The Magician's Tower

Gr 5–8—Amateur detective and wizard's apprentice Oona Crate returns in this sequel to The Wizard of Dark Street (Egmont USA, 2011). Her beloved Dark Street is a liminal, magical location. One end opens to New York City at midnight and the other serves as a gateway to smuggled items from the treacherous Faerie realm. Every five years, Dark Street hosts the Magician's Tower Contest, replete with word puzzles and physical challenges designed to eliminate contestants one by one. Oona; her friend Adler; his sneaky sister Isadora; and Isadora's boyfriend, Roderick, enter the contest, but Oona suspects Isadora and Roderick of cheating. She finds it difficult to concentrate on contest clues as she fights Faerie objects that attack Dark Street residents and attempts to solve an intriguing mystery. Odyssey continues to provide solid middle-grade mystery enrobed in an appealing fantasy milieu. A traditional mystery structure and word puzzles mix nicely with action-packed magical stunts. The story summarizes the events of the first book so new readers can follow along. Returning readers will relish clues regarding the fates of the smuggler Red Martin and Oona's fairy butler, Samuligan. Discerning readers may solve the mystery before the end, but Oona's continued anxiety over her magic powers provides an interesting subplot. Although Oona sometimes lacks emotional depth, her detective work is stimulating. Michael Buckley's The Sisters Grimm (Abrams, 2005) readers will find this series worth following.—Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library Association, CT