THE PANDORA'S BOX

A teen is suddenly immersed in magic, otherworldly creatures, and parallel universes in Franco’s YA SF/fantasy novel and series kickoff.

Liam Hale gets a posthumous gift from his late mother Bree on his 14th birthday. It’s a mobile device that relays a holographic message that turns Liam’s life upside down: According to a projection of Bree, Liam is a demigod (as Bree had been), will attend a magic school, and will take over his mom’s role as keeper of the Seven Wonders (Earth and six other dimensions). He will have to be “initiated” before claiming the keeper’s throne within 90 days, or the resultant fight for the position will trigger an intergalactic war (“It’s too much power”). As if that weren’t enough pressure, Liam must also complete Bree’s mission of finding “the Pandora’s Box,” an artifact that will restore the balance between good and (currently rising) evil. Luckily, he’s got help: His allies include his best friend Ada, mage student Benji, and perpetually bickering witch-twins Zac and Zoe. Franco’s tale hops multiple genres—mythological beings like trolls, mermaids, dragons, and even Greek gods pop up, while such astonishing pieces of tech as dimension-traversing portals are crucial to the plot. It’s overwhelming, and some engaging subplots are unfortunately eclipsed, including Liam’s longstanding crush on the apparently oblivious Ada. Franco does deliver vivid and memorable set pieces, such as a planned burglary and a trek through the suitably named Eerie Forest. The cast shines, especially Liam and pals; Benji is a levelheaded counterpart to the immature twins, whose jabs never come across as truly malicious. But there’s simply too much to explore in this opening installment, which introduces alternate universes, a spiritual realm, and an ancient prophecy. That’s a lot for the sequels to tackle, and this novel’s smashing final-act turn makes checking them out a virtual necessity.

This jam-packed, sometimes-muddled cross-genre tale proves consistently entertaining.