June 1, 2014
Connolly ("The Infernals") continues the story of Samuel Johnson, a boy in the small English town of Biddlecombe who, along with his faithful dachshund Boswell, is renowned for fighting the forces of evil. This work offers an unusual set of heroes, including helpful but cantankerous dwarves, monsters, and friendly gelatinous blobs that help save the earth from the spread of horrors taking root in the new toy store. The store's opening should be a terrific event, as long as the townspeople can ignore that a statue keeps turning up in different places and something is blocking out the stars--and then there's the matter of the murderous Christmas elves. Tim Gerard Reynolds voices the array of characters with panache. VERDICT This audiobook is recommended for fans of Eoin Colfer as well as other devotees of humorous horror.--Cheryl Youse, Moultrie, GA
Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
May 19, 2014
The modest English town of Biddlecombe has largely recovered from the events of The Infernals and hesitantly welcomed a few friendly demons. The demon Mrs. Abernathy is being recoveredâone molecule at a timeâby a servant of the Great Malevolence, and a team of CERN scientists is studying how a sleepy town became the nexus for a great deal of trans-dimensional activity. Added to the mix are a performing troupe of ill-behaved little people, a washed-up boy band, and creatures of dark matter that are even worse than demons. The sweetness of protagonist Samuel Johnson's nature and his friendship with the demon Nurd, which were cornerstones of the previous two books, are obscured by the comic set pieces. Even Connolly's energetic storytelling and funny, capacious footnotes can't contain the bursting seams of his trilogy's finale.