A Box of Gargoyles

Maya and Valko #2

by Anne Nesbet

Sometimes it’s just when you think everything’s finally all right with the world that the gargoyles come looking for you . . . . . Maya is starting to feel at ease in the magical old town of Paris, and she’s enjoying her friendship with Valko Nikolov. But then strange things begin to happen in the city. Stone gargoyles are showing up where they shouldn’t be, and Maya is being followed by a shadow. That shadow–or the magician he used to be–is behind the dark magic that ripples throughout Paris. And now he has bound Maya to make him whole again–even if that means trading her life for his.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Adventure, Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult, Contemporary

368 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2013

Reviews

[Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anne Nesbet is a writers' writer; her language is bright and sinuous and yearns to be read out loud. I don't have any kids, and my husband eschews reading out loud and also being read to, so I need to rent some kids to read this too. Or adults. The great thing about A Box of Gargoyles, like its predecessor The Cabinet of Earths, is that the writing can enthrall the pickiest of adult readers and the story carry along the most jaded middle grader. Gargoyles, magic stone eggs, places between universes, the danse macabre, and a boatload of feisty, smart, fun characters. Highly recommended, much loved. A new classic.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I liked this book better than the first one. The pacing was better, and there was a new enjoyable supporting character. I also enjoyed the use of Bulgarian mythology, although I felt like more could have been done with that, besides just using the Bulgarian names.

This book seemed to leave a number of unresolved plot holes and unanswered questions, and it felt like the story wrapped up too quickly and neatly. The amount of dangling plot threads (that did not appear to be dangling in order to lead into another sequel) made me want to rate this book three stars, but because I overall just enjoyed the story and characters, I went with four stars.

An adventurous and entertaining MG fantasy story, but not, perhaps, a good example to use in a writing class to show how plot threads should be resolved.

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really solid sequel to Cabinet of Earths. I like that Maya is not the typical feisty girl hero and that Valko is such a pragmatic foil. I enjoyed the weaving in of Bulgarian folklore (and yogurt) and the introduction of the quirky Pauline Vian. I could have done with a little more light and shade - Maya spends the entire book being worried and stressed - and maybe some more of characters from the previous book like James and Louise who are very much sidelined. Though the plot was complex, what's happening gets discussed naturally several times to make sure we get it. I also appreciated the quick review of the previous book, which was a little clunky, but helpful for those of us who forget what happens in books a week after we have read them.

[Elevetha · Rating 2 out of 5]

*DNF at 143 pages*

This held precisely 0% of my interest from page 1. Life is just too short to read that kind of books. But I don't really have anything to complain about, besides my total and utter indifference. It was a tad weird and confusingly written, but hey, I've read and enjoyed some really weird stuff, so...

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

how do you take the absolute most awesome parts of a YA fantasy novel and only lightly sprinkle them in the tale, then try loading the end with amazingness? seriously?!?!? gargoyles and another-creature-i-won't-name that are barely utilized? shite on that! OK, breathe... Maya and Valko's latest (last?) adventure is surely fast-paced and frenetic and fun... Maya is a great female lead, and she acts her age (happy and scared and strong and worried and confused, all in the same 5 minutes), AND doesn't get all moony for the boy (total HUGE bonus for that!)... Valko is funny and smart, but never steals the show from Maya... several side characters are quite intriguing, especially Baba Silva, and they could have been used to make this creepier... the use of French and Hungarian terms was spot-on and added some otherness to the narrative... i felt much more could have been done with Maya's family history of magicalness, and i thought the Shadow-Fournier thing was too absent until late, when it/he got all "am i ghost, evil monster, 8 year old boy, or devil in darkness?" which was confusing and too easily solved/ended... AND why weren't the gargoyles and the other creaturey thing used more? GARGOYLES! A CREATUREY THING! how much more quintessentially magical fantasy can you get?!?!? a good YA thriller-mystery-comingofage that came up short on details and emotional oomph! like an egg, i guess, neat in itself, but not as neat as what could be inside...

