I went digging through my archives for this one, so I could provide you guys with a link to my spotlight on the first book, and was shocked to realize it’s been a full two years since I posted my review of the (then) arc!  Time flies when you’re reading books, eh? 😉

You’ll find that spotlight on The Eighth Day here, and I do recommend you begin this series at the beginning, with the first book.  I’ll try to avoid spoilers in my spotlight of the sequel, The Inquisitor’s Mark!

I was rather smitten with the first book so my expectations for the second were rather high.  In a contrary sense, that may be part of why it took me awhile to get to the second–I just wasn’t sure it would measure up.  Of course now I’m kicking myself for waiting…except that this means the third one is out, too!  Yay for The Morrigan’s Curse, which has swooped down and settled on the top of my TBR pile!

Okay, so let’s see what I can say about The Inquisitor’s Mark without giving too much away.  Dianne Salerni has brought back all our favorite characters–Jax,who is a young transitioner that just learned about the eighth day and was left (when his father died) in the care of a fellow teen…who is himself a descendant of King Arthur, plus Evangeline, who is a descendant of Merlin and key to keeping the spell intact that prevents an ancient prison from busting open and destroying the world–and the world is the same in that a select group of people can ‘transition’ into an eighth day which serves as a prison for some seriously messed up ancient dudes and their descendants.  Modern technology doesn’t work in the eighth day unless it’s pre-computer chip, but that doesn’t prevent people from blowing stuff up and pulling out big guns.  The science fiction aspects and the fantasy spells are all mixed up in a way that doesn’t seem like it would work, but actually does, and just as in the first one, the pacing is impeccable and the plotting phenomenal.

But, in this book I felt we got to know the characters better, and they live inside my head at the close of this book in a way they didn’t at the end of the first.  I loved the first one–loved it, and haven’t quite forgiven the young MG student who borrowed my arc and never gave it back–but I was more enthralled with the adventure, the concept, the epic scale, and just how much fun it was.  In this one I felt like all that was there, but I also got to know the characters as they moved and functioned on a human level, inside families and as they navigated relatable human relationships that all of us struggle with.

I also loved–really loved–a certain character who I won’t even name, and how this character’s arc intertwines with Jax’s so that both boys can grow and their changing relationship inform the story theme.  Aargh!  It’s hard to talk about it and not talk about it, you know?  Let’s just say that this quote:

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

–Edmund Burke

Plays a significant part and shapes the destiny of all the kids, and through them, the book and the story world.  And as grand as that sounds, it does so through a regular-style kid doing something any kids in his shoes could do.  Even now, I get warm fuzzies thinking about it. 🙂

But, let’s see what Apricot-kitty has to say:

“I made my views pretty clear last time: if I were ever given an Eighth Day, I’d use it to take a very long nap.  Preferably in the sunshine.  These kids run here and run there til it’s not clear why they’re running any more.  Also, that Arthurian kid hasn’t got much sense, getting himself handcuffed like that.  He should have known that as soon as he did, all the crazy would come loose and fire off every which way!”

We’ll forget Apricot-kitty’s almost plot slip there, and move on to her sensible suggestion of a nap.  That’s something I could go for.  And it does make you wonder–if the transitioners are living an extra day every week, wouldn’t they age faster than everyone else?  Because aging has to do with wear and tear on the body, right?  Perhaps their magic helps them in some way, or maybe the spell does, but I’m a little surprised there isn’t more focus on visits to a super high quality (and restful) spa!

What would you do with an extra day?  And if you’d spend it reading, which books would you take with you, assuming you had to carry them?

For more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday spotlights, interviews, reviews and giveaways stop by Shannon’s blog, and happy MMGM!

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