Curse of the Midions

November 1, 2006
Gr 4-7-When Jarvis Midion travels to London with his parents to attend the reading of the will of a distant relative, what he discovers is far stranger than he suspected and more dangerous than he dreamed. His mother and father disappear, he is sucked into an alternate London that exists only inside a mysterious book, and he is challenged by a magical birthright that he has only just discovered. With the help of a motley band of guttersnipes, he struggles to solve the mystery of his family curse, find his missing parents, and master the magic that has trapped him. This is the first book in a new fantasy adventure series, and while fans of the genre will pick it up, they wont find much to keep them reading. The story is mainly dedicated to introducing the cruel, mysterious world of Lunnon. The occasional spurts of action are not enough to hold readers interest, and the parts of the mystery that are resolved appear suddenly and clumsily at the end. Most unfortunately, Jarviss character is largely undeveloped, and readers will feel as though they know more about the strange alternate universe than they do about the boy who is marooned there. Close the book on the Grimoire and send readers toward some of Stricklands better works."Heather Dieffenbach, Lexington Public Library, KY"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2006
Gr. 5-8. Jet-lagged and grumpy, Jarvey Midion arrives in London with his parents, who have made the trip oversees to attend the reading of Jarvey's great-great grandfather's will. Soon, however, Jarvey's parents disappear, and he discovers that he has inherited a magical legacy stretching back for centuries. Pulled into an alternative universe of good and dark magic, he finds himself battling the evil wizard Tantalus Mideon and his henchmen. Fortunately, Jarvey finds allies in his struggle. The first entry the Grimoire series, this novel ends with Jarvey finding a new understanding of his inherited powers, but still searching for his parents. Fans of Harry Potter will find much that is familiar here (right down to a collection of extraordinary names), but it would be unfair to describe this book as merely a knock-off, as Strickland knows how to create his own brand of page-turning suspense. Fans of the genre will eagerly await the next volume in the series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)