The Legend of Sam Miracle

An orphan with all-consuming daydreams and non-functioning arms discovers his true destiny in this odd time-travel adventure, which sees 12-year-old Sam Miracle transported into the past to battle the malevolent thief known as the Vulture. It turns out that Sam has lived numerous times before, and every time he is struck down in battle or killed, an enigmatic priest, Father Tiempo, saves him to try again; this, however, is Sam’s last chance to prevent the Vulture from achieving his terrible goals. Sam is joined by a courageous girl named Glory, who proves to be a valuable ally, and his arms are magically bonded with a pair of snakes, giving him inhuman speed and skill with guns. Wilson (Boys of Blur) delivers a twisty, swashbuckling tale, but some of the cross-temporal mechanics come off as awkward, either ill-explained or underutilized (such as Father Tiempo’s habit of communicating between his older and younger selves). But readers who embrace the novel’s off-kilter perspective should find it an entertaining romp, one that lays groundwork for future installments in the Outlaws of Time series. Ages 8–12. Agent: Aaron Rench, Leaptide Literary Group. (Apr.)