The Immortals

August 1, 2010

Stewart and Riddell cap their Edge Chronicles with a large-scale grand tour and cast reunion. Several generations after the events in Freeglader (2004), young orphan Nate Quarter is forced to flee for his life from a murderous mine supervisor—which becomes more or less a theme as, acquiring such doughty companions as the mine owner's intrepid daughter Eudoxia and Librarian Knight Zelphyius Dax along the way, he comes and goes from Great Glade and several other cities or settlements that have grown up in the vast Deep Woods that border the overhanging Edge of the world. The long journey takes him through multiple battles, chases, rescues and political upheavals to mystical encounters with figures from the past in the ever-dark Night Woods and then on to a climax in the restored airborne city of Sanctaphrax. A huge cast teeming with multiple races of uneasily coexistent goblins, trolls and more, plus Dementor-ish gloamglozers and other deadly predators are all depicted in lovingly minute (and occasionally gruesome) detail in Riddell's many pen-and-ink portraits and add plenty of color to this vigorous sendoff. (Fantasy. 11-13)

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October 1, 2010
Grades 5-8 Nate Quarter and his friends are on an epic quest that leads them to ghosts of heroes past and through a storm that threatens to end the world as they know it. The extensive saga of the Edge Chronicles concludes in this exciting yet weighty tome that ties past plots to the present and still leaves the door ajar for future outings. Multiple story lines eventually join, enriched (again) by Riddells line drawings; species and character names remain feats of linguistic acrobatics; and the never-ending action will satisfy returning fans and adventurous new readers. Starting with earlier volumes is helpful but not essential.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)