Kirkus
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Shad Hadid faced the necromancers, and now he plans to save his mother in this second series outing. Until recently, 12-year-old Shad knew nothing about alchemy. But since he and his friends saved the Alexandria Academy from the necromancers’ attempted takeover, he’s learned a lot. With the necromancers gone from Alexandria Town (though still powerful elsewhere), Shad can finally focus on saving his mother from the Forgetting Charm placed upon her by his necromancer stepfather. Over spring break, Shad plans to travel to Lebanon to find his mother—that is, until he and his friends discover a new plot hatched by the necromancers. Now, his trip has a frustratingly different purpose, but stopping the necromancers from wreaking global chaos is clearly more important than his personal problems. Once in Lebanon, Shad and Sarah Decker, his bully-turned-friend, encounter the larger world of alchemy, witnessing types of alchemy unknown to them and wrestling with questions of whom to trust and how to use their powers for good. Shad approaches all the vagaries life throws his way with his unsanctioned Baker Alchemist skills and a dash of good humor. Full of friendship and loyalty, a good number of twists and turns, and a smattering of bathroom jokes, this sequel to Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria (2022) continues in much the same vein. Shad is Lebanese American; his friends are from a variety of national and cultural backgrounds. More magical fun and trickery. (Fantasy. 8-12) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.