Starred review from June 25, 2012
After being accused of heresy and booted from his religious sect for questioning the authenticity of a religious artifact, 17-year-old Luca De Vere is recruited by the Order of the Dragon, a unit commissioned by Pope Nicholas V to investigate supernatural occurrences across Europe. In another part of the country, 17-year-old Isolde is banished to a nunnery to prevent her from claiming her inheritance. But after Isolde arrives, the nuns begin walking in their sleep, have visions, and suffer from open wounds. Luca is sent to investigate and soon romance blooms between the two young people. Narrator Charlie Cox does an excellent job performing Isolde and Luca, as well as all the rich supporting cast—the narrator seems to almost relish playing the book’s smarmy characters. Additionally, Cox is adept at creating a sense of lingering dread and dramatic urgency. However, he is most impressive when he voices the two protagonists, so thoroughly capturing the essence of angry and fragile Isolde that listeners may forget that Cox is a male performer. Ages 14–up. A Simon Pulse hardcover.
June 11, 2012
Gregory (The Other Boleyn Girl) makes a hypnotic YA debut with the first book in her planned Order of Darkness series. Set in 15th-century Italy after the Ottoman Empire captured the city of Constantinople, this historical fantasy follows two distinctive 17-year-old protagonists. Luca Vero is an alleged faerie changeling, who is kicked out of his monastery and sent on an ominous mission by the Pope: to document incidents of the uncanny that are believed to be the work of Satan and signs of approaching end times. Isolde is denied her inheritance and trapped in the role of Lady Abbess at a nunnery. Luca's first assignment sends him, his servant, and his clerk to investigate the nunnery, where women have been plagued by visions, sleep disturbances, and stigmata wounds since Isolde's arrival; she and her servant Ishraq are accused of witchcraft. Gregory creates an immersive medieval world that is under the sway of both unfounded superstitions and very real supernatural forces. Though dialogue-heavy scenes are occasionally labored, powerful imagery, picaresque humor, and a polished literary style should captivate mature readers. Ages 14âup. Agent: Anthony Mason.
January 1, 2013
Gr 7-9-The first title (Simon Pulse, 2012) in a projected series by Gregory is set in Europe in 1453. Luca Vera, 17, is expelled from his monastery and accused of heresy for studying the sciences while serving the church. Isolde is being kept in a nunnery so she won't inherit her father's estate. The two meet when Luca, who has been inducted into a secret sect called The Order of the Dragon, is sent to investigate the charges of witchcraft that have been leveled against Isolde. They fall in love and Lucas helps her escape. The pair, along with their trusty companions Freize and Ishraq, battle medieval horrors as they look for the secrets of The Order of the Dragon. Along the way, they meet werewolves, alchemists, witches, and more. The plot is banal, but Charlie Cox's narration is magical and his delivery of the action sequences is flawless. He's best when voicing Freize, Luca's the cocky and humorous servant, but he also does a superb job with the female voices. A supplementary purchase for fantasy aficionados and fans of Gregory's previous novels.-Pamela Schembri, Newburgh Enlarged City Schools, NY
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