Review by Booklist Review
This sequel to Loki's Wolves (2013) delivers plenty of action as well as reflective moments for its five main characters, teens descended from the Norse gods Thor, Loki, Baldur, and Odin. Former middle-school classmates Matt, Laurie, and Fen rescue their friend Baldwin from the underworld, defeat a cave bear, and fight many zombie-like draugrs, while their ally Owen faces his own challenges, rejoining his pals when he can. All the young descendants of the gods struggle to come to terms with their roles in the coming epic battle foretold in Norse mythology. The second volume in the fast-paced Blackwell Pages series, this flows well, developing the main characters and offering moments of humor even as it delivers exciting scenes of quest, combat, and adventure. Narrative shifts from one teen hero to another add further dimension to the story as the characters confront personal insecurities, suspicions of each other, and their terrifying enemies. Keep this series in mind for Percy Jackson fans in search of fresh reading material. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The Blackwell Pages looks poised to join Armstrong and Marr's previous series on the bestseller lists, and the extra push from a multi-platform marketing campaign should help.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-In Loki's Wolves (Little, Brown, 2013), 13-year-olds Matt, Laurie, and Fen all learn that they are the descendants of Norse gods. Upon making this discovery, they set out on a journey to locate the rest of the descendants in an effort to pool their strengths and defeat a giant serpent hell-bent on bringing about the apocalypse. They hit a roadblock, however, when a fellow descendant is killed and sent to the Underworld. This installment in the series begins where the first book left off, with the three teens trapped in the Underworld on a mission to reclaim their friend Baldwin. The chapters alternate among the three main characters. The story is a perfect fit for reluctant readers as the action begins on page one and never lets up. This is not a standalone title, however. Reading Loki's Wolves first is a must. Recommend "The Blackwell Pages" to kids looking for a companion series to Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson" books (Hyperion).-Jennifer Furuyama, Pendleton Public Library, OR (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Matt, Fen, and Laurie--descendants of Norse gods--continue to prepare for their fated battle to stop Ragnarvk, the prophesied apocalypse. However, they must first retrieve their deceased friend Baldwin from Hel, and then find Thor's hammer. The nonstop action of this second book's first half grows a bit tedious, but its second half develops the characters well and offers satisfying plot twists. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
