Legendarium
This action-packed sequel to Jennifer Bell’s Wonderscape jumps feet first into a swirling portal and straight into the action from the very first chapter. The heroes, three young friends and their shape-shifting robot dog, get sucked into a computer-game adventure that’s unfolding in the real-world future of 2493, where they find themselves in a race against time to get back home.
The trio have to get out of the Legendarium before time runs out, but to do this, they must pose as iSports champions and join in a competition involving a series of challenges, where one wrong move could mean their death. As in role player games or choose-your-own-adventure stories, the protagonists are often faced with tricky choices and just use their brains, guile, skills, and work as a team to figure out the correct course of action.
Add to this their need to find out who the mysterious Deadlock is and destroy the time device before any copies can be made and you have action and suspense until almost the last page. There are opportunities for learning along the way, with discussions about topics like Atlantis, pirates, Vikings, and Inca civilisation. Often, the correct course of action involves the team helping so they can collect the prize, defeat the raiders, expose the villains, and get back home before they are turned into a gooey puddle of protoplasm. Fans of quest-style gaming, the Jumanji series and Ready Player One will enjoy reading this fast-paced adventure.
