The Master Song

In the first installment of Maloney's (The Elementalists) Blue Time fantasy series, a group of teenagers is transported to a world that parallels Ireland; there, they are caught in a conflict over the seven Verses of the Master Song. The Master Song was offered to humankind by Crannhyn, the most ancient living being, to heal it of Corruption. Basisolc, Crannhyn's evil brother, sought to obtain and pervert the Song to make the world suffer. While the story has potential, it often falls flat due to its inauthentic dialogue ("I mean, considering I've got an IQ of one seventy-five, and you're in remedial everything, maybe you should get on the short bus, you doltish troll!"). The author aspires to fantasy world-building, but instead sounds derivative while making clunky references to contemporary popular culture. The story is imaginative but the final product is marred by details that have no function in the narrative. Ages 12%E2%80%93up. (Sept.)