Melody and Myth. (Keepers of the Vault; 2). Marty Chan. Richmond Hill, ON: Clockwise Press, 2016. 120 pp., trade pbk. & ebook, $10.95 (pbk.), $8.95 (ebook). ISBN 978-1-988347-00-4 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-988347-02-8 (ebook). Grades 7-10 / Ages 12-15. Review by Tara Stieglitz. ***1/2 /4

excerpt:

My body ached from the tension of holding my breath and tightening my every muscle. When I reached the bottom of the staircase, I peeked down the hallway. No sign of anyone. I didn’t dare remove my hands from my ears.

Then a classroom door at the far end of the hallway opened. I jumped back around the corner and waited for a few breaths then I peeked around. Dylan shambled toward me, walking mechanically, followed by Rebecca.

Melody and Myth is the second installment in Marty Chan’s “Keepers of the Vault” series that follows the adventures of Kristina, her friend Dylan, and Grimoire, the Keeper of the Vault. In the first novel, Fire and Glass, Kristina and Dylan discovered a portal on the fourth floor of their school that took them to a vault filled with mystical objects. There they met the vault’s keeper, Grimoire. The events of Melody and Myth begin right after the end of the first novel, with Kristina and Dylan helping Grimoire track down his previous apprentice who has stolen some of the mystical objects of the vault and may have nefarious plans for them. The novel also continues the story of Kristina’s struggle to deal with the fact that her father has left her and her mother.

     Melody and Myth relies heavily on the assumption that readers have read the previous novel in the “Keepers of the Vault” series. Readers who have not read the series’ opening book may find themselves a little bit lost. Melody and Myth is just as exciting and fast-paced as the previous novel. The characters are interesting, and even the villain is revealed to be nuanced and not wholly bad. Because this series is intended for readers who read below grade level, sentences are short, and the language is simple and easy to understand. The book also uses a typeface that is intended to be dyslexia-friendly. Melody and Myth would be an excellent choice for a struggling reader but also makes an enjoyable read for anyone who is a fan of plot-driven fantasy.

Highly Recommended.

Tara Stieglitz is a librarian at MacEwan University in Edmonton, AB.

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