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Three Reasons You Should Read This Middle Grade Fantasy:
Kraken and Lies by Tui T. Sutherland & Kari Sutherland wraps up the loose ends from The Menagerie quite nicely, but not before a whole lot of excitement and a little bit of danger.
I learned A LOT about some magical creatures that were kind of new to me.
The personalities of the creatures really shine through in this book. They were hilarious and fun, and at times, a bit ridiculous.
About Kraken and Lies by Tui T. Sutherland and Kari Sutherland
The Menagerie trilogy comes to a fantastic conclusion in Krakens and Lies, the third magical and mysterious adventure from Tui Sutherland (New York Times bestselling author of the Wings of Fire series) and Kari Sutherland. Young readers who love mythological creatures and series like Fablehaven, the Spiderwick Chronicles, and Spirit Animals won’t want to miss the Menagerie.
Someone has been sabotaging the Menagerie, and Logan and Zoe are on the case. But their troubles only get worse when the basilisk escapes its enclosure and the merpeople go on strike—leaving the kraken to its own devices. The race is on to solve the mystery and save the Menagerie in this riveting, action-packed finale!
There is a lot going on in Kraken and Lies, the final book in The Menagerie trilogy, and things are wrapped up pretty nicely. No fancy bow to make it feel like “the end.” You know the characters are continuing on, and the authors let the reader know it (and leave it open for potentially more books at some point).
I didn’t feel as much of that building and growing of the characters in this book. And what developing there was, was really spurred by some sort of magical-type event. And the ultimate villains, I think they came out a little disappointing. They were more comical than bad, and I couldn’t really see them succeeding at much of anything. It made the stakes seem a little less high.
The trail of clues leading to these bad guys was laid quite nicely. Just enough information to keep everyone moving in the right direction. Not so much information that it felt rushed.
And the Kraken – he really stole the show several times. In fact, all the water creatures were amazing, and they played a big role in how the story played out. I loved this ending, and do hope that we get to revisit this world to check in on how everyone is doing.
As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure for more details.
Three Reasons You Should Read This Middle Grade Fantasy:
Dragon on Trial by Tui T. Sutherland and Kari Sutherland features a little bit naughty dragon and a jury of magical creatures – and what more could you really want?
The book in The Menagerie series really takes a fantasy mystery feel and Zoe, Logan, and Blue try and prove that Scratch the dragon is innocent.
Another book full of all sorts of magical creatures – some that you might not have heard of before.
About Dragon on Trial by Tui T. Sutherland & Kari Sutherland
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Wings of Fire series, Tui T. Sutherland, and her sister, Kari Sutherland, comes the second exciting adventure in the Menagerie trilogy! Combining the magic of Brandon Mull’s Fablehaven series and the charm and humor of Carl Hiaasen, The Menagerie #2: Dragon on Trial is perfect for young readers who love myths, fairy tales, and fantastic creatures.
Someone or something has murdered the goose who laid the golden eggs, and the evidence points to a dragon named Scratch. Zoe and Logan are back on the case—but this mystery won’t be that easy to solve….
Scratch, the dragon, is in trouble. He’s on trial for eating the Golden Goose. And while he’s quite happy she’s gone, he swears he didn’t do it. But all the signs point to him. Zoe doesn’t believe that Scratch would (or could) hurt the goose, so she rounds up Logan and Blue to prove he’s innocent.
Dragon on Trial was a delight. While I wish more of the clues had given me a chance to guess what happened before the kids did, I really enjoyed discovering right along with them. It’s quite a twisty journey, and they get to make a new and unexpected friend along the way.
Logan is starting to find his place in his small group of friends. And seeing him discover that feeling of belonging that he had been missing was more than just a little cool. Although I have no idea how they all manage to do “ALL THE THINGS” in the time span in the book. Time flies so fast and things just keep zipping right along.
As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure for more details.
Three Reasons You Should Read This Middle Grade Contemporary Fantasy:
The Menagerie by Tui T. Sutherland & Kari Sutherland is an incredibly fun adventure full of fantasy creatures and the people that care for them (or find them when they get lost).
The run-away griffons cubs really steal the show from all the human kids – and the names they pick for themselves had me laughing so hard.
The way the kids interact with each other (even though they are all very different) was fun, and watching them grow closer as they searched for the griffons was so sweet. (But not so sweet that reader-kids won’t enjoy it too.)
About The Menagerie by Tui T. Sutherland & Kari Sutherland
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Wings of Fire series, Tui T. Sutherland, and her sister, Kari Sutherland, comes the Menagerie series, perfect for fans of Brandon Mull’s Fablehaven series and The Spiderwick Chronicles.
In the small town of Xanadu, Wyoming lies the Menagerie, a top secret facility filled with unicorns, dragons, phoenixes, and other fairy tale creatures. At least, it was a secret—until six griffin cubs escaped.
If Logan and Zoe don’t get the cubs back fast, the entire Menagerie will be shut down. The race is on and the resulting adventure is only the beginning of a thrilling series that will leave readers wanting a magical menagerie of their very own.
The Menagerie by Tui T. Sutherland and Kari Sutherland is the perfect read for any kid (or adult) lover of mythical creatures of any sort. The griffon cubs have escaped from the super top-secret menagerie. And Logan meets Zoe and Blue as they are trying to hunt them down. Sure, he may think they’re just looking for Zoe’s dog at first. But his tracking skills quickly become the very thing they need to find the cubs.
Logan figures out it isn’t a dog, and his cat, Persimmon (I had to give this awesome feline a shout-out), is not happy about the development of learning about these creatures. As the kids track the babies down, they start to realize that all may not be right at the menagerie. Odd things (besides the griffon escape) are going on, and they are on the verge of being shut down.
The Menagerie is full of friendship, unexpected magic, and just a little mystery. Full of magical creatures, it draws across cultures and mythos to build a place full of things to discover.