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Appropriate for: age 12+

Started off a bit slow but was good.

[Miss Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Not quite as good as the first, but I admire Nesbet's sense of atmosphere.

I wish more was explained in terms of the magic. Unsatisfied with the character interactions. I dislike when parents are either ineffectual or oblivious to the struggles of their children or the fact that their children are in mortal danger.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great follow up to the first book. Exciting, imaginative, & clever! Enjoyed this one:)

[Jacqueline P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually a 3.5. The author wrapped up the original story well.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than the first, and in some ways wonderful, mind-expanding, creative. In other ways I found it deeply unsatisfying. The deal with Maya's mother also bothers me deeply.

[Rissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although this book was better than the first, I just felt like it was still a terrible book. I won't knock anyone that enjoyed it. It just wasn't for me.

[Kristen Strocchia · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing problem that kept me guessing until the very end—where it finally unknotted in a beautifully unexpected way.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this sequel to The Cabinet of Earths, which I haven't read at this time, in the bargain section of a new-and-used bookstore I spotted while walking my parents' dog during an unplanned road trip. I literally ran straight into the store, grabbed this book, bought it and ran out without pausing to look around. It's funny how these little strokes of luck happen when you're not looking for them. After a dry spell in terms of finding books I really liked, this one hit me with a fascinating combination of creepy magic, cultural richness, and a neatly crafted character study of adolescent friendship and family ties. Quirky, surprising, laced with crisp dialogue and the charming scenery of Paris, it was, if not the best book I have read this year, by far the most enjoyable of the way-too-many books I was attempting to read at the time.

In the previous book, which (I stress again) I have yet to read, 12-year-old Maya Davidson coped with her mother's serious illness, her family's sudden move from California to France, and trying to fit into a school where everybody speaks a language she doesn't know... not to mention her adorable little brother's abduction by a distantly related wizard named Henri de Fourcroy. This purple-eyed character has stayed young and handsome for 100 years by something to do with a cabinet of earths and something to do with draining the charm of out of children like five-year-old James. But that's all behind Maya now, right?

Well, no. In spite of being vanquished, Fourcroy is only mostly dead. Part of him lives on in the stone wall of the Bulgarian embassy where Maya's best friend, the cheerful and scientifically inclined Valko, lives with his diplomat parents. Another part of Fourcroy is reaching out to Maya from beyond the grave, using letters on enchanted paper and other talismans to compel her to do his evil bidding. And though Maya knows bringing back Fourcroy will mean the end of her, she can't help it thanks to a binding magic that makes her every act of resistance but another step down the "clockwork path" he has set her on.

While the now 13-year-old girl tries to find some wiggle room to escape a nasty fate, waves of strangeness are breaking out in the middle of Paris, spreading twice as far every 137 hours and threatening to envelop the world in chaos. Everything from baked goods to major landmarks is changing shape. Mobs of mesmerized women are bursting forth in song around Maya, singing Bulgarian lyrics that threaten to eat her heart. A shadow in vaguely human form keeps chasing her. And a pair of disturbingly mobile gargoyles have entrusted their egg to her, a responsibility she feels deeply although the egg is also connected somehow with Fourcroy's dastardly plan.

Besides all this, Valko may be taken from her by his scary grandmother, the one with the mole on her face who thinks he is losing touch with his Bulgarianness. Viktor Krum! What will Maya do?

What she does is actually a little mind-blowing. The setting where it happens is delightful in every detail, right down to a dinner party in which a historian of yogurt debates the finer points of vampires with a scatter-brained American authoress. (Fans of bare-chested vampires should be advised, that chapter isn't kind to them.) This is the kind of magic I have hoped to find more of, ever since I started writing book reviews under the motto, "If you like J. K. Rowling, you may also like..." Magic-starved Potterheads, head this way!

