Eye of the Stormlord

A boy in training at an elite school searches for his missing father in this middle-grade fantasy.

Eleven-year-old Peter Blue has just enrolled at Spiral Hall, an island-based school for the “ecodemically gifted.” As an environmentally conscious kid, he’ll be further trained to use nature’s gifts in the battle against waste, pollutants, and freakish weather. These elements are embodied by the Anthrogs, creatures born of toxic environments. Five years ago, Peter’s parents died in a fire. His father, Byron, was a top agent of the Global Advanced Intelligence Agency, and Peter now wears the man’s high-tech jacket. In a dream, Byron’s ghost tells his son, “Never capitulate!” Peter’s mentor, GAIA Agent Artiss Fleur, is sure that Byron is alive and held captive by the Anthrogs. This possibility proves distracting as Peter must join the new class at Spiral Hall competing in the Race Across the Earth, a course comprising various hostile weather regions created by climate change. He’s joined by children his age, including science whiz Chu Lee Wong and Peter’s soon-to-be best friend, Roly Portagalo. In tracking down Byron, Peter and company will meet nonhumans, like Agent Livingstone, and Havok, a dangerous Stormlord. If the kids survive the experience, their careers as eco-warriors will still be just beginning. Colless has created a kind of Hogwarts that operates on the magic of environmental awareness. Students must care for and bond with a young tree, which will in turn nurture them. Chu, the naïve scientist, says: “I don’t believe in things like that.” The narrative boldly confronts the anthropocentric question “Wasn’t everything on Earth for humans to put to use?” Plot devices like the “Eat or Be Eaten” game superbly explain energy cycles to younger readers. In the second half, a clever exploration of the Trojan Horse concept raises the stakes in Peter’s hunt for his father. The author skillfully gives several children the spotlight throughout the adventure. Pickles the wallaby proves a unique addition to a diverse cast of characters that fans will feel a kinship with by the finale.

A smoothly written fantasy that deftly balances adventure and science education.