Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Continuing adventures in wizardry take a dark turn.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Still overseeing the crew at Kazam Mystical Arts Management, 16-year-old Jennifer Strange is surprised when the Mighty Shandar, her wizardly nemesis, commands her to find the Eye of Zoltar, a powerful magical relic. If she doesn't succeed in her mission, Shandar will kill the only two dragons left in existence, so Jennifer and a few of her associates set off for the sinister Cambrian Empire, where survival is only a 50/50 shot. There she will face off against wild Tralfamosaurs, a Sky Leviathan, and the empty-suited assassins known as the Hollow Men.
Is It Any Good?
THE EYE OF ZOLTAR serves up the kinds of clever magical hijinks that distinguished the previous volumes in this series. The plot cuts Jennifer off from many of the familiar characters from the first two books and introduces a handful of new members to the supporting cast. Which is a good way to prevent story stagnation.
Some readers may be disturbed by the violent, open-ended denouement, which takes a darker turn than most will expect, More installments in this series are on their way, as this volume ends with a cliffhanger.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about different approaches to magic and wizardry in literature and popular culture. What sets the system of magic in The Eye of Zoltar apart from that in the Harry Potter books, for example, or Ursula K. LeGuin's A Wizard of Earthsea?
Why do some people like to travel to dangerous locations or participate in leisure activities with a high risk of injury?
Under what circumstances might someone think about sacrificing his or her own life to protect another?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Animals ( Dinosaurs ) , Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HMH Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : October 7, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 10 - 14
- Number of pages : 416
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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