The Wizard’s War

When Evan and Cleo jump into a book, they find themselves thrust into a quest to save the kingdom. In order to save the kingdom, they will have to fight elves, trolls, and the mighty Golden Dragon. Danger comes from many places, and the two are not sure who they can trust. Only magic will end the war, but will it help them find the right key and return home?

This fast-paced fantasy contains many fantastical creatures that will enthrall younger readers. Danger lurks around every corner, which keeps the suspense high throughout the entire story. When Evan and Cleo meet the manticores, there are several fun riddles that readers can try to solve. Because of some overlapping plot points, The Wizard’s War should be read after the first two books of the series.

Throughout the story, Evan and Cloe show their bravery, brains, and devotion to each other. Working together to defeat evil is the main theme of the story. King Ledipus’s words reinforce this theme when he says, “Today we start a new chapter in the world, one where all creatures—humans, elves, manticores, dwarves, dragons, and even trolls—live in harmony. We will work together to build a future where all can find happiness.”

The story contains a lot of dialogue and short descriptions that help keep the story interesting. A full-page illustration appears in every chapter. The story contains magic wands and magic spells, which are clearly fantasy and not part of the real world. The Wizard’s War will be a hit with readers looking to take a trip into another world. The ending contains a cliffhanger that will leave readers reaching for the next book of the series—The Titanic Treasure.

Sexual Content

• None

Violence

• Elves throw a net on Evan, Cleo, and Vixa. “They struggled but it was no use. Even Vixa’s blade couldn’t cut the net.” The elves take the captives to the queen. “The elves tied up Evan, Cleo, and Vixa and led them to a platform made of logs.” The queen orders the elves to let them go.
• A group of trolls uses a catapult to fling “a fiery lump” at Evan, Cleo, and Vixa. “The fireball roared past them.”
• Cleo and Evan try to escape the trolls by riding on a railroad cart. The trolls follow them in their own cart. “One of the trolls leaped into their cart and bared his yellow teeth. He growled and swung his club with the force of a sledgehammer.” Cleo slows the cart and s out of the cart. “Evan curled his legs under the troll’s chest and kicked up. The troll lifted into the air just as the cart shot under a low bridge. His head smacked into a beam and he flew out of the cart.”
• When another troll attacks, Cleo “kicked the troll in the face. The creature swung his club. It whizzed past Cleo’s head and smashed the hand brake to splinters.” Cleo causes the troll’s cart to flip and “the troll flew forward and smacked into the tunnel wall.”
• Someone jumped onto a troll’s back and “yanked on the troll’s ears. . .”
• A dragon attacks Evan and Cleo. “Another flame spewed from the dragon’s throat. . . Evan rolled away and crept behind a statue of an ancient king.” During the attack, the dragon’s “tail whipped around and hit Cleo.” The battle takes place over a chapter.
• During the final battle, dwarves, manticores, and others fight to defeat the evil villain. The manticore and dragon fight. “The manticores clawed and bit and let their spikes fly. The dragon swung her tail like a club.”

Drugs and Alcohol

• None

Language

• None

Supernatural

• The library under the school has a magic portal that takes people into books. When a person travels into a book, they become a character in the book.
• When Evan and Cloe become characters in a book, Evan is a wizard and Cloe is a moon elf.
• An evil character controls the king and his daughter through a headband that uses “dark magic.”
• One of the characters is a manticore, which is a “lion with bat wings, and the end of its tail was covered in sharp spikes.”
• Tannis wants Vixa to find the Dragon’s Orb because it “has the power to control dragons.”
• Cloe poured a “silvery liquid onto Daruis’s wing. The leathery skin began to mend. She took the rest of the potion and poured it into Darius’s mouth . . . The manticore seemed to swell with strength.”
• When Evan uses a spell, “orange light fired out and hit the troll in the face. Daisies sprouted from the troll’s head, and his nose started blinking like a holiday light.”
• During the story, several of the characters smash a crystal that opens a magical doorway.
• Evan uses the “Monstrous Transformation spell,” which makes him become large.

Spiritual Content

• None