Skip to main content

Spell Robbers (Quantum League #1)

I'm a fan of Matthew Kirby and will read anything he writes, but when I discovered his new book was the beginning of a new series about kids with super-hero type powers I was even more excited than usual. While I've been able to encourage many of my students to read his other books, this is one whose very concept will sell it without me even having to say a word. Spell Robbers doesn't disappoint, delivering a story full of action, intrigue, and twists.

(This is a review of an ARC received in exchange for a fair review.)

Synopsis:
After Ben Warner is recruited to join a “science camp” led by the eccentric quantum physicist Dr. Madeleine Hughes, he quickly realizes it’s no regular science camp. Along with his new friend, Peter, Ben discovers the secret, powerful art of Actuation—the ability to change reality by simply imagining it differently.
When a mysterious group of men invade Dr. Hughes’s laboratory, abducting her and stealing her precious equipment, Ben and Peter are suddenly caught up in a turf war between dangerous actuators desperate for Dr. Hughes’s innovative technology. And as Ben and Peter are pulled into a perilous, hidden world full of impossibilities now made possible, will their combined powers be enough to save Dr. Hughes and vanquish their enemies before it’s too late?


As the first in a series, Spell Robbers has quite a bit of set up and world-building at the beginning. Learning about the intricacies of Actuation and what it means, I felt a little of a disconnect from Ben in the beginning. But then the plot really takes off and I realized exactly how much I had learned about the sort of person he was in that first section. He is a fascinating character. Despite her penchant for uprooting him and moving him around, he really loves his mom and does what he can to help and take car of her. He is smart, stubborn, and independent. As someone who moves around a lot needs to be. I particularly enjoyed how once he discovered what Actuating truly was and what the world he had stumbled into was like, he wanted little to do with it. It is a refreshing change from the kid who discovers he's special and jumps on the chance to change his whole life. Ben actually liked his life and he just wants it back. Kirby has a real talent for creating nuanced characters and he uses it well in this book. Ben is driven by many different things, and I really came to appreciate exactly how true it was every time he insisted, "I am my own man." Another fascinating character is an adult rogue agent named Ronin. He is likable and savvy, but there are some dark aspects to his characters. He makes a great foil for Ben. (Or perhaps a projection of what Ben could become someday if he allows his bitterness to control him.) Because so much time was spent on Ben and his mission in this book, the other two characters depicted on the cover, Peter and Sasha, don't get as much page time. Both of intriguing back stories though and I'm looking forward to discovering more about them as the series continues.

The concept Kirby developed here is interesting. Actuation sounds a lot like magic (and they do mention that is what it once was thought to be), but there is some science behind it. Mechanical physics is mentioned and the person who discovers Ben uses some equipment to help the children work their Actuations. The Quantum League is a group of Actuators who use their powers for good and to protect others. There are Actuators out there who use their powers for criminal purposes, and The Quantum League's goal is to stop this. Or so they say. Not everything is perfect in the League either and Ben is wary of them from the start. I really liked how there were some very clear bad guys, but no real clear "good" organization. There are many characters it is easy to like and see the good in, even when they do some rather despicable things, but the shades of gray are many and leave Ben unable to truly trust anyone but himself. The plot is slow at first as Ben begins at his "science camp", but once the action starts it doesn't slow down at all. It takes off into hyperdrive and there are so many twists and turns.

I'm looking forward to the next installment, and can not wait to get this one into the hands of my students. (Who are aware I already got to read it and are more than a wee bit jealous.)

I received an ARC made available by the publisher, Scholastic, via NetGalley. Spell Robbers is available for purchase on January 28th. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Favorite Kissing Scenes

When thinking of a favorite things post I could do for February I decided it would have to be kissing. I've already done couples and I was feeling in the mood to do something fluffy and Valentine's related. So kisses it is. I read more MG than YA, and the YA I read tends to not focus on romance so this was actually harder than I expected it to be though a few jumped into my head right away. (And one of my choices does actually come from a MG book. One is adult. Gasp!) The actual scene from the book is quoted followed by my thoughts. The king lifted a hand to her cheek and kissed her. It was not a kiss between strangers, not even a kiss between a bride and a groom. It was a kiss between a man and his wife, and when it was over, the king closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the hollow of the queen's shoulder, like a man seeking respite, like a man reaching home at the end of the day . - The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner Turner doesn't write the

TTT: Most Recent Additions to My TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly themed blog hop created by  The Broke and the Bookish  and now hosted at  That Artsy Reader Girl . This Week's Topic: Most Recent Additions to My TBR List From Most Recent to Least: What books have recently caught your eye?

This Side of Home

What attracted me to This Side of Home by Renee Watson was the cover. The story hooked my interest. The characters made me fall in love. Maya has lived her entire life in the same neighborhood in Portland hanging out with the same group of friends: her twin sister Nikki, their best friend Essence, and Ronnie, Malachi, and Devin-three boys her father mentors. They have plans for the future that involve each other: prom, college, life. But things in their neighborhood are changing. People are moving in and starting new businesses. Property values are going up as a result. In addition to change, this is also causing trouble. Essence has to move out of her  house when the owner decides he can make more money selling it than renting it. The racial demographics of the school, which has been mostly African American, is shifting. This presents new challenges and choices for Maya and her friends. It brings new people into their lives at the same time. Maya has to figure out how-and if-she wa

Serafina and the Black Cloak

Serafina and the Black Cloak  by Robert Beatty is a thrilling tale of mystery and adventure set at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC in 1899. Having lived in Asheville and visited the house several times, there was no way I was going to pass up a chance to read this. (Also it's MG fantasy, always a bonus for me.) Serafina lives in secret in the basement of the Vanderbilt's spacious vacation home. She has lived there most of her life. Her father worked on the house as it was being built and is the mechanic who runs the massive generator and keeps the electricity going. Serafina is the chief rat catcher, slipping through the halls of her massive home secretly and quietly. She is light on her feet, sees well in the dark, and is quick enough to catch the vermin and keep them out. Serafina knows she if different and strange. Her father insists she stay hidden. But all that changes when one night Serafina witnesses a horrible crime. A little girl, a guest in the house, is fleein

Shorter Musings MG Fantasy

Here are some shorter musings on recent MG fantasy reads. Anya and the Dragon   by Sofiya Pasternack This book is fun. It is a book full of adventure, an obvious bad guy, some more complicated morally gray area characters, and a strong, brave heroine. It is also a book about friendships, community, and fighting for what is right. All things that usually work for me really well. While I enjoyed this, I did feel it was a little overlong and there were certain plot points at the end I didn't love. However, there were things I thought were done really well, such as Anya's Jewish faith and the idea that power needs to be challenged. In the end it was a middle of the road read for me, but it is one I will certainly be recommending to dragon and fantasy adventure lovers I know! R is for Rebel   by J. Anderson Coats This is tough because I usually really like Coats's books. I had such a hard time with this one though on so many levels. It's difficult to get into because t