Nesbet, a California-based author who also teaches Russian literature and the history of film, has also written a recent book titled The Wrinkled Crown. It too shows signs of being a good pick for kids of all ages looking for a little magic.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

vampiri samodavi, gargoyles that move, stones full of memories, music that brings the dead to life - there is magic in the legends and magic waiting in a choice

Maya has found her way in Paris with the help of Valko – everything is better with a friend. Just as she is willing to recognize a little of the happiness hope brings, strange things begin to happen and Henri de Fourcroy is part of them. He has cast a spell, an enchantment, a bonding? Something is calling Maya and changing the city: perhaps even undoing the world.

Henri, now a shadow is using what is left of his magic to bring himself back to life. The Cabinet of Earths may be gone, but he is sure he can bend the rules of the universe once more. He will only need to convince Maya to give him what he needs – her heart. He knows she will. That is how the magic works now that he has bound her to him. She is his zmey (dragon). All he must do is wait for her to bring the pieces together. He places his memory into a wall for safekeeping, but the wall doesn’t want to think, to know, to feel, to be – that is not what a rock should do. The wall resists. Part of it explodes and the hole that appears it just enough… just enough to give Maya the space to think and choose. She can decide if the dominoes will just fall as they will or if she will resist and create a new pattern.

Maya is caught in the force of the magic, but Valko is not. Together they are aware of things that others are not. They learn about history and heritage. They learn about change and magic. Determinism – physics, choice – magic.

A Box of Gargoyles settles the loose ends left from The Cabinet of Earths. There are always at least two sides of a thing, if not more. It is important to consider each facet, each color, each choice – they are always there. When the time is right you’ll know what to do. It will shine and sparkle like a star. It will feel warm and happy. The music of the world will twinkle with peace.

[Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adored this book's prequel, The Cabinet of Earths. This book felt ... like a somewhat muddled middle book. If it's not a middle book, then the loose ends from the first book are confusing. What happened to the Dauphin and Céleste from the first book? Does Pauline's grandfather have a sinister collection to the mysterious secret society?

It's awesome that Maya is a Halloween baby, but I wish Halloween had been played up a little bit more. (Apparently American-style observances of Halloween have spread into France and other parts of continental Europe.) But that's just my crazy Halloween partiality talking, I suspect.

My main complaint is that it was kind of confusing to figure out what actually happened. The magical narrative was ... odd and somewhat hard to follow.

One other thing I didn't like — the shot at modern vampire/paranormal romance seemed unnecessary and out of place. It worked in Royal Blood, but not so well in a children's book.

[Eric Tandean · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unordered events, weird descriptions, and the peculiar feeling that something is missing makes this book as bizarre as the events in it. When I was reading this book, I felt as if there were a scene that I missed, even though I read every page. Sudden events with no clear descriptions or no understanding of how they happened appeared sporadically in the book. Also, readers may not understand the ideas the author intends to convey in this story. Most things are left unexplained until the very end; the readers might stop in the middle and never find out those things because of the disorderly plot. Despite this, I do applaud the author on the use of creativity within the plot and a satisfying resolution to the eccentric series of events that bug the characters in this book. This book is also a nice conclusion to the series, and has lots of unexpected twists and turns that aid the complex plot. I think not a lot of people may even start this book because the first book was even worse and disorganized. The audience might appreciate this book, though I believe that more people will think it is just okay. In conclusion, this book has many positive aspects within it, but the negative components outweigh those.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The next wonderful book in this series by Anne Nesbet. I enjoyed it very much altho I thought the ending wrapped up a little too perfectly compared to The Cabinet of Earths. Still very recommended tho.

*...And she would be thirteen tomorrow, anyway. She had always liked the number thirteen. It was a magical and courageous number: unique, prime, and with an individual approach to life.*

*A light flickered for a moment in Maya's mother's eyes - an old fire made of more than one thing at once, and seen from far away. The hint of a light, and then it faded again.*

*But here's the hard, true thing: some of us have to go into those woods alone.*

*...It was inconsistent with his basically scientific view of the world, but inconsistency is what makes people people, and not just clever machines soaked in salt water.*

[Brandy Painter · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a rather awkward beginning where there was a strange pretend conversation between Maya and her former self that rehashed the first book longer than was necessary, A Box of Gargoyles took off in a fun and adventurous direction. Readers who enjoyed the first book will want to read this latest installment as Maya has to finish off Henri once and for all. I was disappointed that there wasn't as much interaction between characters. I love Valko and wished for more of him through the entire book. It also felt like there was a little too much going on at times. It is still a fun read and I will certainly be looking for any more that may be coming out. Or anything else Nesbet may write.

