The Black Reckoning

The Dire Magnus kidnaps twelve-year-old Emma to force her to lead him to the third, most potent Book of Beginning, the Reckoning. Siblings Kate and Michael rescue her, but Emma enters the world of the dead, hoping to use the book to kill the Dire Magnus and save her siblings and their long-lost parents. Heartbreaking sacrifices, joyous reunions, and poignant partings round out this rousing trilogy-ender.

In this final book in the trilogy (The Emerald Atlas, rev. 3/11; The Fire Chronicle, rev. 11/12), the Wibberly children -- Kate, Michael, and Emma -- face their greatest peril yet. The Dire Magnus, the evil sorcerer who wants the power of the "Books of Beginning" for himself, has kidnapped twelve-year-old Emma in order to force her to lead him to the third and most potent book, the Reckoning. Kate and Michael and their protector Gabriel rescue her but end up in the land of the giants, where Emma enters a portal to the world of the dead -- alone -- hoping to use the Reckoning's power as the Book of Death to kill the Dire Magnus and save not only her siblings but also their long-lost parents. There's a lot at work here, including a prophecy declaring that once all three books come together the children must die, and intersecting threads that follow Emma, Kate and Michael, Gabriel, and the Wibberly parents, respectively, but Stephens pulls it off masterfully, leading to a climactic all-out battle between humans and their allies and the Dire Magnus and his minions. Heartbreaking sacrifices, joyous reunions, and poignant partings round out this rousing old-school fantasy adventure. anita l. burkam