From School Library Journal
Gr 4–7—In the grand tradition of Cornelia Funke's Inkheart and John Stephens's The Emerald Atlas comes this companion novel to Auxier's Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes. Twelve-year-old Sophie Quire mends books in her father's shop and worries about Pyre Day, when Inquisitor Prigg will burn all the storybooks and purge all the "nonsense" from Bustleburgh. Enter dauntless Peter Nimble, the blindfolded thief, and his enchanted companion Sir Tode with the Book of Who for Sophie to mend. The Book is one of four magical tomes (Who, What, Where, When); if all four books are collected, they will unlock a riddle and save the world. Sophie, Peter, and Sir Tode follow the book's clues, dogged by Inquisitor Prigg, his bloodthirsty henchman Torvald Knucklemeat, and Madame Eldritch the potion maker, a tricky woman with her own motives. The final battle to retrieve the books assembles most of the cast in Bustleburgh, where the story began. It's impossible to feel lukewarm about Auxier's work. This author so clearly views books as the elixir of life, and this conviction oozes out of the text. This fast-paced, character-gallery book remains anchored by Sophie's passion for reading and family. Various magical settings like a menagerie surrounded by deadly quickbramble serve as proper backdrop for capacious bestiaries that can describe any person or thing in existence. The final unraveling of the dangers Sophie faces is so intense readers may need to take a breath as they turn the pages. VERDICT A fantastically done fantasy that will be enthusiastically embraced by middle grade bibliophiles.—Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library Association, CT
Review
**STARRED REVIEW**
"Rife with suspense, droll and poignant moments, and the occasional brutal confrontation, Auxier’s worthy, absorbing follow-up is also a thought-provoking look at classic literary tropes, including their fanciful, sometimes darker, nature and themes... Ultimately, this affecting, compelling story stands on its own, embodying and highlighting the power and impact of tales well told—and why they endure."―Booklist
**STARRED REVIEW**
"This novel should be in the hands of every human young enough at heart to be enchanted by the written word."―Kirkus Reviews
**STARRED REVIEW**
“In the grand tradition of Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart and John Stephens’s The Emerald Atlas comes this companion novel to Auxier’s Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes. …This author so clearly views books as the elixir of life, and this conviction oozes out of the text….A fantastically done fantasy that will be enthusiastically embraced by middle grade bibliophiles.”―School Library Journal
"Auxier has created an electrifying and extraordinary story. Middle grade readers will likely wish to reread to appreciate the wonder that is this book."―School Library Connection
About the Author
Jonathan Auxier is the New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed author of Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, The Night Gardener, Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard, and Sweep. He lives with his family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
