Bound To Stay Bound

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Full Text Reviews:

School Library Journal - 01/01/2015 Gr 4–6—Who wouldn't be intrigued by a sign with their name on it? Unfortunately, the sign middle schooler Horace F. Andrews sees from the bus window really says "House of Answers," and it leads to a place filled with precious few of those. What he finds are mysteries galore, including a glass box with very special powers that he seems destined to control. Horace becomes caught up in a centuries-long battle between the Makers and the Keepers, groups with very different ideas about who should control the magical artifacts called Tanu. Along the way he befriends Chloe, headstrong and breathtakingly brave, who has been dealing with magic by herself since she was a young child. Together, they join the fight to save Chloe's father and destroy one particular nest of evil, run by Dr. Jericho and his golem. Refreshingly, our hero comes from a healthy and happy home (though Mom has a few mysteries of her own). At just over 600 pages, this brick of a book starts slowly and gets a bit bogged down in vocabulary. Supporting characters add interest, and the magical world is full of detail and wonder. Fans of Harry Potter and Gregor the Overlander will find this one entertaining.—Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 02/15/2015 Horace becomes the Keeper of a small, magical box that allows him to look into the future. As he explores the range of its powers, he learns of malevolent beings called the Riven, who seek to control the box and the other talismans wielded by the resistance. Horace befriends Chloe, another young Keeper, whose dragonfly talisman gives her the ability to disappear by merging with solid objects. Prickly and fiercely independent but a loyal ally, Chloe reluctantly joins Horace in the resistance and relies on its members’ help when the Riven threaten her family. The first volume of many fantasy series involves a good deal of setup for future events, and that’s the case here, but Sanders also uses mystery, action, and suspense to intrigue readers throughout the book. Magic is woven into the fabric of the story, but science is an ongoing theme as well. Horace and Chloe are good foils for each other, and while initially enigmatic, their new allies in the Keepers begin to emerge as individuals. A rousing start for the Keepers series. - Copyright 2015 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 06/01/2015 Horace is a quiet kid, a patient boy who loves his parents and generally observes life from the sidelines. He surprises himself, then, when he wanders into a strange building because he believes it had his name on it; he then gets roped into an ancient battle between two secret groups, the Makers and the Keepers, who have never agreed on how to handle mystical artifacts. Horace turns out to have some latent powers of his own, and once he receives the Box of Promises, a device possibly fated to be his, he is ready to do his part to help the good guys-though maybe the division here is more complicated than merely good vs. evil. Horace makes a true friend in Chloe, a lonely, headstrong girl who has been dealing in magic since she was much younger, and their initially tentative then fierce alliance is one of the book’s most memorable elements. Horace’s dedicated parents are a plus-it is a relief to see a child character who is clearly formed by love and effective guidance, and the fact that the mother might be hiding some magical awareness of her own is an effective twist. Patient readers who are not daunted by hefty page count or a slow-building pace will find this well worth the investment, and they’ll likely relish the idea of further adventures to come. AS - Copyright 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

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