Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Source: Received to review
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Book Description: Conner Dell didn't meant to blow up the school bus.
Or
the bathrooms.
In
fact, he only wanted to go to sleep and possibly dream about Melanie Stephens.
But
explosions had a funny way of happening when Conner and his friends were
around.
***
Conner
Dell wants to be good--he really does. But he is terrified that he might be
turning into a Darkhand, especially when new powers start to surface. What's
worse, the Stalker is following Conner, but no one else seems to be able to see
him. The Magi think he might be hallucinating, the guilt of what happened in
the Shadowbox keeps weighing on him, and his relationship with Melanie Stephens
is complicating things. Even for a Magi, Conner knows his life is anything but
normal.
Beka's Thoughts: Connor Dell's school field trip couldn't possibly get any more hectic. First, his shadow puppet show decides to come to life, then he blows up a bus. And that teen-age-boy sized hole in the door? Nah, wasn't him. Life defiantly isn't ordinary for him, his twin sister, and their childhood friend. But that's what you get when you happen to be a Magi. Secrets are revealed and a new adventure awaits in the second installment of the Middle School Magic series.
Penumbras does not disappoint. It is just as good, if not better than its prequel, The Kindling. It is well written, and sucks you in to the point where putting it down is a chore. It is directed towards a younger audience, but people of all ages will enjoy it just as much. I give it a five out of five stars, hands down.
Penumbras does not disappoint. It is just as good, if not better than its prequel, The Kindling. It is well written, and sucks you in to the point where putting it down is a chore. It is directed towards a younger audience, but people of all ages will enjoy it just as much. I give it a five out of five stars, hands down.
See Beka's Review of the First book ~ The Kindling.
********************
Q: Tell
us about Penumbras.
A: Penumbras
is the second volume in The Middle School Magic series. The first installment, The
Kindling came out last summer. I am
currently working on the third volume, which will hopefully come out next
summer.
Q:
“Penumbras” is a somewhat unusual title. Can you explain it?
A: A penumbra is a vague, shadowy, area, neither fully
light nor dark. The Kindling, the first
book in the series was about the sparking of new and exciting powers. This
particular book follows the characters as they confront the complex
consequences of those initial events and confront the shadowy places in their
own hearts.
Q: How
did you get the idea for this series?
A: One
night during a sky-splitting spring thunderstorm, my kids came home from a
church activity and told me about a man they had seen driving home. He had a
black cape and was walking across people’s yards in the storm. Wondering about
who he was and what he was doing triggered the idea for the book.
********************
About Braden Bell: Braden
Bell grew up in Farmington, Utah and graduated from Davis High School. He
earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in theatre from Brigham Young University
and a Ph.D. in educational theatre from New York University. He and his wife,
Meredith live with their five children on a quiet, wooded lot outside of
Nashville, Tennessee, where he teaches theatre and music at a private school.
An experienced performer, Braden enjoys singing, acting, reading, gardening,
and long walks with the dog.
Find him at:
Penumbras Website * Facebook * Twitter * Blog
Where can you purchase a copy?
*
Thank you, Beka! I am so glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate you posting about Penumbras!
ReplyDelete