Gr 7—10—As this sequel to The Midnight Charter (Roaring Brook, 2009) begins, Mark and Lily have just escaped from Agora after nearly being murdered. They're a threat because the Charter prophesied that their Judgment would lead to Agora (where life is just a commodity) changing forever. They find refuge in an isolated village where harmony and equality are enforced through prescribed daily rituals presided over by a Speaker and a monk from the Order of the Lost. Any villager who strays from the routine suffers horrible nightmares that must be forcefully purged from the individual. Lily and Mark discover that the nightmares really happen when people try to suppress their individual desires. She forces the villagers to see the truth and, in a rage, they attack her and kill the Speaker. Banished from the village, Mark and Lily are befriended by a witch who helps them conquer the confusion that the Nightmare causes. Only by overcoming it and examining the powerful emotions from their pasts can Lily find her vanished parents and Mark get back to Agora. This leads Lily to the cathedral of the Order of the Lost where surprising revelations lead to the next book in the series. The world-building in this ambitious and intricately plotted fantasy is complex and rich. Readers who have not read the first book will find this one confusing so the books should be read in order to be fully appreciated.—Sharon Rawlins, New Jersey State Library, Trenton
Turning from the extreme capitalism of The Midnight Charter, this solid sequel explores extreme communalism, where the villagers outside Agora's walls suppress all individualistic behaviors. Lily and Mark must navigate this new arena to unravel a cryptic prophecy and restore balance to their world. Deadly intrigues, shifting allegiances, and several new characters set an elaborate stage for the final installment.
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