EXCERPTS FROM AN UNKNOWN GUIDEBOOK

A pair of tweens’ fairy-themed website goes viral, stirring up evil supernatural beings in this installment of Bastian’s middle-grade fantasy series.

Fay Thompson and Iris Mendez are 12-year-old treasure hunters who habitually haunt Iris’ grandmother’s attic. When they unearth an old article about a fairy hoax in West Yorkshire, they opt to create a hoax of their own right there in Oakville, Michigan. Their website proclaiming the existence of fairies (complete with photos) unexpectedly catches fire; people crowd Gran’s home demanding to see the fairies and disregarding the girls’ insistence that they faked all of it. Enter series regulars Aaron, Jake, and Wendy (travelers from the Oakville of another dimension) via a handy interdimensional portal. They use a late loved one’s tip to track down the “girls with the fairies” and discover the frenzy at Gran’s. There are all sorts of disagreeable types on the scene, from a tactless TV producer to a government agent convinced the fairies are actually enemy spy tech. But hiding among them are diabolical series nemeses the Shadow People, and maybe even some real-life fairies who’d like to keep their world secret from humans. This series entry is practically a spinoff; the recurring teens have only minor parts, and Aaron and Wendy rarely use their “Folkteller” abilities. Fay and Iris, however, are superb protagonists who understandably get caught up in their site’s virality and grow frustrated when people ignore their pleas. There are welcome touches of fantasy, including a bit of fairy magic and the ominous, ever-creepy Shadow People, who take on various forms. The cast also includes more relatable humans, many of whom aptly satirize (by dint of their mere presence) the propensity of the government and media to trample on others’ privacy. This culminates in an exceptional wrap-up for the cast that hints at a possible direction for another sequel to take. McEvoy’s consistently sublime artwork fills pages beautifully, including images of Gran’s cluttered attic and plotting characters in a football huddle.

A stellar entry that thrillingly expands this entertaining series’ otherworldly universe.