  | Wand & the sea Author: Caterer, Claire | |
| Price: $6.50 | ||
Summary:
A year after their first visit to a parallel universe, Holly and Ben Shepard and friend Everett return to find that much is changed, and the fate of Anglielle is at stake unless Holly can master Water Elemental magic in time to save the Adepts.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 5.20 Points: 11.0 Quiz: 175628 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (-) (04/15/15)
School Library Journal (-) (06/01/15)
Booklist (05/15/15)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 05/15/2015 Holly and her family return to England for a second summer, and she and her younger brother, Ben, immediately enter into the world they discovered in The Key and the Flame (2013). With their local friend Everett, the children return to Anglielle, an alternative world in which Holly has the power of an Adept and where all three of them must deal with a variety of threats at the hands of creatures, rulers, and, in this episode, pirates. While readers may need to start at the beginning of the series for full engagement with Holly’s adventures, Caterer’s world building is consistent and lush. - Copyright 2015 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 06/01/2015 Gr 4–7—Holly, her brother Ben, and neighbor Everett reunite in the sequel to The Key and the Flame (S. & S., 2013). The children met a year ago on holiday in England, discovering a portal into the magical country, Anglielle. They return there to continue Holly's magical training as an Adept and to rescue her loyal "rebel alliance" from evil King Reynard, but the rescue ends with everyone in the castle moat. They escape on Captain Morgan's enchanted ship, the Sea Witch, and set sail to locate Anglielle's missing Adepts. Sorcerer Raethius's attempts to steal Holly's powers derail the journey. Caterer's writing is stronger in this book. Holly and Everett express genuine regret and longing as they mend friendship fences. The story takes fewer detours, and the pace of the action is more dramatic. However, the story still lacks organic depth. Continuity problems take their toll on the work's integrity. The author details the female sailors then skips the men. Holly and Everett do have emotional revelations, but Caterer fails to develop them or continue the growth throughout the novel. Holly's companions leave her abruptly for hours on an island, later explaining that they had left her to "regroup," which hardly seems plausible given her perilous situation. Characters have personality quirks but not fully fleshed out backstories. Django Wexler's The Forbidden Library (Penguin, 2014) places a female character in similarly perilous and fantastical situation with more clearly delineated cause and effect. VERDICT Purchase only where the first title is popular.—Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library Association, CT - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
