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The Revenge of the Shadow King
Derek Benz Scholastic, Inc. © 2006 |
Max Sumner’s life was perfect; he had money, trustworthy best friends, and everything his heart could desire, until his parents got a divorce. Then his world turns upside-down when imaginary creatures from a secret card game called Round Table begin invading Avalon, Minnesota. Next he finds the mysterious book called the Codex Spiritus in his grandfather’s secret study. When he accidentally releases a Spriggan, a type of faerie, he names Sprig from the Codex, he realizes that the Codex and monsters are just the beginning. Soon the nearby woods tower over the town and an evil shadow possesses a school bully called Ray. Who are the mysterious Ms. Heen and Morgan LaFey? Then, when Iver vanishes without a trace Max knows something is really wrong. Max’s secret group, the Gray Griffins, must go through challenging tests and fighting evil villains like Ray and the Black Witch to save the world from the evil Shadow King and rescue the Jewel of Titania before it’s too late.
The Revenge of the Shadow King is a good middle school book because it is a good fantasy adventure without complicated words and it has plots that are very simple to follow. I really liked how the book kept moving so I didn’t have to wait for it to “start up again” or wait for long explanations. This book started the series remarkably well and I can’t wait until the next book comes out in the series. The good qualities that this book has make it hard to put down. I also found the Round Table Glossary very helpful. Many of these ideas were very original and creative and helped make this book one of the best I’ve ever read. Consequently, I encourage people to read this superb, magic, and enchanting book.~ Kyriakos Theophanous, grade 6, Boardman Center Middle School