Book Review: Grey Griffins: The Clockwork Chronicles #1: The Brimstone Key by Derek Benz and Jon S. Lewis

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (June 7, 2010)
Website:http://www.greygriffins.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/greygriffins?v=wall
Buy the book:  Amazon
Series: The Clockwork Chronicles (There is another series of Grey Griffins books, but it's not necessary to read them to enjoy this series) 

A brand new adventure starring The Grey Griffins!
Max---the leader
Natalia---the brains
Ernie---the changeling
Harley---the muscle

A year ago, the Grey Griffins were just regular kids from Avalon, Minnesota. That was before they learned about the existence of evil fairies, werewolves, and other things that go bump in the night. Now they are monster-hunters, celebrated heroes, and allies to the legendary Templar knights---but even heroes have to go to school.

When the Griffins enroll at Iron Bridge Academy, a school to train young recruits in the fight against the forces of evil, they find themselves at the center of a whole new adventure. The Clockwork King, a Templar foe from days past, has returned to finish the plan he set in motion decades ago. A plot to steal the souls of changelings---humans infused with fairy blood and supernatural abilities---in order to power his army of clockwork war machines.

In The Brimstone Key, authors Derek Benz and J.S. Lewis deftly blend the mystical wonder of steampunk with magic and adventure to create an action-packed thrill ride.

In this book there is Ernie, or as he is most commonly known as Agent Thunderbolt, and he is AWESOME and also a changeling. Natalia is a person who does not like to flirt or try and look cute or pretty she likes being who she is and nothing else. She likes to solve mysteries and figure thing out. She was betrayed by Athena, her used-to-be friend so she does not trust many girls. Max lives at his grandma's house and his parents are dead or they have been missing for many years. He is trying to figure out which and see what the codex really does and how to use it. Harley I don't know much about but he is struggling at home with his parents and money and he is a bit dramatic sometimes.

Ernie, Natalia, Max, & Harley all go on a adventure to get back lost changelings that have been stolen by the evil Von Strife before he puts them into Clockworks and uses them to free his daughter from the shadow lands. The key to the Shadow Lands is The Brimstone Key. They race to find it before Von Strife.

I loved this book! My favorite place in Iron Bridge Academy is the Sim Chamber. It is a place where holographic stuff comes to life! Changelings mostly go in the Sim Chamber. MY favorite character in this book is Ernie Tweenie or, as me and him like to call him, Agent Thunderbolt. He is awesome and he is cool and he is sometimes funny. He can run super fast and he has a very big appetite so he likes to eat ALL the time. My favorite place out of Iron Bridge Academy is the place where the Brimstone Key is. But since that is into the book so i won't tell you what it is called or where it is.

My eight year old brother really loved this book too. His favorite part was the fight with the Dreadnaught, which is a giant clockwork creature. Of course he liked the battle scenes! The book was a little hard for him to read, so my mom read it to him.

I would REALLY recommend this book to any one who reads this blog.