The Secret of the Bloodred Key (The Stolen Dreams Adventures #2)

by David Farr (Author)

This dazzling sequel to the phenomenal The Book of Stolen Dreams that Publishers Weekly compared to the work of Kelly Barnhill and Lemony Snicket sees Rachel shouldering her new responsibility as key keeper when a girl goes missing.

After defeating the tyrant Malstain, Rachel and Robert are the heroes of Krasnia...but all is not how it should be. Robert is swept away with his new friends, leaving Rachel alone to take care of their ailing father, who's lost without their beloved mother. Rachel has also become the keeper of the hidden blood red key that opens the way into the Hinterland and is sworn to answer when it calls.

So when a young girl, Elsa Spiegel, is illegally smuggled into the Hinterland, Rachel has no choice but to use her key to save her. But Elsa's fate is linked to Krasnia's, and Rachel's rescue mission turns into a battle to save her home as she knows it.

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Kirkus

Both swashbuckling and emotionally stirring.

School Library Journal

In this sequel to the Book of Stolen Dreams, Farr sends readers on another fantastical journey through Krasnia and the Hinterland that lies beyond. Dark-haired, brown-eyed Rachel Klein has recently defeated the dictator Charles Malstain, but something is wrong. The boundaries between this world and the one beyond have become porous. As Keeper of the Blood-Red Key, Rachel must find a way to set things to right and, in the process, rescue an innocent nine-year-old girl—Elsa Spiegel—from a fate worse than death. In this book, Farr adeptly builds out the world of Krasnia. He repurposes Greek mythology to give us the Hinterland, a place filled with winged ferrymen, corrupt paper-pushers, and the residents of Liars' Lair, Burglars' Burrows, and Tyrants' Tower. The author keeps tension high by placing a strict time limit on Rachel's quest. He also adds levity by assigning each of the children in the Hinterland an animal companion to follow them on their journey. VERDICT An engaging, fast-paced book well suited for fans who enjoy fantasies similar to Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials."—Talea Anderson

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes



David Farr
David Farr is a playwright, screenwriter, stage director, and film and TV director whose plays have been performed all over the world. He's the author of The Stolen Dreams Adventures series.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781665922609
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date
May 21, 2024
Series
The Stolen Dreams Adventures
BISAC categories
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV028000 - Juvenile Fiction | Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories
JUV001010 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure | Survival Stories
JUV067000 - Juvenile Fiction | Thrillers & Suspense
Library of Congress categories
-

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