July 18, 2011
In her foray into middle-grade fiction, McMann (Cryer's Cross) delivers a fun mix of magic and science with a retro SF novel whose setting echoes classic artificial dystopias of the 1960s like Logan's Run and Make Room! Make Room! In the city of Quill, all signs of creativity are shunned, and any children who so much as sing or draw are declared "Unwanted" when they turn 13 and sent off to be killed. When Alex is culled from his family and sent to die, he is surprised to discover that the Unwanteds are actually taken to a hidden city called Artimé, where they are not only trained in the traditional arts, but also in the magic that these arts unlock. McMann juggles a handful of point-of-view characters nicely (focusing largely on Alex), showing their fear and wonder as they learn more about their world. The subplotsâincluding young romance and murderous conspiraciesâare skillfully interwoven, and if some of Quill's harshness borders on caricature (the city makes Sparta seem decadent), it serves the story well. Ages 8â12.
September 1, 2014
Gr 9 Up-While he does not have a starring role, Magnus Bane, Warlock extraordinaire, is one of the most popular characters in Cassandra Clare's "Mortal Instruments" and "Infernal Devices" series (both S. & S.). His fabulous lifestyle, scandalous love affairs, outrageous parties, exotic excursions, and unique position with Downworlders (vampires, demons, werewolves), Mundanes (humans), and Shadow Hunters (half-angel demon hunters) are only briefly touched upon-until now. Fans of Clare's books will eagerly devour the 10 short stories, which were previously only available as individual ebooks. The tales are organized chronologically, with the majority of them taking place during the Victorian-era "Infernal Devices" series; two feature Bane and Alec, including their hilarious first date. Every story is preceded by a quotation and a one-page comic, drawn in manga-style, highlighting an important scene. Clare has teamed up with authors Maureen Johnson and Sarah Rees Brennan to flesh out the lengthy life of Bane, giving readers a unique insight into the characters and events they know from Clare's other books. At the same time, readers unfamiliar with the "Shadow Hunters" series will easily be able to pick up this book and enjoy it without much confusion. The stories are equally engaging and are organized well, seamlessly building on one another. An essential purchase for any library that has a Cassandra Clare following.-Marissa Lieberman, East Orange Public Library, NJ
Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
October 1, 2014
Eleven short stories about two centuries in the life of everyone's favorite bisexual, biracial, immortal warlock from Clare's hyperpopular Shadowhunters series, most previously published in electronic-only editions. The tales begin in 1791 Peru, where the debauched Magnus Bane revels in sex, alcohol and troublemaking. They close in the present day, concerned with relationship dramas and the battles of the prior books. Standing alone, the early stories (featuring a fashion-obsessed Magnus hopping into bed with all attractive comers) are mostly dissatisfying. Taken as a whole, however, the collection shows compelling development of Magnus from flirtatious playboy to flirtatious playboy with a secret heart of gold to the fashionable-but-serious High Warlock of Brooklyn who throws himself between innocents and danger. The volume stands as support for Clare's multiple ongoing series and features too many tales that break off without resolution, satisfying mostly as emotional background for Magnus and his found family. Occasional choppy prose isn't Clare's usual mode, though there's plenty of the more-typical grandiloquent stylings: Eyes are like "grass under the dew," "a crystal glass filled brimful with crisp white wine and held up to catch the light of a blazing sun" or "deep alluring lakes with sirens in their depths." There is less snark as well, perhaps a result of the collaboration with Rees Brennan and Johnson. Only for series completists and fans of Magnus Bane-but who isn't a fan of Magnus Bane? (Fantasy. 14 & up)
COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
September 1, 2014
Grades 8-12 Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn, is more than 300 years old and has lived every moment of his long, glitter-filled life to the fullest. Although bits and pieces of his life have been hinted at in the various titles in the Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series, none are as revealing as the 11 clever, touching, and hilarious short stories in this volume. Each short story starts with a brief manga-style comic highlighting the trademark wit of coauthors' Clare, Maureen Johnson, and Sarah Rees Brennan. The flamboyant, powerful, and kind Bane has long been a favorite among fans of Clare's titles, and elements of some of these stories are referred in previous volumes in the series, particularly in City of Heavenly Fire (2014), the final title in the Mortal Instruments series. Many of Clare's fans will be delighted to read a volume that is devoted solely to Magnus' (mis)adventures and romances. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Fans (and they are legion) who are mourning the end of the Mortal Instruments series will be desperate to get their hands on this.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)