Five Elements #2: The Shadow City

by Dan Jolley

Overview

The second book in an epic middle grade series with awesome elemental powers, nightmarish creatures, and nonstop adventure that will thrill kids who love Avatar: The Last Airbender, Rick Riordan, and Brandon Mull.

Five elements. Two worlds. One city…and one chance to save it.

In the past two weeks, Gabe Conway has fought a six-winged dragon, bound himself to the element of fire, and rescued one of his best friends from the twisted parallel dimension known as Arcadia. Now he has to find a way to do something even more impossible: destroy Arcadia forever—before a sinister cult unleashes its nightmare of death and destruction across San Francisco.

“Thrilling entertainment. This fast-paced fantasy adventure should please readers of Cassandra Clare and Holly Black’s Magisterium series.”—School Library Journal

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062411686
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/27/2018
Series:	Five Elements , #2
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.90(d)
Lexile:	750L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Dan Jolley writes novels, comic books, children’s books, and video games, and he doesn’t visit his mother as often as he should (according to his mother). His work includes the manga stories set in Erin Hunter’s Warriors and Seekers universes, the Transformers video games War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron, the Dark Horse Comics YA graphic novel LARP! (with co-writer Shawn deLoache), the Oculus Rift game Chronos, and the mobile game Saber's Edge. Dan lives somewhere in the hills of northwest Georgia with his very patient wife Tracy and five largely useless cats. You can bug him by visiting www.danjolley.com or by following him on Twitter @_DanJolley.

Editorial Reviews

Thrilling entertainment. Amid the seriousness of the children’s quest is a continuous stream of lighthearted, appropriate humor that is sure to bring a smile to any reader’s face. This fast-paced fantasy adventure should please readers of Cassandra Clare and Holly Black’s Magisterium series.” — School Library Journal

“A scary adventure mixed with shadows and suspense, along with an ending reminiscent of Stranger Things.” — Kirkus Reviews

PRAISE FOR FIVE ELEMENTS: “Jolley weaves together frightening new lore and laces it with modern, kid-appropriate humor. A fast-paced read for middle-graders addicted to modern magical adventures.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Extremely entertaining and sure to be popular with fans of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson books and the 39 Clues series.” — School Library Journal

“A promising start with a swift pace, a solid protagonist, and a creepy cool cult as a worthy villainous force.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

From the Publisher

A promising start with a swift pace, a solid protagonist, and a creepy cool cult as a worthy villainous force.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

A promising start with a swift pace, a solid protagonist, and a creepy cool cult as a worthy villainous force.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

05/01/2017
Gr 4–7—The second installment of this series continues the momentum of The Emerald Tablet as the four child elementalists and the Ghost Boy work together to channel their powers and save Gabe's uncle and mother from the evil shadow dimension, Arcadia. Their efforts are dogged by the terrifying creatures hunting them on behalf of the Eternal Dawn, the apocalyptic cult bent on merging the shadow city with the real San Francisco to a destructive end. When one of the elementalists is possessed by cult leader Jonathan Thorne, his behavior turns treacherous and Thorne's bloodthirsty plans are revealed. Jolley provides thrilling entertainment as his child heroes deal with problems young readers may recognize, such as the emotional aftermath of a death in the family. The importance of books, teamwork, and perseverance is stressed, but amid the seriousness of the children's quest is a continuous stream of lighthearted, appropriate humor that is sure to bring a smile to any reader's face. VERDICT This fast-paced fantasy adventure should please readers of Cassandra Clare and Holly Black's "Magisterium" series as well as fans of the lesser-known but equally engaging "Century Quartet" series by Pierdomenico Baccalario.—Kerry Sutherland, Akron-Summit County Public Library, OH

School Library Journal

2017-03-29
Gabe, Lily, Brett, and Kaz are four friends bonded by the elemental powers—fire, air, water, and earth, respectively—gained from a secret friendship ritual performed in series opener The Emerald Tablet (2016). After having survived an attack on the island of Alcatraz, the four friends have successfully stayed hidden and kept the Emerald Tablet from the evil cult that's after it, the Eternal Dawn. Their annoying tag-along, Jackson, aka Ghost Boy, a time traveler trapped in the present, becomes a new ally, offering his power of a fifth element, magick. The diverse group of kids (Lily and Brett are Latino, Kaz is Asian-American, and Gabe and Jackson are white) attempt to find the secrets that will destroy Arcadia, or the Shadow World, a dark alternative reality that exists alongside San Francisco. As they use their powers to fight off large, winged batlike creatures and the oozing, flying, tentacled creatures of Arcadia, they also search for clues that will lead them to Gabe's missing uncle Steve and mother, whom they believe to be trapped in Arcadia. When one of their own shows signs of treachery, what lies behind the betrayal is revealed by the evil leader of the cult, Jonathan Thorne. This sequel is a bit darker than its predecessor, as Jolley adds such icky details as blood cocoons, along with an ending that is reminiscent of Stranger Things, an unsettling cliffhanger readers might want not to encounter just before bedtime. A scary adventure mixed with shadows and suspense. (Fantasy. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews