The Slanted Worlds

January 15, 2014
This second in a projected trilogy provides a sumptuous genre-blend of time travel, dark fantasy and post-apocalyptic thriller, along with more complications than answers. It starts with a literal explosion, as most of the cast of teenagers, adventurers, schoolmasters, changelings, ghosts and duplicated cats hunker down at the crumbling Wintercombe Abbey, desperately trying to master the Chronoptika--excepting Sarah, sent from a ravaged future to destroy the enigmatic device, and Jake, trapped in the London Blitz. While none of them (with good reason) trusts the others, they agree to work together to save Jake, then to rescue his father. Meanwhile, the vicious queen of the Shee seduces and rages, the Victorian spiritualist Alicia meddles and schemes, and the future tyrant Janus sends back his "replicants" to threaten and mock. The fiendishly labyrinthine plot twists back and forth through perspectives and centuries, from England to medieval Florence to the dreamlike illusions of the Summerland, but elegant prose, deft characterization and an acute eye for telling details keep readers anchored. Although none of the characters, all imprisoned in the grips of their selfish obsessions, is particularly likable, the narrative hurtles at a breathless pace, compelling readers to follow to the final cliffhanger. Gorgeous, atmospheric, and addictive but ultimately frustrating; absolutely necessary wherever the first has fans. (Science fiction/fantasy. 12 & up)

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December 1, 2013
Grades 6-9 In Fisher's whirlwind middle book in the Obsidian Mirror trilogy, rivals competing for control of the Mirror become uneasy collaborators in deciphering its operation. Until the Mirror's secrets are uncovered, journeys to the past are fraught with danger, as Jake discovers when he searches for his lost father and becomes trappedbriefly, but in true time-travel style, portentouslyin the London Blitz. As Jake loops forward and backward in time, Oberon and Maskelyne work on the Mirror. They are biding their time, while Sarah, determined to save the future, enters the Wood to reclaim the broken gold coin she gifted to Summer, the cruel and volatile Shee Queen, without realizing its potential: when joined with its missing half, the coin can destroy the Mirror. The breathless pacing, multiple plot threads, and intriguing glimpses of revelations just on the horizon keep the pages turning; it's only once the thrill ride is over that one realizes how little progress has been made. That is generally a good kind of suspense, however, and readers will be desperate to see how it turns out. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Since Incarceron (2010), Fisher has been a leader of intelligent upper-middle-grade fantasy. Major ARC promotion and a dedicated website will help keep the banner waving.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2014
While Jake uses the Mirror to search for his father in the past, Sarah seeks a coin that can save the future. Meanwhile, Venn resists the Faerie Queen's temptations. Blending genres and constantly shifting between characters' perspectives, this second installment feels crowded and confusing. Still, it asks thoughtfully: can time-travelers really care about any time period but their own?

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)