Makenna Grace Gold is the Virago. At barely thirteen-years-old, she has been entrusted by the forces of good to protect her twin siblings Emi and Noah from the evil forces that seek to destroy them. The infant twins are destined to lead our world into its next age of Hope and Enlightenment; if and only if Makenna can protect them. As she begins to settle into her new role as the Virago, Makenna receives a cryptic warning from none other than the Grim Reaper himself. She is told that her immediate future promises to be life threatening to both her and her entire family. It will take all Makenna’s new-found skills along with the assistance of her Fairy mentors Bree, Dee and Marigold, best friend Stephen and her sidekick Fluffy the wisecracking earthworm, to defeat the machinations of the malevolent, multi-billionaire Malvado Seaton. All this while Makenna and her family are on an international field trip with her classmates in China! And who is her mysterious new trainer Tai-Pan?
Excerpt
Prologue
She is the Virago.
The Defender of Defenders;
Protector of Protectors.
Charged with Safeguarding the Twin-Gift,
Noah and Emilyne,
Her twin siblings, young innocent,
Destined to be the Hope for this world’s Future.
A Hell Hound defeated,
An Alghanii Demon destroyed.
Evil had taken its first blow,
And had been found wanting.
But the War had just begun…
Professional Reviews
KIRKUS REVIEW
KIRKUS REVIEW
In this middle-grade fantasy sequel, Bialys' (The Chronicles of the Virago: The Novus, 2018) heroic teens continue protecting twin infants who are destined to usher in a golden age.
Thirteen-year-old Makenna Gold is the Virago, "tasked by the forces of good" to protect her twin 14-month-old siblings, Emilyne and Noah. She's aided by an enchanted lowrider skateboard called "the Redeemer" and three fairy mentors: Marigold Frith and Bree and Dee Delphine. One night, in the Pasadena, California, home that she shares with her parents and siblings, Makenna receives a visit from the Grim Reaper. He warns her, "You are dangerously close to being one of my clients." The next day, she learns that her school has won the Roosevelt Meir Award, which allows the school administration to send her; her best friend, Stephen Levine; and their classmates Heather Stern, Elise Green, and Sam Taylor on a three-week educational trip to China. Parents will chaperone them, and the London-based Natasi Foundation will pay all expenses. However, it turns out that this foundation is run by the foul Sir Malvado Seaton, who will do anything to kidnap the twins. Numerous "Efflusyum decoys" throughout the world prevent Seaton from tracking Makenna and the twins' exact location, so he plans to lure them to a place where his operative, the sinister and effective Mr. Xshun, can dispatch the Virago. Also gunning for her is Ms. Creante, a disguised Alghanii demon who's already failed to defeat Makenna once. Thankfully, help awaits the teen at Nanjing University in the form of Tai-Pan, an Air Elemental who will train her to use the Redeemer in more advanced ways.
For this series' second installment, Bialys deploys more bombastic wit and skillful plot twists. He provides heaping portions of weirdness--such as a talking worm named "Fluffy"--while also guiding characters through incredible transformations. Tai-Pan, a sly transplant from classic literature, is a pleasant surprise, and Mr. Xshun harbors a centuries-old secret that enables a gripping action sequence. Young genius Sam is a fun font of knowledge; for instance, he lets the other kids know that the name "Natasi" is "I Satan" backward. Stephen pitches in with his powers of clairvoyance, but the best help that Makenna receives is Tai-Pan's advice to never "take a life in anger." Bialys trusts his young audience to handle some graphic moments, including Ms. Creante's demonic transformation with "her skin falling away like paper, blood seeping in pools onto the dirty pavement." There are some religious themes; for example, "blood metal," derived from the nails used to crucify Jesus Christ, is employed to create an "anti-weapon" to counter the Redeemer. Heather, though frequently off-page, is a memorable character when she does appear; at one point, for instance, she's determined to go on a shopping spree, "crisis or not." Bialys' joy in bringing this world to life is clear and remains his greatest strength. The epic closing events lead organically to a planned third volume.
