Archie Greene and the Magician's Secret

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A phenomenal magical fantasy where bookshelves are enchanted, librarians are sorcerers and spells come to life, by an astonishing debut author.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

In his first book for children, Everest launches a fanciful series about a secret organization dedicated to protecting the legacy of the Library of Alexandria. When Archie Greene turns 12, he receives a mysterious package: an ancient book, with instructions to return it to a certain bookstore. There, he's inducted into the Flame Keepers as an apprentice bookbinder and introduced to the Museum of Magical Miscellany, where magical books are stored. As he becomes acquainted with the wonders and perils of his new role, he gets to know the cousins he never knew existed. But the Flame Keepers have enemies-such as the Greaders, who want the books' magic for themselves-and ominous events suggest that a traitor is working to release a long-imprisoned evil. Only Archie, with his newfound ability to speak with books, can save the day. Many of the novel's elements are familiar (a hidden, magic-based society; a predestined hero with a special power), but Everest uses them to deliver a fast-paced tale full of mystery and excitement. Ages 8-12. Agent: Jo Hayes, Bell Lomax Moreton. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-6-A 12-year-old orphaned British boy discovers his magical roots and embarks on a quest to save the world alongside his two trusty companions in the hidden world in England that nonmagical people cannot see. No, not the "boy who lived." In this tale, Archie Greene is an apprentice tasked with the protection of magical books, a family tradition. The books are being sought by the Greeders, who want to keep magic (especially dark magic) for their own purposes, and in steps Archie to save the day. Along the way he reunites with long-lost relatives in the family business and learns more about his father. Archie is a likable hero, and his daffy family is warm and inviting. Comparisons between Everest's debut novel and the "Harry Potter" series are inevitable. Though this is lighthearted, fun, and filled with great tidbits for young book lovers, the characters lack depth and the exposition is at times heavy-handed and repetitive. VERDICT An additional purchase where plot-driven magical adventures for the middle grade set are in high demand.-Susannah Goldstein, Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City © Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

On his twelfth birthday, Archie, an English orphan, is summoned to a formerly unknown magical world where he is destined to fight the powers of darkness in this case, Barzak, an evil magician who supposedly burned down the Great Library of Alexandria to possess a collection of spell books. In his new life, Archie joins a warm, eccentric extended family of Flame Keepers (aka librarians) at the Museum of Magical Miscellany, hidden beneath the famous Bodleian Library at Oxford University. The book excels in its lighthearted celebration of bibliomancy, with Archie apprenticed to learn the secrets of finding, binding, and minding books of power especially the one that accompanied his own invitation to the museum. This particular volume has waited 400 years for Archie to turn up. Why? And is it for good or for evil? In a series of thrilling adventures, Archie and his new cousins must risk everything to protect the museum against the Greaders, followers of Barzak bent on misusing books of magic to dominate the world.--Zeitlin Cooke, Ariel Copyright 2015 Booklist

Horn Book Review

On Archie's twelfth birthday, he receives a mysterious book and a summons to an Oxford bookshop. There he becomes a bookbinding apprentice to the Flame Keepers of Alexandria, safe-keepers of magical books. But evil lurks, and Archie must uncover the mystery behind his ancient book before someone else does. The plot bears a strong resemblance to Harry Potter but without its compelling characters. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

The delivery of an ancient book propels Archie Greene into a world of magic and danger: the perfect birthday present for any 12-year-old.Fearing for his safety, Archie's grandmother sends him to stay with family he has never met. But first he must visit the Aisle of White, a bookshop that specializes in rare and magical tomes. But Archie soon discovers that the shop is also a gateway to the Museum of Magical Miscellany, where curators called the Flame Keepers of Alexandria collect and preserve magical artifacts. Archie is quickly apprenticed to Old Zeb, a bookbinder, from whom he learns about all kinds of magic. But when characters from the books begin endangering the security of the museum and the books themselves begin whispering about a dangerous presence, Archie and his cousins find that they might be the only ones brave enough or foolish enough to investigate. Forced humor, humdrum magic and a mystery that is barely mysteriousnot to mention a distressingly familiar-sounding, formulaic titleall combine to create a story that never takes flight. Fans of whimsical fantasy would do well to look elsewhere (or just to reread Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone). While imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, it does not necessarily make for good fiction. Familiarity in fiction breeds boredom. (Fantasy. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.