The Drowned Vault by N.D. Wilson - ESSENTIAL

Wilson, N.D. The Drowned Vault (Ashtown Burials 2), 447 p. Random House, 2012.  $17. 

Violence: PG (lots of danger and pain, but nothing overly descriptive)

EL, MS – ESSENTIAL

The Smith siblings made it into the Order of Brendan by the skin of their teeth, but that doesn’t mean that people are welcoming – not for descendants of the evil Captain John Smith, not for children fathered by a reject from the Order nor the heirs of a renegade order member.  And especially not someone who had the Dragon’s Tooth and then lost it to one of the Order’s supreme opponents, the Phoenix.  When Transmortals start dying, they invade Ashtown and force a vote for a new Brendan – a puppet who is ready to turn everything over to their enemies – an enemy worse than even the Phoenix.  Now Cyrus, Antigone and the rest of the Polygoners are on the run – to where, they don’t know; to find what, they are not exactly sure; and who is their enemy?  More possibilities than they could ever guess.  

Even as the enemies, the allies and the goals become less clear, Wilson has still crafted a high energy novel that will grab the attention of readers of his first.  I was a little creeped out by the picture on the cover – okay, a lot creeped out – but I thoroughly enjoyed the reading.  I am hoping, however, that things will become a bit clearer in book #3 – the kids have A LOT of enemies and A LOT of goals.  Share this with lots of kids!  

Cindy, Library Teacher

FYI:  Wilson was recently in SLC on his book tour and I had a chance to sit down to dinner with him.  It was 3 1/2 very fun hours.