Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow

May 18, 2009
This exciting time-travel adventure opens three years after Jake Ransom’s archeologist parents have disappeared in the Yucatán, leaving him and his sister, Kady, nothing but their journals and a Mayan coin, broken in half. The siblings receive an invitation to attend an exhibition of Mayan antiquities at the British Museum, and are soon after catapulted into the prehistoric past where ancient Mayans, Romans, Egyptians, Vikings and even Neanderthals have joined together to do battle with the Skull King, a creature so evil that he only appears wrapped in shadows, “as if the darkness were scared of what lay hidden at its heart and attempted to hide the horror from the world.” Jake, an Indiana Jones in the making, and Kady, a cheerleader who learns to channel her inner Viking, fight the Skull King to a draw, discovering clues about their missing parents. In this series opener, Rollins (The Last Oracle
) presents a wide range of interesting historical information while telling a rollicking good story that should please a wide range of readers—and maybe even some of his adult fans. Ages 10–up.

September 1, 2009
Gr 5-9-Eighth-grader Jake and his older sister Kady are invited to the British Museum to view the Mayan treasures their archaeologist parents discovered shortly before their disappearance three years earlier. Jake takes along what is left of their parents' possessions: a field log, a sketch book, and two halves of a gold Mayan coin (worn by the siblings around their necks). At the exhibit, Jake examines a two-foot-tall solid gold pyramid with a round hole in its side. He places the Mayan coin in the slot, which creates an explosion, transporting the siblings to another place and time. Calypsos is a land inhabited by dinosaurs, mythical and fantastical creatures, and people from long-lost civilizations. Upon their arrival, Jake and Kady befriend two teens, Pindor and Marika. Together they must save Calypsos from the banished Skull King who threatens to return and take over the land. The pace of the story is occasionally a little slow, but readers who stick with it will be caught up in the adventure, particularly those who are interested in Mayan culture. The characters are likable, especially Jake and Pindor, who experience the insecurities of most teens. Simple drawings add visual aid to the descriptions of Mayan glyphs and other objects. Unanswered questions surrounding their parents' disappearance and the connection between Jake and the Skull King will have readers eagerly looking for the next installment in the series."Kelley Siegrist, Farmington Community Library, MI"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2009
Grades 5-8 Rollins, a best-selling author of adult adventure, takes on the youth market with mostly good results, including a strongopener: a package from a Mayan archaeology site is lost (along with its sender) in quicksand, but it is only a decoy. Jake Ransom and his older sister receive the matching halves of a gold coin, an artifact that eventually fires them into a strange land where tribes of lost civilizations live side-by-side with prehistoric animals. In premise, this is very Harry PotterJake, a virtual orphan (his archaeologist parents have disappeared), hasthe fate of many resting on his skinny shoulders as he tries to fight a Voldemort-like specter, who has inspired traitors to his side.Stylistically, however, Rollins is no Rowling, though his short paragraphs and staccato sentences make this a fine read for the reluctant or those who put a premium on action. Oddly, things get a bit moreho-hum as they become more fantastical, but those left wondering whats next willapparently have manysequel opportunities to find out. Theintensive media campaign will no doubt promote demand.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2009
Drawn mysteriously into a land where Mayans, Vikings, Romans, Neanderthals, and dinosaurs coexist, Jake and his sister (ostensibly orphans of archaeologist parents) struggle both to make friends and to return home. Rollins robustly mixes science and natural history with large doses of excitement to create an extravagantly slapdash adventure structured with sequels rather than a conclusion in mind.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)