Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this imaginative fantasy-which is drawn from the world of Masessa's bestselling 2006 novelty title, The Wandmaker's Guidebook-11-year-old Henry Leach the Eighth learns that he is a wandmaker, capable of creating and using magical wands that confer various amazing abilities. After Henry (who has his own copy of The Wandmaker's Guidebook, naturally) accidentally transforms his younger sister into a hedgehog, he turns to the legendary sorcerer Coralis for help. The two siblings are promptly dragged into an epic confrontation between good and evil: an ancient villain named Dai She plans to destroy the world, and Henry and his allies embark on a perilous cross-country trip to find a way to thwart the apocalyptic plan. Masessa delivers a fast-paced, entertaining tale filled with humor and magical action, playfully referencing (and toying with) tropes popularized by Harry Potter (Voldemort never suffered half of the indignities that are perpetrated on Dai She, and Dumbledore never flew coach across the Atlantic). This is a clever, twisty story with plenty of potential for future installments. Ages 8-12. Agent: Marcia Wernick, Wernick & Pratt. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by Horn Book Review
Henry has inherited the powers of his wand-making ancestors. His family lineage brings more than he bargained for, though, when his pesky sister becomes collateral damage after a spell gone awry. This entertaining, fast-paced read is occasionally marred by false attribution of "supernatural" powers (e.g., blind people can't really "smell or hear things before others can"). (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
