Darkmouth

May 1, 2016

Gr 5-8-Finn desperately searches his family's house for the map that will help him find his father, the last active Legend Hunter, who is lost in the Infested Land. But Finn doesn't really possess the necessary skills to rescue anyone. With the help of his friend Emmie, who loves the idea of being a Legend Hunter, and an annoying Assessor sent to investigate, Finn stumbles his way into an adventure he is not prepared for. The variety of different creatures depicted in the black-and-white drawings help readers visualize the world. The plot moves along briskly, with Finn bumbling his way through the challenges he faces, but maybe, just maybe, his longing for his father will be enough to see him through. Monsters big and small populate this story of a reluctant hero and the town his family is sworn to protect.

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2016
Last of the Legend Hunters, Finn may be doomed to destroy two worlds--or just to wear a kitty T-shirt for eternity. Still 11 months from his 13th birthday and the ceremony that will make him a full Legend Hunter, Finn and his best friend, Emmie, both white, are determined to rescue Hugo, Finn's dad and the actual last Legend Hunter (for now). He's trapped on the Infested Side, where the monstrous Legends the Hunters hunt plot to invade the Blighted Village of Darkmouth and the rest of our world. To do that they have to find the map Hugo spoke of just before pushing his son through a closing gateway back to the relative safety of Darkmouth. Hard to do in a house filled with maps and with an Assessor from the Council of Twelve, directors of Legend Hunters and Half-Hunters, peering over their shoulders. Luck (most of it bad) is on their side...but time's not (they have 48 hours to get Hugo back). When they do find a way to the Infested Side, things get a bit explode-y. Hegarty picks up the tale of the reluctant hero (somewhat less reluctant than in series opener The Legends Begin, 2015) where he left off. Action lags a mite in the middle, but this well-imagined and often quite funny Irish import is a great antidote to boilerplate multivolume series that seem to retell the same tale over and over. Start with the first (because it's so much fun) and finish anticipating the next. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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July 1, 2016
In this sequel to The Legends Begin, hapless Legend Hunter Finn searches for his missing father. Unintentionally opening a gateway to the Infested Side, Finn and his best friend Emmie befriend a Legend (mythical monster), travel through time, puzzle over weird radio signals, and fight against lupine Legends. Fast-paced and full of snarky humor, this second volume will hook readers from the first page.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)