The Stone Light (Dark Reflections) - Hardcover

Meyer, Kai

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0689877897 ISBN 13: 9780689877896

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry, 2006

Synopsis

When fourteen-year-old Merle ventures to Hell to seek help in freeing Venice from the Egyptian army, dangerous encounters and surprising events unfold as a scheme to assassinate the pharaoh by the sphinx, Lalapeya, is revealed to him and his friend, the Flowing Queen, Vermithrax. $100,000 ad/promo.

About this title

About the Author

Kai Meyer is the author of many highly acclaimed and popular books for adults and young adults in his native Germany. Pirate Curse, the first book in the Wave Walkers trilogy, was praised by Booklist as "a fast-paced fantasy featuring plenty of action and suspense." The Water Mirror, the first book in the Dark Reflections Trilogy, was named a School Library Journal Best Book, a Locus Magazine Recommended Read, a Book Sense Children's Pick, and a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. It received starred reviews in both School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly. School Library Journal has called Meyer "an expert at creating fantastical worlds filled with unusual and exotic elements." For more information please visit his website at www.kaimeyer.com.

Reviews

Grade 5–7—Fans of The Water Mirror (S & S, 2005) will enjoy this wild ride of a sequel as Merle, with the Flowing Queen within her, is taken to Hell by the winged stone lion Vermithrax. As the Egyptian Pharaoh unleashes his army of mummies (unearthed dead bodies) on the city of Venice, Merle tries to find Lucifer, Lord Light, with whom she hopes to forge an alliance against Egypt, and her friend Serafin joins the rebels in a plot to assassinate the Pharaoh. With the appearance of the powerful sphinx woman Lalapeya, the plot twists and turns, so that readers, along with Serafin, do not know whom to trust. While this novel lacks the powerful sense of place that the Venetian scenes of the earlier title offered, Meyer shows great inventiveness in his portrayal of the environment and creatures of Hell. However, characters such as Junipa from the first book appear only toward the very end of this volume, and the water mirror appears only cursorily. The book ends on a cliff-hanger, leaving both Merle and Serafin's stories unresolved. While there is a great deal of action, the emotional heart of the novel seems to be missing. There is an occasional awkwardness in the phrasing that leaves the narrative feeling jerky. The British edition, with a different translation, reads much more smoothly. Although readers new to the series may be left unmoved, enthusiasts of the first book will fly through this one and await the conclusion of the trilogy.—Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City
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In this continuation of the Dark Reflections Trilogy, mirror-maker's apprentice Merle, who carries Venice's guardian deity inside her, travels to seek an alliance with the feared lord of Hell. Serafin, her friend and sweetheart, remains behind to help oust invading Egyptians. The serpentine plot twists resolve few of the major questions facing the protagonists, but the landscapes and creatures the characters encounter are jaw dropping, and readers of the first adventure will certainly want to go along for the ride. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0689877897
• ISBN 13: 9780689877896
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 368