomb under London? That's going to save the country from the mutants?). For fans who can't be persuaded to read something better. (Post-apocalyptic adventure. 12-14)

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June 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-This installation in Lebbon's dark series about post-apocalyptic London picks up where London Eye (PYR, 2012) left off. Jack, Lucy-Anne, Sparky, Jenna, and Emily-the group of teens who entered the walled-off, damaged city in order to find out the truth about what's happening-are still trapped inside. In order to find her long-lost brother, Lucy-Anne has joined forces with a mesmerizing boy who has the power to communicate with birds. Jack's sister, Emily, and his newly rescued mother have been captured by the evil Choppers who plan to conduct experiments on them. Jack is determined to find his father, who has become the powerful and destructive leader of the Superiors, and enlist his help. In this volume, readers begin to get a clearer picture of what is happening inside the city. Nomad, an ethereal, semi-human woman, was responsible for releasing the Evolve virus two years earlier. Irregulars and Superiors are city inhabitants who have been mutated by it; the level of their exposure determines the extent of their powers, either for good or evil. It becomes clear that Jack has the potential to heal the city and unite the warring factions. However, his effectiveness seems questionable when inhabitants learn that it is only a matter of time before London is destroyed for good. This is a compelling story for those who can stomach a grim future in which one's worst nightmares come to life and only a few brave teenagers have the courage to try and make a difference.-Ragan O'Malley, Saint Ann's School, Brooklyn, NY

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