The Forbidden Power

November 15, 2016
A misfit toy strives to fit in at his new academy.A spinoff of the animated NEXO KNIGHTS and the eponymous toy line introduces Fletcher, a plucky country orphan off to train at the famous Knights' Academy. Once he arrives at the school, he quickly befriends Izzy, a precocious girl whose brother is a famous alumnus. On an academically mandated scavenger hunt, the pair unearths a strange shield that they believe harbors beneficial powers. Once in possession of the mysterious relic, they learn that the wicked Baron von Bludgeonous is pursuing them, determined to steal the shield and use its power to unleash an unspeakable evil. Will the two yellow underdogs (they are Legos, after all) be able to rise up and save not only their academy, but also the entire kingdom? Superficiality is the order of the day; for example, Fletcher has a mystical, innate force guiding his tough decisions--a gut feeling--that is literally in his gut. Short chapters carry the flimsy and predictable adventure, which seems better suited for its animated counterpart than a prose novel. Littered with name-dropping references to the many facets of the franchise, this feels like a protracted commercial lacking the visual interest of the cartoon or the creativity of the building sets. While certainly current, once the next Lego darling is introduced, this flash in the pan will be relegated to obscurity. Perhaps there is appeal for dyed-in-the-wool fans, but it's not likely to make converts. (Fantasy. 7-10)

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January 1, 2017

Gr 2-5-This first installment in a planned series features the hapless, shy Fletcher Bowman and his bold, wisecracking friend Isabella Richmond, first-year students at the Knights' Academy. Readers are likely familiar with the LEGO NEXO Knights' realm via the brick building sets, the app, the online games, the Cartoon Network TV show, the beginning reader books published by DK, or the short chapter books also published by Scholastic. However, Brallier offers enough explication that readers new to the franchise will be able to follow the action. In this new story, Fletch and Izzy confront snobby classmates and bend the rules to complete their first quest and compete in the "Combatition." In the process, they awaken a stone giant, nearly destroy the kingdom, and finally (at least temporarily) banish the villain. Fletch doesn't have Izzy's fighting skills or bravado, but he does have the feeling, which turns out to be "olden-days magic." Fletch must keep the feeling to himself, however, because Principal Brickland believes that "magic turns everyone evil." But Merlok 2.0 (a digitized hologram of the powerful magician) will probably help Fletch develop his skills in future installments. Brallier's plot zips along with short sentences and lots of quick action. Tongue-in-cheek humor and flippant, fresh dialogue keep the fighting from being too serious and the villains from becoming too scary. VERDICT Bound to circulate like hotcakes among LEGO fans. Recommended for most public and school library collections.-Jennifer Costa, Cambridge Public Library, MA

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