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Parents' Guide to

The Merchant of Death: The Pendragon Series, Book 1

By Matt Berman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Stock story and characters, but still gripping.

The Merchant of Death: The Pendragon Series, Book 1 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 10+

Based on 6 parent reviews

age 13+

Great start to an excellent series

A really excellent series with a lot of surprises and twists. Mostly action. Very creative setting. It starts with an intense kissing scene, but that is the steamiest scene in the whole series.
age 13+

Not for 11 year olds

The mention of the playboy magazine really bothered me. Not for my 11 year old boy definitley.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6 ):
Kids say (34 ):

MacHale is the creator of such shows as Are You Afraid of the Dark and Ghostwriter, and his screen work has given him a shrewd sense of pacing. Though the book is overlong, it will keep young fans of the fantasy/adventure genre breathlessly turning the pages. The story careens along entertainingly, and parts of it are quite exciting.

The downside of the video connection is that the characters are from Central Casting, and the plot follows a stock formula. It's a good formula, as formulas go, but it does give the books a certain been-there-done-that feel, exacerbated by the bizarre refusal of everyone to explain anything to Bobby, an obvious and annoying plot device. Still, it's plenty of fun, and young fans of the genre aren't looking for surprises anyway.

Book Details

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