A fantasy adventure that builds thrillingly on its predecessor.
Adventure, fun, characters who grow--fantastic!
I received this book for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Wonderful! This book picks up where the first in the series left off and makes a great series fantastic. Makenna, Fluffy the worm, and all her friends are back for a trip oversees, where Makenna must develop her air fighting skills while still doing her homework. It’s the average middle school stresses times ten, and Makenna grows so much as a person. The threats are greater, and the bad guys are badder. From start to finish, this is an incredible adventure that wraps everything up while leaving room for a sequel, which I can’t wait to read.
OnlineBookClub.org review of
Makenna, her fairy guardians, and Fluffy the worm are back in the second installment of Michael Bialys's fun and action-packed Chronicles of the Virago.
In The Chronicles of the Virago II: The Apprentus, Makenna Gold believes she's all set and on her way to defending her twin siblings from any threat that will keep them from enlightening the world. When her school wins an award and Makenna is chosen to spend a three-week educational trip in China, her whole family goes, believing it will be an amazing adventure.
Little does Makenna realize all the dangers that await her there. Maldavo Seaton (bad guy extraordinaire) has an office for his company in China. Makenna's father has been offered an opportunity to work there over the three weeks, providing the perfect opportunity to slip the twins into Seaton's clutches. Meanwhile Ms. Creante, the demon Makenna injured in the first book, is out for revenge. With so many threats closing in, Makenna must protect her siblings, while balancing school obligations and air-combat training with Peter Pan himself.
I reviewed the first book in this series a few months ago. When I saw the second one was up for review, I snagged it. The first book won my heart, and I was beyond excited to see what adventures Makenna and her friends got into next. All the characters I loved from the first book are back, and a host of new ones are introduced. One of my favorites is the Grimm Reaper, who goes by Shecky. Far from the creepy guy you'd expect, Shecky is all kinds of adorable, wanting only to be a standup comedian and noting things he could post to his Deathchat account.
In terms of the adventure and Makenna, Bialys takes the second book from where the first left off and so much farther. After her success in the first book, Makenna is feeling pretty confident and a little smug, as any teen who's discovered they're good at doing incredible stuff might be. She gets a tough dose of reality, though, when she starts training with Peter. Suddenly, Makenna realizes she doesn't know everything and that she could benefit from the knowledge of others. This point is shown beautifully throughout the book. It was amazing to see Makenna grow and mature. Her immediate frustration at Peter knowing things she doesn't turns to a grudging respect and then a proud partnership. On her last day of training, Makenna gives Peter a hug when he cries about his past, realizing he never had a mother to offer him such comfort. This was a huge moment in her character's development. Here the most, Makenna becomes an incredible role model for young readers, showing them that everyone has points of weakness. Some might be less visible than others, but when we hit on someone's nerve, the thing to do is to be compassionate and understanding. I'm not embarrassed to say I was sniffling a little.
I really have nothing negative to say about this book. The only thing I would have liked to see more of was China. The bulk of the story takes place there, but except for a few moments when Makenna's class is on an educational field trip, I didn't get a sense for the setting. This didn't damper my reading experience at all. From page one, I was hooked, and the ending left room for a sequel full of more growth and adventures.
Due to an abundance of errors throughout, I am forced to rate The Chronicles of the Virago II: The Apprentus 3 out of 4 stars. There are many missing words and punctuation marks, but this is literally the only thing keeping me from giving this book full marks. This sequel met and surpassed the first book in my opinion, and I never thought to rate it less than 3. Makenna is a true hero, inside and out. Early middle grade readers would enjoy this book, as might younger kids with an adult to read with them. As an adult who positively loved this, I do think this is a book for all ages of fantasy lovers. If you haven't already, give this series a chance. Like Makenna's last name, it's gold.
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