Stoneheart Trilogy, Book Two, The Ironhand (Stoneheart Trilogy, The)
Grade 5–9—In this sequel toStoneheart(Hyperion, 2007), George, 13, Edie, 12, and the Gunner continue to flee from the Walker, a man cursed to walk the Earth forever, and from "taints," evil, soulless statues. George has accidentally upset the balance in this alternate London, a place where statues can get up and roam. Edie is kidnapped by the Walker, who wants to use her talents as a "glint," someone who can touch stone or metal and see into history, and to lure George into his malignant grasp. Meanwhile, the Walker has also dumped the Gunner, a World War I statue and self-appointed protector of the children, into the depths beneath the city. If the Gunner cannot return to his statue base by midnight, then he will never walk off his plinth again. George, alone and confused by his new status as a potential "maker," someone with the ability to create statues, sets out to rescue Edie and keep the Gunner from losing his "life."Ironhandis a well-written, fast-paced, and suspenseful fantasy. Fletcher successfully draws readers in with action and a continuously developing backstory for each of the characters. However, though the author includes a brief overview of the first book, this one does not stand on its own.—Jessica Miller, New Britain Public Library, CTCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.