Middle Grade Review: The Book of Kings (Mister Max #3)

 

Title: The Book of Kings (Mister Max #3)

Author: Cynthia Voigt; illustrated by Iacopo Bruno

Publisher:  Knopf Books for Young Readers; 2015. 352 pages.
Source: Library

Publisher's Blurb: 
Ever since Max’s parents were spirited away on a mysterious ship, he has longed to find them.

He’s solved case after case for other people in his business as “solutioneer.” And he’s puzzled out the coded messages sent by his father. He doesn’t know exactly what’s happened, but he knows his parents are in danger—and it’s up to Max to save them.

Max and his friends (and a few old foes) don disguises and set sail on a rescue mission. It will take all of Max’s cleverness and daring to outmaneuver the villains that lie in wait: power-hungry aristocrats, snake-handling assassins, and bombardier pastry chefs.

And behind the scenes, a master solutioneer is pulling all the strings.... Has Max finally met his match?

My Review:
As you can see, I kept to my word and not only read Book 3 on paper, but got there quickly. I've now read books from this series as audio, ebook, and hardback...and I have to say that the paper was the most satisfying. That's in large part because of the illustrations, which you miss entirely in an audio book, and which don't show as well on my Nook as on paper (audio has some other limitations, having to do with my need to see names written in order to keep them sorted out well; I like audio books but sometimes they work better than others for me). 

This book was a tricky one for the author, as Max has to step back a bit and let some of the adults in his life take leading roles. He's over his head and he knows it, and is just finding out how much goes on that he doesn't know about. I think the shift is handled well. 

Max is often frustrated by the restrictions his assumed role--secretary to the ambassador--puts on him, and it's carried out just enough for the reader to feel the frustration without getting bored. Then when things start to happen, Max has new issues to face, including his youth--and finally, the conflict between a boy who's been made independent and his father, who pushed him to do so but still wants to be in charge. There are some interesting parental dynamics there.

Overall, I thought the author did a great job of tying up the story, even giving us a sense of how things will work for Max beyond the end of the immediate crisis. The illustrations are intricate line-drawings, and are the icing on the cake. Get the paper book and immerse yourself.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend this series for anyone over about age 10 who likes adventure, problem-solving, and a bit of theatricality. Not surprisingly (she is, after all, a Newbery medalist), Voigt is an accomplished writer who weaves a compelling story with few stumbles. I'm very glad I did my own stumbling--into the series while browsing for something to listen to.

Full Disclosure: I checked The Book of Kings out of my library, and received nothing from the writer or publisher in exchange for my honest review.  The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

 

Night-hike to the Panamint Dunes

There was no Chuck Wendig Challenge this week, which fit nicely with my intention to do a little creative non-fiction, with photos. We spent Tues-Sunday last week visiting Death Valley and the environs in search of stunning desert landscapes and spring wildflowers. We found both. The Panamint Dunes are located in the far north end of the Panamint Valley, which is the next valley west of Death Valley proper and part of the National Park.

Night Hike to the Panamint Dunes

Six miles of rough dirt road behind us, and a hasty dinner prepared and eaten, we hoist loaded packs as the last of the evening light fades away. The sun set early behind the Inyo Mountains, and at 8 p.m. the full moon isn't up. Even so, we can see our goal: the Panamint Dunes are pale in contrast to the surrounding mountains and the scrub-covered alluvial fans that surrounded them. Headlamps, even though I forgot to replace the dying batteries, are enough to show us the footing and avoid injuries as we pick our way over rocky ground near the parking area. Bits of the mountains  have washed down the slope toward the dry lake bed in the bottom of the valley. The poor footing for the first quarter mile worries me. If it's like this all the way, it will be a very long hike indeed.

Happily, we soon pass the rocky portion of the fan, and the rest of the 3-mile approach provides fairly smooth footing. We pick up the pace, dodging around bushes and following sandy washes where they angle off in more or less the right direction, abandoning them when they move too far upslope. There are footprints in places, telling us less that we are on the right route than that pretty much any route will do, as long as we keep pointing at the dunes.

The full moon should have risen as the sun set, but the ring of mountains means that the early sunset is followed by a delayed moonrise. We hike for 20 or 30 minutes before it tops the ridge to the east. Light hits the dunes first, giving them a ghostly beauty. When it reaches us, headlamps become a silly waste. The moon is brighter. We turn our lamps off and let our eyes adapt to the night. A deep shadow lies between us and the dunes, but though our pace is fast, the moon rises faster. We never catch the darkness, and move with greater confidence.

