Empire of Bones

Gr 7 Up—Siblings Cyrus and Antigone Smith are in hiding, along with their mentor and leader, Rupurt Greeves, and other members of the Order of Brennan, an organization of protectors of ancient secrets. Their numbers are dwindling, and fighting back against Dr. Phoenix and his transmortals is taking its toll. A conspiracy is unmasked involving a member of the Order's alliance and Dr. Phoenix. This skirts the line of horror, with terrifying characters like the gilled Reborn or scorceror Radu Bey, with dragon Azazel living within his body. Additionally, there is a disproportionate amount of violence and gore for the intended age range. While the story is filled with constant action, this would be a difficult book to recommend to younger or more sensitive students. Masterfully read by Thomas Vincent Kelly, whose British, Irish, and American accents are spot-on. In truth, the narration is the only highlight in this violent high-fantasy story. An optional purchase if the previous two books have been popular.—Suzanne Dix, The Seven Hills School, Cincinnati, OH