Alexander's army

Format:

Book

Title:

Alexander's army

Author:

D'Lacey, Chris author

ISBN:

9780545608800

Edition:

First edition.

Publication:

New York : Scholastic Press, 2015.

Physical Description:

289 pages ; 22 cm

Series title(s):

UNICORNE files ;

Number in series:

BK. 2.

Summary:

Michael Malone is assigned to investigate a local comic shop by the mysterious UNICORNE agency because they are displaying a comic book with a disturbingly familiar heroine--but he soon realizes that the sinister shop hides an invisible army come to life, with a menacing maniac at it's head, and worse he does not know if he can trust his fellow agents.

Subject(s):

Secret societies -- Juvenile fiction.

Comic books, strips, etc. -- Juvenile fiction.

Paranormal fiction -- Juvenile fiction.

Monsters -- Juvenile fiction.

Adventure stories.

Mystery and detective stories.

Secret societies -- Fiction.

Cartoons and comics -- Fiction.

Supernatural -- Fiction.

Monsters -- Fiction.

Adventure and adventurers -- Fiction.

Genre:

Adventure and adventurers

Mystery and detective stories.

Detective and mystery fiction.

Comics (Graphic works)

Action and adventure fiction.

Fiction.

Juvenile works.

Mystery fiction.

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Salem Main Library	TEEN FICTION D'Lacey, C.	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Salem Main Library	TEEN FICTION D'Lacey, C.	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

From the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of the LAST DRAGON CHRONICLES comes an action-packed paranormal adventure full of mystery, alternate realities, thrills and chills.When Michael Malone is assigned a new mystery to solve by the UNICORNE agency, he knows he's in for another strange and deadly adventure. This time, he is sent to a local comic shop, where UNICORNE agents have detected unusual activity -- specifically the prominent display of a comic book starring a disturbingly familiar heroine. . . .The more Michael investigates the comic shop, however, the more he realizes that something much more sinister lurks within its walls. An invisible army has come to life, with a menacing maniac at its head. Even worse, Michael gets the sense that some of his fellow UNICORNE agents cannot be trusted, and that his own life may be in danger. Can he solve the case and defeat his enemies before it's too late? And is he any closer to finding his missing father? From NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Chris d'Lacey comes the action-packed second installment in the remarkable and thrilling UNICORNE Files series!

Author Notes

Chris d'Lacey was born December 16, 1954 in Valetta, Malta and grew up in Leicester and Bolton, England. He received a biology degree from the University of York and later returned to Leicester, working in the Pre-Clinical Sciences department of the University of Leicester.

Chris d'Lacey began writing fiction in his early thirties. Fly, Cherokee, Fly, his first children's novel, was published in 1998 and was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. In 2002, his book, The Fire Within, won the Rotherham Children's Book Award. He has written over twenty children's books including the best-selling, award-winning The Last Dragon Chronicles.

In 2002, the University of Leicester awarded d'Lacey with an honorary doctorate. He currently works for the university while continuing to write.

Reviews (4)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 3-7-Michael Malone tried to quit UNICORNE, a secret organization dedicated to unearthing supernatural events, after another agent was killed, but he's been roped into another mystery. Michael is more suspicious than ever about UNICORNE and especially curious about new information concerning his missing father and the appearance of a crow that bears a striking resemblance to Freya, an agent he believed had died. Then a local comic book shop sets up a window display of comics portraying Freya as a crow. Coincidence? UNICORNE thinks not. While the action and mystery have potential, some plot twists seem far fetched and the dialogue can sometimes dampen the story line-when Michael is asked to go on another mission to explore the comic book shop, he complains that he has homework and has to be home by five. This may be a realistic scenario, but it makes Michael look unsympathetic as he cares more about being home on time than helping his friend. Raphael Corkhill narrates, using different voices for each character. -VERDICT Strictly an additional purchase where the series is popular.-Katie Llera, Bound Brook High School, NJ © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Horn Book Review

Reality-shifter Michael (A Dark Inheritance) is reunited with a now-undead friend on his latest mission for the clandestine UNICORNE organization. While investigating the leader of an invisible squadron of soldiers, Michael searches for more clues about the fate of his missing father. The action is intense and occasional humor helps lighten the dark tone, but the onslaught of complications and further mysteries becomes tiresome. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

A teenager struggling to control his ability to transform reality undertakes a mission for the secretive organization that recruited him in the opener.Airily neglecting to clarify or even significantly advance any of the plotlines introduced in Dark Inheritance (2014), d'Lacey pitches his mercurial protagonist, Michael, into inconclusive encounters with the mendacious director of UNICORNE ("UNexplained Incidents, Cryptic Occurrences, Relative Nontemporal Events"), a telekinetic foe with a squad of hobbit-sized invisible World War I "Tommies" in reluctant thrall, and an ally buried in the first episode but now come back as a shape-shifting crow. Into this incoherent mess, the author also chucks arbitrary ambushes, ray guns and other futuristic tech, obscure references to an important "artifact," and tiny organisms called Mleptra that can do anything the plot requires, from healing wounds to throwing up force fields. Though he does pull off a clever stunt with a grenade at a climactic moment, Michael, never the brightest bulb in the room, is consistently outthought, outfought and at every turn in need of rescue. Also of having things spelled out for hima trait that will be welcomed by readers gamely trying to slog through the murk of ambiguous agendas, half-truths, evasions and outright lies to catch some glimmer of what's really going on. The effort will be in vain. A hodgepodge of contrived set pieces and tired X-Files-style tropes, with no sign of resolution. (Adventure. 11-13) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Michael continues the search for his father in this second volume of the UNICORNE Files series, and it is a quest laden with suspense and action. A distinct eeriness permeates the plot, which jump-starts with an invisible battalion of soldiers and Michael's dead friend, Freya, who has reappeared as a shape-shifting crow. As a UNICORNE agent, Michael's reality-altering talent involves him in the investigation of a suspicious new Crow Girl comic book and trendy Tommy trading cards that feature faceless WWII soldiers. Aside from dealing with the supernatural, the purpose behind UNICORNE remains cloaked in mystery and closely tied to both Crow Girl's sinister creator and Michael's missing father. Michael's personal struggles are every bit as grueling as the external threats, pitting friends and family against the demanding agency. Some dialogue and early instances of suspense feel forced, but later twists more than make up for it. Featuring telekinesis, a superintelligent android, and an insidious boffin, this sci-fi adventure's final reveal will leave readers wanting more.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2015 Booklist