“It was cold in the great chamber; bitter cold.”

From Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell’s The Edge Chronicles: Vox.

After being shot out of the sky and landing in Screetown, Librarian Knight Rook is left with no other option but to try to make his way back to Undertown on foot. When he arrives in Undertown, Rook expects his troubles to be over, but he soon finds himself in danger and then captured by slave traders. Struggling with a head injury, Rook is heartbroken to be one of many purchased by Hestera Spikesap and taken to the Palace of Statues, where Vox Verlix lives. While all the other slaves have their memories completely erased, Rook is able to hold on to a few memories and his identity. Pretending to be the mindless slave Hestera expects him to be, Rook soon finds himself allowed access to various areas. Rook’s search for information and escape leads to him stopping an assassination attempt on Vox’s life, and ultimately his freedom. When Vox informs Academic Librarian Cowlquape of a escape plan for the Librarians trapped in Undertown, Rook quickly finds himself drawn into a dangerous game of deception and power that threatens to change everything, but Rook’s distrust of Vox pushes him to seek the truth, no matter the cost.

This fantastical adventure series is built of several character-following trilogies put together to create a complete world. The illustrations scattered throughout the book highlight characters and places that are definitely odd, but it also seamlessly creates the foundation for the highly imaginative world. As the second book in the Rook Trilogy, Vox creates a captivating story that will instantly pull readers into the action-packed fantasy world of The Edge Chronicles.