I generally post reviews of books you can buy right away, or very soon. This month I will post two reviews for books coming out in February of 2022 – so these are books you can look forward to reading!
Map of Flames is an adventure fantasy focused on five children who find themselves on their own after the father figure of the group dies. Their other parents left years ago in search of supplies among other things. The death of Birdie and Brix’s father set the group on a mission into civilization and in search of Birdie and Brix’s mother. The children have lived their lives in an isolated tropical hideout. Their parents, outcasts due to their supernatural abilities, became criminals who pulled off a major heist and had to go underground.
These are no ordinary children. They’re in this predicament because their families are different. Think X-Men for kids.
McMann’s characters are beautifully written. The adventure is exciting and the children, as well as some adults we meet, are interesting and feel real. I don’t want to give out any spoilers so I’ll stop there.
In the interest of a fully honest review, I do need to let you know there is a bit of an information dump at the beginning, but stay with it, because there is a lot you need to know. Also, the climax of the book came quick and I felt that very little was resolved. So, if you’re a reader like me you may want to wait until the second book in the series is out. That said, it’s a fun read and we need to buy the first book to make sure the second book gets published and we can find out what happens!
Grades 3-7
Map of Flames can be preordered at…