[Danica Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am glad I read the first book. Sometimes when you read the second book you can figure out what happened in the first one but that is not the case with this series. Well written for a children's book. I thought the story in the first book was better and the second book kinda dragged on. I did not enjoy the internal monologue between past and future Maya in the first chapter and was thankful it did not go past the first chapter. Can't wait for my son to grow up and see how he likes the series. Will definitely read it to him at night.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author is a little wordy for a kids author. She also uses a lot of big words that I had to stop and explain to my daughter. However despite those setbacks this was a great bedtime storybook.

This second book finds Maya on a "clockwork path" bound to her previously defeated foe magically. With a loophole in the magic giving her some "wiggle room" is what she is doing right? Does she have free will to make her own decisions? Can she stop worrying about her mother and brother?

In the end with the help of friends, gargoyles, and dragons she makes a decision.

[Excalibur Snape · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book ranks right up there with Harry Potter.
I found it better then Harry Potter and the Chamber of secrets.
The main characters names were unique.
It was a wonderful blind of magic and science plus it took place in Paris.
Valok/ science
Maya/ magic
This is a middle school read but it is so good that all ages will enjoy it.
I highly recommend it.
It is the second in the series or trilogy.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maya thinks everything is great and then the strangeness begins. Henri de Fourcroy is not gone or defeate yet. So Maya and Valko have another adventure trying to bring life to some normalcy. Others don't seem to notice the strangeness that grows and repeats every 137 hours. Gargoyles hang out on the fire escape. They leave behind an egg. The story culminates at Pere Lachaise cemetery.

[Andrew Marr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well-written sequel to "A Cabinet of Earths." The steadying presence of Valko helps make life manageable for Maya as she has to cope with the spreading of evil magic emanating for the Bulgarian embassy where it has taken root in Maya's evil great uncle's attempt to reconstitute his life at Maya's expense & the expense of the whole world.

[Roark Anderson · Rating 1 out of 5]

In short this is a worse sequel to a bad first book. I only read it because I bought both at the same time. While the story was incredibly rambling and speculator it was also boring and confusing. Even two books in I still did not like any of the characters and the villain was an absolute bore. The ending was also completely random and made no sense really. Not a book I'm going to recommend.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost better than the first one! Very good! I liked that there was more Valko in this. I also liked seeing Maya be a little stronger. I missed James & the cousin lady (whose name I can't remember) from the 1st book a little. I wouldn't mind having more to this series!

I'm still not entirely sure why it was given this title though!

[Esther Stolley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was as exciting to read as the first book in the series. I plowed through it with as much joy and inability to stop as I did the Harry Potter series long ago. It's been a long time since I've read anything that enticed me so enjoyably through every sentence! I'm looking forward to the next book by this new author.

[Nathan Dehoff]

The villain of the previous book, The Cabinet of Earths, has found a way to return to life, and is using magic to force Maya to help him. Chaotic events that happen on a schedule result in gargoyles appearing and disappearing, ordinary people turning into Bulgarian vampires, and the Eiffel Tower growing roots. What's more, Valko's grandmother wants him to return to Bulgaria to live.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a promising start -- and that was all.

The voices of the characters were not clear. The plot was completely muddled -- and muddied. There was no hook or reason to engage with anyone in this story. So I didn't.

[Gentle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book didn't hold my attention. Maybe it would work better for a kid.

[Cecilia Rodriguez · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot is very simliar to another author's work where the stone statues come to life.

Maya is magically complled to serch for items in Paris.