MAGE OF THE BLACK HOLE

In this third installment of a YA fantasy series, a teen’s unreliable magic may be the key to rescuing a kingdom threatened by mercenaries.

Peanut, 14, is the new prince of Romatica, or he will be once Queen Quila adopts him. She’ll soon wed Peanut’s uncle Pyck, but not everyone is happy about their impending vows. That’s because Pyck hails from Loorland, which Romatica’s now dead king tried conquering, only for the Looreans to defeat the Romatican army. The general of that vanquished army believes he should marry Quila; either way, he’s got plenty of mercenaries on his side to help seize her throne. Meanwhile, Peanut discovers he can wield magic like his uncle but can’t easily control his apparent power to manipulate gravity. But this ability may come in handy after someone finds a way to get rid of Caspen, “the agent of programmed cell death.” His absence could mean no more death, but the horrible repercussions outweigh the good, especially for a world with feuding soldiers and mercenaries. Peanut, in order to free Caspen from a black hole, must travel to the atom-sized world of Nanosia. Johnson, as always, aptly fuses science with fantasy in this volume. For example, even in the slightly larger Cenozonia, a DNA helix becomes a ladder while apoptosis-inducing factor agents police minuscule worlds. Though much of the story unfolds on regular-sized Earth, those portions are just as entertaining. The general’s obvious unrest slowly builds suspense as he sets his sights on—as Quila puts it—the “queendom” and blatantly threatens Pyck and others. Peanut is, at first, exasperating, as he endlessly complains about his royal attire, with a particular aversion to patent leather shoes. He’s nevertheless sympathetic, especially once the queen’s possible pregnancy seemingly ousts him as Romatica’s prince. Fortunately, the intrepid teen garners courage as the swiftly paced narrative progresses.

An appealing, otherworldly tale set in superlative realms—both real and fantastic.