The Blood

Gr 6–10—In the stunning finale (Aladdin, 2012) to D. J. McHale's trilogy, Marshall Seaver and Cooper Foley must deal with the fallout from their failure to defeat the evil spirit, Damon. His hunt for the poleax continues, and the boys realize that if Damon is successful, he will truly destroy life, death, and everything that may come after in the spirit realms. As the seriousness of the situation weighs on each boy, they are forced to make some epically difficult decisions. Marshall goes so far as to make the ultimate sacrifice so that he might travel freely upon the Morpheus Road. Marsh and Coop even travel into The Blood, a dimension created to punish stunted souls with their worst memories, and meet a foe more evil than Damon. In order to save all of existence, Marshall must ally with Damon to defeat their new, more dangerous enemy. Though cataclysmic battles ensue, the boys learn that it is truly the nature of man, and his ability to forgive and trust, that will save mankind. Returning narrator, Nick Podehl, gives a riveting performance. From battle scenes to emotionally defeated monologues to heartfelt and hopeful speeches, every scene has the perfect vocal interpretation. Accents are well done, high emotions are clearly felt, and the pacing is superb. Libraries circulating the previous titles in the series will want to add this to their collections. Not to be missed!—Jessica Miller, West Springfield Public Library, MA