Thursday, October 14, 2010

Book Review- The Invisible Order


By Paul Crilley
Published by EgmontUSA
Released On September 28th, 2010
Source- EgmontUSA
Ages- 10 & up
5 stars- I highly recommend this book!

Twelve year old Emily and her brother William are orphans. One morning, while Emily runs to work through Victorian London, she witnesses a battle between members of the faerie Order-a secret society that protects mankind from the fey folk-gets involved, things get complicated. Emily's brother is kidnapped, and Emily discovered things she never imagined: tunnels that lead through an underground town, a faerie queen, and a battle to save London. Emily has to rescue her brother. But who can she possibly trust? (quoted from the back of the ARC).

The Invisible Order is a fantastic read that weaves faerie lore with historical Victorian London, and engages you in a fast passed, twisty plot, that is witty and suspenseful. Our heroine, Emily Snow may be young, but at 12 years old she's raised her 9 year old brother and herself for the last two years, since her parents death. Her key to survival has been her strength and wit, something she'll rely heavily on as she finds herself in the middle of a war. Both the Unseelie and the Seelie courts are about to unleash destruction on the city of London.

Emily, a true seer, gets more than she bargains for when she saves a pesky little piskie named Corrigan. I really like Emily's character. She's tough, educated and the only one who can stop the war that will be the destruction of London. Emily will be tried and tested, as she experiences betrayal more than once, tries to save her kidnapped brother, and she has to learn who she can really trust. In a world of myth and faerie lore, people and things aren't always what they seem. Emily has to decide what the true intentions are of The Invisible Order, the Seelie Court and the Unseelie Court. The fate of London is in her hands as she is the only one who can uncover the riddles and clues that lead to the key that unlocks the gate to the other world.

I really liked the characters who assist Emily on her quest. Jack, known as Spring-Heeled Jack, is dashing, and brave. I liked their innocent relationship that can easily become something more later in the series. Corrigan, the piskie who's sarcasm and one liners provided the humor, along with Emily's responses back to him. My favorite is Merlin. Yes, I'm talking about the one and only Merlin, who's been around for centuries. Emily learns her parents are live, she knows Merlin, though she has no memory of it and she plays a bigger role in this war she's now apart of, that started back with the Great Fire of 1666.

Engaging, suspenseful, and full of twists and turns, The Invisible Order is a book that will appeal to readers of all ages and it has left me eagerly awaiting the release of the next book in the series.

You can find out more about The Invisible Order by visiting Paul's site here http://tinyurl.com/29p56jv
I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~