Oracles of Delphi Keep

August 1, 2009
Gr 5-8-The orphanage at Delphi Keep is a great place for Ian and Theodosia to grow up. They love exploring the tunnels all around the White Cliffs of Dover. One day, they happen upon a silver box in one of them. When Ian wedges it free from the sand, a vicious hell-hound, the servant of an evil sorcerer, begins to chase them. The two soon find themselves embroiled in a wild adventure involving a prophecy foretold by the oracle Laodamia about the coming of the Nazis and the end of the world. It hinges on an old legend about the Demogorgon fathering four children who control the elements and who are bent on destruction. Now, the two children, along with their friend Carl, their teachers, and an old antiquities professor, must race against half-demons and piece together the clues of the prophecy. If they don't find several important objects mentioned in it, the world could be destroyed. While the story begins well and has several breathtaking action sequences, it quickly meanders and loses steam. Laurie has too many plot strands to tie together and she does so haphazardly, leaving the story overloaded with characters, especially villains. The characters themselves seem more like archetypes than real people, and the dialogue is sometimes unrealistic. With an overlong, complicated plot and long stretches of low action, the story is unlikely to find a wide audience."Necia Blundy, Marlborough Public Library, MA"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2009
Grades 5-8 A characters quote is an apt description for thiscrowded fantasy set in 1930s England: The whole things a bit barmy . . . Weve got wild beasts and lost tunnels and ancient Phoenician boxes filled with scrolls that arent written in Greek. Ian Wigby and friends are orphans living in the Earl of Kents Delphi Keep on the Cliffs of Dover. Young Theo has always had a gift of premonition, but her skills deepen as the story heats up and two of the evil children, accompanied by hellhounds, chase Ian and his gang. Theo sees Hitlers rise looming on the horizon, as well as details of the coming adventure that takes the children to Morocco to seek a missing treasure. The exciting action is dragged down by too much exposition, which Ian overhears while eavesdropping. Fantasy fans who enjoy an endless parade of close escapes will look forward to the sequel, which will hopefully bring a more tightly written story of perilous treasure hunting.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)