Tank & Fizz: The Case of the Missing Mage

Tank & Fizz: The Case of the Missing Mage

As the eve of the great Wizards' Summit approaches, wizards from all over Rockfall Mountain descend on the school at Shadow Tower to refine their craft. When professors start disappearing, it's up to magic-fearing monster sleuths Tank and Fizz to solve this spell-packed mystery and find the missing mages. Aleetha, their detective partner and a wizard-in-training, has dragged Tank and Fizz into the heart of the Shadow Tower, where libraries fly, spells fill the air, and an ancient army of darkness stirs, when she receives a mysterious message from her missing teacher. Using their detective skills, a pinch of magic and a trickle of technology, the friends stumble into a battle that's been brewing for decades. And what starts as a simple missing-persons case turns into a clash of light versus dark magic. Can Tank and Fizz overcome their fears and track down the missing mages before the black magic makes them disappear for good? The Case of the Missing Mage is the third book in the Tank & Fizz series about two crime-solving monsters living under a mountain, following The Case of the Slime Stampede and The Case of the Battling Bots . Stay tuned for book four, coming spring 2018. Gr 3–6—An action-packed detective story set in a land of monsters and magic. Tank and Fizz, monster detectives, are called upon to help their friend Aleetha, a wizard in training, discover the reason for the disappearance of mages from various disciplines. The villains make use of a cloaking spell, so the sleuths are the only two who can actually witness the kidnappings. Combining magic and technology, the trio sneak into the Shadow Tower to get to the bottom of the mystery. Two-tone illustrated panels interspersed between chapters add extra detail to what is already an action-oriented tale. While a quick pace moves the narrative along, characters are a bit flat and world-building is nonexistent. The plot is interesting but ultimately not compelling. Reluctant readers may be drawn to the illustrations as well as to the antics of the heroes, but those looking for richer detail will be unsatisfied. Give to fans of Ursula Vernon's "Dragonbreath" series or Jennifer Holm's "Squish" series. VERDICT Recommended for libraries where the other books in this series are popular; an additional purchase elsewhere.—Jenni Frencham, Columbus Public Library, WI "This is a delightful middle school novel with elements of a graphic novel...Graphics are so detailed and the characters so well-developed in picture and text that readers can just join them in the adventure...This novel is sure to please kids who love to read, and it will inspire reluctant readers with its humour and almost constant action. Highly Recommended." ― CM Magazine "An action-packed detective story set in a land of monsters and magic...Give to fans of Ursula Vernon's 'Dragonbreath' series or Jennifer Holm's 'Squish' series." ― School Library Journal "Readers will be drawn into the mystery by the witty remarks of Fizz, who narrates the tale, and the intertwined block text and graphic novel illustrations…This will appeal to both fantasy and mystery readers as magic and technology both play an important role during the story's climax. Fast paced and fun to read." ― School Library Connection "A fun romp through worlds filled with goblins, trolls and elves, ingenious tech and magic, and a nefarious plot to kidnap leading wizards…The graphic novel-style of this series really adds to the storytelling—making the characters as much fun to watch as they are to read about…It's a bubbling cauldron of graphic mystery and laughs…and a great introduction to the mystery genre for younger readers. " ― John Spray Mystery Award Jury Who is meddling with the magic? goblins, trolls, sleuth, robots, technology, noir, dieselpunk, steampunk, cartoon novel goblins, trolls, sleuth, robots, technology, noir, dieselpunk, steampunk, cartoon novel Liam O'Donnell is an author and educator who has created over forty books and graphic novels for young readers, including the Max Finder Mystery, Graphic Guide Adventure and West Meadows Detectives series. He was born in Northern Ireland and came to Canada when he was five years old. He studied media at Ryerson University and has worked on film sets in Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Liam lives in London, Ontario. Mike Deas is an author/illustrator of graphic novels, including Dalen and Gole and the Graphic Guide Adventures series. While he grew up with a love of illustrative storytelling, Capilano College's Commercial Animation Program helped Mike fine-tune his drawing skills and imagination. Mike and his family live on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia.