THE CURSE OF THE CHOCOLATE PHOENIX

Magical 11-year-old twins Lily and Oz Spoffard must stop an evil witch from the malicious use of time-traveling chocolate and talking animals in this sequel to The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop (2013).

Lily, Oz, and Oz’s best friend, Caydon, are recruited by the Secret Ministry of the Unexplained to stop the malevolent Alba and her criminal organization, D33, from misusing a golden phoenix fashioned from illegal time-traveling chocolate once made by their ancestor Isadore Spoffard. Demerara and Spike, the friendly neighborhood immortal talking cat and rat, respectively, are part of the adventures. Silver Biggins is the eternally 11-year-old vampire assigned to be their bodyguard, whose cover is to shadow Lily like a best friend, a happy eventuality for the lonely girl. Readers will appreciate the fast pace and droll humor, and Anglophiles will enjoy the nods to noteworthy episodes of British history—not to mention the visions, “time stiches,” and insights into “how lonely life can be for magic types like us.” Clearly, Saunders has honed her deft and breezy comic style while affectionately channeling mild echoes of Harry Potter and The Hobbit.

It’s official: more magical chocolate equals even more perceptive and magical fun for all.