Reviews

Gr 5-9-At long last, the third installment in the subterranean "Tunnels" epic reunites Will, his errant father, and his resilient mother-briefly. Then, as she stays on the surface to battle, and then become a captive of the sinister order of Styx, the two squabbling explorers and various companions embark on a long fall to a fabled land at Earth's center that is lit by an inner sun and anchored by centrifugal force rather than gravity. No, science is not the strong suit here-nor is credibility, as Earth's innards are apparently riddled with tunnels and littered with conveniently placed, mysteriously abandoned military equipment-but the overall tale nonetheless gains momentum as it goes, propelled not only by chases, attacks, explosions, cunning deceptions, and acts of heroism and stupid bravado, but also by run-ins with the vicious Styx (a secret society poised to rid Earth of its environmentally destructive "Topsoilers" with a plague) and several types of deadly, eldritch creatures unique to the planetary depths. The occasional drawings of faces or objects add nothing significant, but that's a minor bobble in a fantasy that has yet to show signs of flagging despite its high page count.-John Peters, New York Public Library Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.