The Shrouded Sword (The Gramarye Cycle, Book 1)

Drawing influences from multiple sources, Minter assembles a boisterous series opener that finds children solving puzzles, traveling through time, and fighting pirates. For the three weeks of this year’s Christmas break, the Moseby siblings—Ethan, 12, and Jynelle Xyla “Jynx,” 10—are deposited at their eccentric uncle Socrates Maupin’s Gramarye House, in Deadmoor, Va. Given free rein over the property, and with no television or internet to otherwise occupy their time, the two, along with Amos Sprunt, a bibliophile and the local undertaker’s son, explore the oddities of the sprawling estate. Soon, they find themselves absorbed in the mysteries of a hedge maze and embarking on a journey that leads them to a graveyard, a derelict mausoleum, and the deck of Captain Kidd’s ship, facing riddles galore. Meanwhile, the witch Morgause watches from her tower prison, scheming to interfere and escape—but the children have an ally in the wizard Merlin. References to Edgar Allan Poe, Sherlock Holmes, King Arthur, and Alice in Wonderland abound. While characters feel underdeveloped and the story suffers from a surplus of ideas, this is nonetheless an adventure filled with surprises. Ages 8–12. (Self-published)