A Vanishing of Griffins

February 15, 2023
They thought the Hamelyn Piper was safely locked away. Turns out he was just biding his time. Patch Brightwater, a young escaped prisoner and disgraced Piper, and his friends, cursed girl-turned-rat Wren Cobble and dracogriff Barver Knopferkerkle, stopped the true Hamelyn Piper from forming an evil army in A Darkening of Dragons (2022). Now in possession of vast quantities of obsidiac, a powerful substance formed from the bones of dragon children, the Hamelyn Piper must be stopped before he brings forth the End of the Skies and enslaves all the world's creatures. The three friends inevitably but inadvertently find themselves in the thick of the hunt for the Hamelyn Piper while on a mission for the sorcerer, who has promised to permanently cure Wren's curse. Members of the Eight, the elite squad that imprisoned the man they mistakenly believed was the Hamelyn Piper, along with dragons, griffins, and pirates sometimes help and sometimes hinder the trio's progress, with loyalties always in question and motives often suspect. Nonstop action and plot twists keep readers on their toes, and the regular introduction of new characters and obstacles to the friends' journey adds to the story's complexity. Readers seeking resolution to the big questions asked in the first book are going to have to wait for the next installment. All human characters default to White. A strong second entry in this action-packed fantasy trilogy. (Fantasy. 9-13)

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