Seeds of Rebellion

Gr 5–8—At the conclusion of A World Without Heroes (S & S, 2011), Jason Walker, 13, was sent back to present-day Colorado—and normal life—against his wishes. Now, he returns to Lyrian to find his friends, including fellow "Beyonder" Rachel and Galloran, the "Blind King." As the nucleus of a grassroots revolt against the malevolent and powerful wizard Maldor, Jason, and his allies embark on a quest to hear an oracle's prophecy: Can evil be bested? Quality world-building lies at the heart of any good fantasy story, and in this aspect Mull excels. The inventive characters and settings—such as the Amar Kabal people, who achieve life after death thanks to the walnut-shaped seeds at the base of their necks that can grow a reincarnated "seedperson" when planted, or the horrific swamp inhabited by giant toads, carnivorous pond scum, and hostile leeches—will enchant fans of fantasy, while plentiful adventure sequences will win over reluctant readers. Mull loses his footing just a bit near the end by including a rather unlikely encounter between the traveling companions and a zombielike people. The circumstances seem tacked on, and the group's escape is a tad implausible, but luckily this is just a small misstep en route to a cliff-hanger of an ending. Readers must be familiar with the first volume in order to understand much of the plot and character development. Recommend these books to fans of Mull's "Fablehaven" series (Shadow Mountain), John Flanagan's "Ranger's Apprentice" series (Philomel), and N.D. Wilson's "100 Cupboards" trilogy (Random).—Sam Bloom, Groesbeck Branch Library, Cincinnati, OH