Just over an hour sees us over three miles in, 700-odd feet higher, and starting to sink into the sand. Vegetation is thinning and it's time to make camp. The moon allows us to do that still without lights, so that though we realize that others are camped a few hundred yards off (mysteriously, they keep their lights on, even while sitting and presumably enjoying the night) they probably don't know we are there. The night is calm, and the view well worth savoring. When it grows too chilly for comfort, we crawl into our bags, knowing we'll be up well before sunrise.

Morning on the Dunes
Our early start means that we have eaten breakfast and are well up the dunes (which rise only a couple of hundred feet beyond our camp) before the sun hits. The morning is best told in photos.

 Dawn breaks on the Panamint Valley.

Desert mornings can be chilly. We are well-bundled to eat our cold cereal.

 
 As the sun rises, the moon sets over the Inyo Mountains (we really only see the foothills here).

 Dune fields yield endless patterns of light and shadow and texture.

Curves and shadows and contrast with the eroded hills beyond.

Ripples.

 Even footprints add to the textures.

 Low sun turns footprints along the ridge into a braided piping for the edge of a dune.

If you think a dune is a dead place, look more closely. More like Grand Central Station!

Beetle tracks

There were also some kind of ground-dwelling bees, busily digging their holes.

Not the best photo. The bees wouldn't hold still.

Seems like every dune field we visit has a characteristic species. In this case, it was the prickly poppy.

When the sun grew hot, we returned to our tent, broke camp, and hiked the hour back to the car. Just for fun, here's our rather low-clearance Prius trying to cope with one of dozens of small gullies/washes that crossed the road. You can drive a lot of "4wheel drive" roads in a small sedan, if you go very slowly...and can muster a certain indifference to the sounds of the car depreciating beneath you.

©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2016

As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs appreciated!

Review: The Vampire Mechanic by WIll MacMillan Jones

First off, yes, I know it's nearly Tuesday (or, depending where you are, already Tuesday). We spent most of last week in the desert chasing wildflowers and got home fairly late on Sunday. So sue me. Or wait patiently, and by the end of the week I'll have wildflower photos to share!

Now for our featured review:

           

I tossed in both covers because a) I'm not sure which one is on my ebook, and b) I like them both.

Also note: I do associate with the author on Goodreads. But he's never sent me cookies, cake, or vegemite (thank the gods), and our association has in no way influenced this review.

Title: The Vampire Mechanic (The Banned Underground #3)

Author: Will Macmillan Jones

Publisher: Safkhet Fantasy, 2012. 173 pages

Source: I bought this of my own free will and with my own money.

Summary: 

First, understand who the Banned Underground is (are?): a dwarf rhythm and blues band, with a bog troll on sax. And a dragon on bass. That's a good start. Now, give them a gig in Wales (which they and the author seem to consider pretty much the edge of the universe, and not in a nice way), and some friends who borrow Santa's sleigh to come to the concert, and things start to get interesting. Throw in some vampires, a Dark Lord who wants the sleigh, and of course Grizelda, a cranky witch with a penchant for turning people into vampires, and things get interesting. 

Review:

This whole series is a fun excuse for some bad jokes (and some good ones), a lot of music, and even more drinking. Plot is secondary to that, which explains the absurdity of a lot of it (absurd  in a good way, for the most part). That also explains why to me this one didn't quite work as well as books one and two. Not that it's bad. I just found a couple of the running jokes wearing a bit thin. I haven't completely made up my mind about the active involvement of the author in the story, though mostly it works well. After all, doesn't everyone want someone they can definitively blame for the things that go wrong? This crew has the author, and they know it.We can only envy them.

In the end, my only serious complaint was that there were a few places that just didn't read as smoothly as they should have. I've been reading books on editing as I work on my own writing, and found myself mentally adjusting a sentence here and there, most especially in dialogue.

Recommendation:

Best for teens and up, and for those who like a) British humour, and b) the absurd. If you are a fan of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett, you will probably appreciate the Banned Underground. Jones may not be as brilliant as those two, but who is? (Possibly not even Adams and Pratchett). It probably helps if you are into the music, but it works even if you don't know a thing about rhythm and blues.

See my review of The Amulet of Kings (Book 1).  

I don't seem to have reviewed Book 2, The Mystic Accountants, though I read it and enjoyed it.

Full Disclosure: I purchased The Vampire Mechanic, and received nothing from the writer or publisher in exchange for my honest review.  The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."