The Invisible Order, Book One: Rise of the Darklings - Hardcover

Crilley, Paul

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1606840312 ISBN 13: 9781606840313

Publisher: EgmontUSA, 2010

Synopsis

Emily Snow is twelve years old, supporting herself and her younger brother on the streets of Victorian England by selling watercress. One early winter morning on her way to buy supplies, she encounters a piskie--a small but very sarcastic fey creature that has been cornered by a group of the Black Sidhe, piskies from an opposing clan. She rescues him and unknowingly becomes involved in a war between the Seelie and the Unseelie, two opposing factions of fairies that have been battling each other throughout the long centuries of human history, with London--and England itself--as the ultimate prize.

When the Invisible Order--a centuries-old secret society of humans that has protected mankind from the fey's interference--gets involved, things really start to get complicated.

Now she is the central figure in this ancient war that could permanently change Earth. With no one to trust, Emily must rely on her own instincts and guile to make the right choices that could save her family and all of mankind.

About this title

About the Author

Paul Crilley has several books out from Wizards of the Coast/Mirrorstone, including Night of the Long Shadows, Book 1 of the Abraxis Wren Chronicles, which recently won the SCRIBE award for best gaming-related original novel, and its two sequels (due out in 2009 and 2010). His work has been featured in over a dozen anthologies. He is Scottish and currently lives in South Africa. You can visit him at www.paulcrilley.com.

Reviews

Gr 5-8–This fantasy has all the right elements, weaving lore of the faeries, a classic quest, epic battles, a riddle, and a clever heroine into a fast-moving, suspenseful plot. Emily, 12, sells bunches of watercress to earn a penny or two to feed herself and her brother, orphaned when their parents disappeared a few years earlier. One morning, she is surprised to learn of a hidden war in the dreary streets of Victorian London. Emily is a True Seer, able to see the faeries. Corrigan, a pesky piskie left behind after the battle, involves her in the fight between the Seelie and the Unseelie, faeries in a war that began in 1666 with the Great Fire. Emily faces betrayal upon betrayal as she tries to save her kidnapped brother and figure out whom to trust and to help. Which group wants to subjugate humans, which one wants to coexist? And what are the real intentions of the members in the Invisible Order, a secret society that protects humans from the faeries? Emily must solve a riddle to find a magic stone that leads to a key to an underground London. Along the way she meets Merlin, learns she has been around for centuries, and discovers that her parents may be alive. Corrigan supplies some humor, while Emily's friend Spring-Heeled Jack provides intimations of a budding romance. Intricate and layered, with a rapidly moving plot and an appealing and resourceful heroine, this book will have kids eagerly awaiting the next installment.Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
© Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

For the last two years, since their parents' disappearances, 12-year-old Emily has supported her younger brother, William, by selling watercress on the streets of Victorian London. Now she takes on a weightier responsibility: protecting him, and all humankind, from the magical creatures who live invisibly in their midst and those who dwell in the faerie kingdom below London but plan to emerge and conquer the city. A straightforward, kindly girl, Emily is ill-prepared for the duplicity and cruelty of her opponents, but with the help of friends, she sets out with determination to deal with matters she does not fully understand. Readers will empathize, partly because Emily is such a well-drawn, likable character and partly because they too may feel confused at times by the rival groups of power seekers, the large cast of characters, and the plot's many twists. Combining adventure, historical fiction, and fantasy, this fast-paced novel is the first in the Invisible Order series. Grades 5-8. --Carolyn Phelan

Edition details

• Publisher: EgmontUSA
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1606840312
• ISBN 13: 9781606840313
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352