The Reluctant Assassin

Starred review from February 18, 2013
Readers mourning the end of the Artemis Fowl series can take heart: this first book in the time-bending W.A.R.P. series is an all-out blast. And its stars—17-year-old Chevie Savano, a quasi-disgraced FBI agent (of sorts), and Riley, the reluctant young assassin of the title—are every bit as dynamic as Artemis and Holly. After a bungled mission, Chevie has been sent to London where she is “babysitting a metal capsule,” which she learns is one end of a wormhole to the year 1898, when Riley (and a corpse) materialize, direct from the Victorian era. Riley has been raised by Albert Garrick, a magician turned killer-for-hire; as Garrick follows Riley to the present day, intent on changing the course of history, Riley and Chevie must use every bit of their expertise to take him down. Colfer blends grisly moments of horror, sharply funny dialogue, science fiction spectacle, and characters with depth to create a story that strikes the ideal balance between escapist fun and thoughtful commentary on the ways history, both personal and global, can shape a person. Ages 10–up. Agent: Ed Victor, Ltd.

June 24, 2013
Best known for his Artemis Fowl books, Colfer introduces a new YA series here with the first installment in his W.A.R.P. series. Set in Victorian London, an orphan boy named Riley falls into an apprenticeship with Albert Garrick, an illusionist-turned-assassin. Garrick coerces Riley into committing his first murder, but his victim is a part of the FBI’s Witness Anonymous Relocation Program (W.A.R.P.). Zapped into present-day London, Riley is aided by 17-year-old FBI agent named Chevron Savano. This audio edition is crisply narrated by Maxwell Caulfield, who does an expert turn providing the voices of Garrick and Riley, capturing the growling menace of the former and the haplessness of the latter. However, Caulfield is less deft when performing the Savano. Maxwell’s voice possesses a gravitas and authority that is ill-suited to embodying a plucky American girl. Still, fans of Colfer will likely find much enjoyment here, and be back for the next audio installment in the series. Ages 10-up. A Disney-Hyperion hardcover.