by Marcus Sedgwick
Wendy Lamb Books, September, 2005.
Hardcover, 230 pages.
ISBN: 0385746458
Ages 10 and up
The Book of Dead Days readers were introduced to
a darkly gothic world in which Boy was the assistant to the
magician Valerian, who is now dead. Now owned by
the mysterious Kepler, Boy is determined to learn the secrets of
magic for himself. But before he can retrieve the ancient book that
he believes will reveal all, he is captured and imprisoned by the
completely mad Emperor Frederick III, who wants the book to
discover the secret of immortality. Boy finds an ally in Maxim,
the Emperor's right hand man, who has been ordered to find a way
to make the repulsive Emperor live forever. Meanwhile, a frightening Phantom
haunts the dungeon where Boy is being held and is terrorizing the City with its
bloodlust. When the ancient magic book resurfaces and Boy's long-lost childhood
friend Willow returns to help him, events take a very strange turn.
All of Boy's questions will be answered by the ancient book, but they may
not be the answers that he was hoping for.
Marcus Sedgwick has created a dark and chilling atmosphere peopled
with very interesting characters. Many of them are unpleasant, but Boy is
a hero worth rooting for. With intricate plot twists and excellent characterization,
The Dark Flight Down is a compelling, dark, magical coming of age story.
The Dark Flight Down is available for purchase on
Amazon.com
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This review was published in the December-January, 2005 of The Internet Writing Journal.
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