The Mystery of the Black Lake
Chronicles of the Magic Jigsaw Puzzle Book 2
ISBN 9781520228327
eISBN 1230000122876
ASIN B00D8YFLS6
This was the 23rd volume I have read from the pen of Manuel. Or I should say 23rd reading as I have read some of them more than once. It is a great story continues a fun series. With each new volume I read from the pen of Alfonseca I have a greater appreciation for his skill and talent as an author. I first encountered his works based on the recommendation of a friend back in 2017. Once I started reading this book I could hardly put it down.
The description of this volume states:
“Fifty years after the journey of Tivo the Dauntless, his grandson Elvor wishes to imitate his exploits and become the owner of one of the pieces of the Magic Jigsaw Puzzle. Will he be able to do it? The Spanish version of this book was selected for the final phase of the Lazarillo Award in 1983.Manuel Alfonseca is a professor in the Universidad Autónoma of Madrid, Spain. In the last 30 years he has published 24 novels in different genres: historic, science-fiction, adventure and fantasy. In 1988 he won the Lazarillo Award, in 2012 the La Brújula Award, and he has been a finalist in several additional prizes.”
About the author we are informed that:
“Manuel Alfonseca is a professor in the Universidad Autónoma of Madrid, Spain. In the last 30 years he has published 24 novels in different genres: historic, science-fiction, adventure and fantasy. In 1988 he won the Lazarillo Award, in 2012 the La Brújula Award, and he has been a finalist in several additional prizes.”
And on a differ volume
“Manuel Alfonseca has published more than 50 books, including 32 novels in different genres: historical, fantasy, science fiction, mystery and adventure. In 1988 he won the Lazarillo Award, and in 2012 he won the fourth edition of the La Brújula de Valores Award. With this book he was a finalist for the 1990 C.C.E.I. Award.”
The chapters in this work are:
1. A strange proposal
2. Farewell to Tiva
3. The cavern in the mountain
4. In the darkness
5. The kingdom of shadows
6. The gloomy forest
7. The black lake
8. The castle
9. The prisoner
10. The strife in the throne hall
11. The knight
I have had these books for a little while now but had not got around to reading them. They have been in the running to be the GoodReads Catholic Book Club book for the month. Last year I read book 1 but did not get back to the series, in June 2024 they were selected for the book club, but I was so busy with work and home I did not read them with the club. I am reading them now and interacting with the club chats for this series. The series is a classic adventure quest story. It can be read to younger children, and enjoyed but older adults like myself.
The characters are well written. It has an intriguing plot. Some important lessons, and it deals with some serious issues like prejudices and unhealthy ambition, but it also has themes of family, hope, and faithfulness. A very interesting aspect is that in this one Kyle does not make a personal appearance. But The spirit does when a character turns to Kyle for help and comfort. In many ways this one reminds me of C.S. Lewis’s The Silver Chair.
The characters are well written. There is a lot of action and the story moves at a great pace. We see charterer development and towards the end how it ties back to book 1.
It was a fun read and set up the rest of the series well. I look forward to reading the other 3 volumes. A great book in the epic adventure quest series style. A really solid 4/5 stars. It is a fun book to read to middle grade readers and excellent for tweens and teens. I can easily recommend this book!
Note: my only real complaint is the map has not been translated into English. I could make do with my French from years ago but my son could not translate it.
Jacob's Ladder
The Ruby of the Ganges
The Last Dinosaur
Ennia in Faerie
The Heirloom of King Scorpion
Beyond the Black Hole
The Water of Life
Albatros
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Earth-9 Colony Series:
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Solar System Series:
The Sleuths of the Spanish Transition Series:
Quetzalcoatl's Zahir
The Mystery of the Haunted House
The Mystery of the Sapphire Bracelet
The Mystery of the Honeymoon
The Mystery of the Egyptian Vulture Country House
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Chronicles of the Magic Jigsaw Puzzle Series:
The Journey of Tivo the Dauntless
The Mystery of the Black Lake
The Silver Swan
The Secret of the Ice Field
The Lost Continent
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The Chronicles of the Aeolian Family Series:
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Non-Fiction:
Human Cultures & Evolution
World Population: Past, Present, & Future
The Fifth Level of Evolution
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