Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Action high, character growth low in series wrap-up.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Jack, Aly, Marco, and Cass just had two Loculi to collect at different ancient wonders of the world when disaster strikes: The rift opens up on Atlantis, carrying Aly and the Loculus of Strength back into ancient times before closing again. A massive earthquake then rocks the island in the present, causing the island to sway and partially sink. Jack, Marco, and Cass don't think they have much time to find the other Loculi before Atlantis disappears for good. Adding to their problems? Warring factions on the island need to make nice before they can get anywhere. When a shaky truce enables the teens to head off on their next Loculus quest, it's their most dangerous yet. The Temple of Artemis may be a charred ruin to most eyes, but to Select like them, it's a dangerous fortress crawling with supersized Amazon warriors.
Is It Any Good?
This action-packed final installment with lots of complicated subplots to wrap up treats characters like puppets along for the ride. If you're a fan of Michael Bay movies, you may be fine with THE LEGEND OF THE RIFT. The Amazons, giant blob beasts, and underwater escapes are exciting. But if you like to dig into the trials of characters on a hero's journey -- think Frodo in Lord of the Rings -- the depth you're seeking is just not there. Marco delivers his one-liners on cue when things are tense, Jack makes the tough decisions, Cass uses his Google Map-like brain to break out of prison, and nobody grows or changes in any way. We know that Jack is motivated by wanting his family together again, but that's as far as the character reflection goes.
While sometimes a light read is a nice break, making characters memorable and relatable is what would make this series stand the test of time. Someone who studies the seven wonders can attest: It's not just the towering monuments that endure in our minds centuries later, it's the stories of the people who built them and why.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what they learned from this series about the ancient wonders of the world. Is there one you'd like to hop back in time and visit?
Monster deaths -- or near deaths -- get pretty gory, while human violence stays barely described. What if this were reversed? How would it change the feel of the book?
Will you read more by this author? How does this series compare to others, such as Percy Jackson, with a mythological bent?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Torstein Norstrand
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Fantasy , Animals ( Ocean Creatures ) , STEM
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Harper
- Publication date : March 8, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 448
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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