The king is in danger. Well-placed traitors in the royal court have vowed to overthrow good King Claudio, and their plan is close to fruition. Danger looms for the monarch and his kingdom, but also for Mangus, the scholarly magician, and his devoted servant boy Fabrizio, who the plotters have been marked as scapegoats. This unlikely pair know that they must prove their innocence before the stroke of midnight or face execution. And they know the clock is ticking.
Publishers Weekly
Readers are returned to the Renaissance city of Pergamontio in this funny, lightweight mystery, set before the events of Avi's Midnight Magic, with 10-year-old Fabrizio having just begun serving Mangus the Magician. When hundreds of neatly printed handbills proclaiming “The kingdom needs a strong ruler! Establish true authority! Do not fear a change!” mysteriously appear, the superstitious King Claudio and his pompous “Primo Magistrato” DeLaBina believe it's the devil's work (Claudio and DeLaBina have “been successful in keeping Pergamontio free of all modern ideas, technologies, and heresies”). Mangus is accused of creating the fliers with black magic, and is placed under arrest and threatened with death. But when DeLaBina is murdered, it's up to the Sancho Panza–like Fabrizio and his new friend, the printer's devil Maria, to discover which of Pergamontio's scheming nobles is responsible for all of the skullduggery. Combining action, silliness and enough step-by-step explanations to help readers figure out the mystery, this enjoyable historical tale should appeal to the author's many younger fans and send them off to read—or reread—Midnight Magic. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)
School Library Journal
Gr 4–8—In the Renaissance kingdom of Pergamontio, Italy, young servant Fabrizio's master, a stage magician, is charged with plotting treason against the king and dealing with demons. Fabrizio knows he must help clear Mangus's name to avoid once again living on the streets and to convince the magician to take him on as an apprentice. The plot is thick, however, and Fabrizio bumbles along until he finally comes up with a plan worthy of a magician. Avi weaves in the introduction of the printing press, the belief in magic as an evil source of power, and the rarity of reading as a skill without ever making them seem like lessons. Fabrizio, because he lacks education, believes that magic is real, an understanding that gets both him and his master into more trouble. His bumbling makes it feel as though the story is pushing him along, rather than Fabrizio himself driving the narrative. Eventually, though, he learns enough about himself, and about the illusion of magic, to come through with glowing colors. An intelligent girl who is a "printer's devil" provides an excellent counterpoint to Fabrizio's worldview. The novel should appeal to reluctant readers, as the writing style is easy enough to follow despite the historical concepts.—Alana Abbott, James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT
Kirkus Reviews
Avi returns to Renaissance Pergamontio for another round of murder and political intrigue, set two years before the events of Midnight Magic (1999). Taking with a grain of salt the claims of his new master, stage magician Mangus, that there is no such thing as magic, ten-year-old ex-street orphan Fabrizio finds himself swept up in a murderous royal power struggle that results in them both being framed, thrown into prison and threatened with execution. On the way to an elaborate climactic trick set in a candle-lit, bone-strewn crypt, Fabrizio meets contending aristocrats with murky motives, a young "devil" (a printer's devil, as it turns out), a genial executioner and other colorful characters. The plot never takes a break, rushing from encounter to encounter in true audience-pleasing style; the intrigue unfolds naturally without bogging down the main event. The denouement is as contrived as can be, but readers will be glued to this suspenseful, headlong caper from first page to last. (Adventure. 10-12)
From the Publisher
PRAISE FOR MURDER AT MIDNIGHT:"Readers will be glued to this suspenseful, headlong caper from first page to last."-Kirkus Reviews"The suspense simmer[s] right through to the end."-BooklistPRAISE FOR MIDNIGHT MAGIC:*"With snappy dialogue, nonstop action and lavishly embroidered period backdrops, this will please Avi's fans and may well win over some new ones."-Publishers Weekly, starred review"The pages fly with intrigue and action."-Horn Book
"Readers will be glued to this suspenseful, headlong caper from first page to last." -Kirkus Reviews
