The Reluctant Assassin (W.A.R.P., 1) - Hardcover

Colfer, Eoin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1423161629 ISBN 13: 9781423161622

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion, 2013

Synopsis

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Review:

In this first book of the W.A.R.P. series, Riley, an evil magician's assistant in Victorian London, slits the throat of a sleeping scientist. Suddenly Riley and the dying man are transported to contemporary London. Chevron, an FBI trainee, befriends Riley. The illusionist, Garrick, is transported to contemporary society and is determined to kill both Riley and Chevron. The chase meanders through disreputable districts in Victorian London populated with seedy inhabitants. Eventually the teens escape Garrick and Chevron returns to his time. This story has spunky and resourceful teens who survive terrifying predicaments, nasty villains, nonstop action, and time travel. Graphic violence leaves very little to the imagination and may be disturbing to sensitive readers. Like Colfer's Artemis Fowl series (Disney-Hyperion), this book has action but is considerably more menacing and sinister. Cynthia D. Schulz, Ph.D., Teacher Librarian, Marysville Getchell High School, Marysville, Washington [Editor's Note: Available in e-book format.] Recommended Library Media Connection"

4Q 5P J S Fans of Eoin Colfer will be excited to read this first book in his new W.A.R.P. (Witness Anonymous Relocation Program) series. Riley, an orphan boy living in Victorian London, is apprenticed to the nefarious Albert Garrick, a magician who has turned from magic to robbery and murder. Garrick would like to initiate a reluctant Riley into the art of murder, but his first victim turns out to be the time-traveling agent of a future FBI witness relocation program. Suddenly, Riley is caught in a time-travel wormhole and transported to modern-day London. There, he meets Chevron Savana, a teen FBI agent, who joins up with him to escape the evil Garrick, who is hot on their heels. One of the most engaging aspects of Colfer's books is the brilliantly witty and imaginative plots that he devises. This book is no exception. The characters are vividly drawn and entertaining, particularly Chevron, a rebellious, punk rock FBI agent who is always breaking the rules. Garrick is a superbly menacing villain and Riley, the spunky street urchin with a heart, is a wonderful foil. Colfer also incorporates some steampunk elements into the setting, which amps up the appeal. Fans of his other books will love this new addition and eagerly await the next installment in the series.-Jan Chapman. VOYA"

The FBI is using time-travel technology to hide witnesses in the nineteenth century until they can be safely returned for trial in the twenty-first, and Chevie Sovano, a seventeen-year-old agent, has been temporarily assigned to the Witness Anonymous Relocation Program in London and charged with the tiresome job of keeping watch over a long-disused portal. It's on her shift, though, that a pair of men come plunging through from 1898-assassin Albert Garrick and his reluctant young apprentice, Riley, who had been caught in the act of murdering a scientist, and not just any scientist but one who possessed a Timekey. Riley makes it through unscathed, but Garrick has melded with expiring time-traveling scientist Dr. Smart: now Garrick has all the cunning from past career as an illusionist, all the darkness of his assassin's heart, and all of Smart's knowledge of the twenty-first century. Sounds like the kind of evil guy who'd use his attributes to rule the world, and it's up to Chevie and Riley, who head up this new series, to stop him. Our teenaged heroes are a likable pair and a canny tag team, but it's the villains who shine in this series opener. Garrick is blackguard enough to anchor the drama single-handed, but even he is upstaged at points by Otto Malarkey, king of the Battering Rams street gang, and Tibor Charismo, a Victorian cultural celebrity credited with writing the James Bond novels (Commander James Bond of Her Majesty's Navy) and composing Pinkus Floyd's Another Brick in Yonder Wall. Riley and Chevie part company at tale's end and return to their home centuries in triumph, but a minor character emerges from the murk to indicate that W.A.R.P. has depths still to be plumbed in Book Two and beyond. Artemis Fowl (BCCB 7/01) fans will cheer to see Colfer return at the top of his game. EB BCCB"

) Readers mourning the end of the Artemis Fowl series can take heart: this first book in the time-bending W.A.R.P. series is an all-out blast. And its stars-17-year-old Chevie Savano, a quasi-disgraced FBI agent (of sorts), and Riley, the reluctant young assassin of the title-are every bit as dynamic as Artemis and Holly. After a bungled mission, Chevie has been sent to London where she is "babysitting a metal capsule," which she learns is one end of a wormhole to the year 1898, when Riley (and a corpse) materialize, direct from the Victorian era. Riley has been raised by Albert Garrick, a magician turned killer-for-hire; as Garrick follows Riley to the present day, intent on changing the course of history, Riley and Chevie must use every bit of their expertise to take him down. Colfer blends grisly moments of horror, sharply funny dialogue, science fiction spectacle, and characters with depth to create a story that strikes the ideal balance between escapist fun and thoughtful commentary on the ways history, both personal and global, can shape a person. Ages 10 up. PW"

Gr 8 Up Seventeen-year-old FBI agent Chevron Savano thought her time in London would be an exercise in boredom, but between dead scientists, scrappy would-be assassins, and a malevolent Victorian illusionist, boredom may be the least of her worries. The FBI's Witness Anonymous Relocation Program (W.A.R.P.) where time travel is used to hide witnesses in other times has gone horribly wrong. Fourteen-year-old Riley must kill or be killed by his assassin master, but the teen is spared when his target turns out to be from the future and he's inadvertently transported from Victorian times to present-day England. Unfortunately, the orphan's murderous master, Albert Garrick, follows the boy, and his trip through the portal gives him knowledge and abilities that only make him more dangerous than ever. Garrick will do everything in his power to reclaim his apprentice and the Timekey that Chevie possesses. This science-fiction thriller provides readers with a breathless ride through modern and Victorian Londons as these two resourceful teens struggle to stay alive and one step ahead their pursuer. This offering is darker, bloodier, and much more serious in tone than the author's popular "Artemis Fowl" series (Hyperion). It may not be for the faint of heart, but the intricate plot, strong writing, and intrepid characters who must survive by their wits will make it hard to put down. Readers who enjoy Anthony Horowitz's "Alex Rider" series (Philomel) and Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan (S & S, 2009) are sure to enjoy this nonstop adventure. Stephanie Whelan, New York Public Library SLJ"

Magic and murder kick off this new series about former illusionist Albert Garrick and Riley, his 14-yearold apprentice. Add in Chevie Savano, a 17-year-old FBI agent with a chip on her shoulder and a fierce determination to prove herself, and the stage is set for a fast-paced thrill ride. Garrick makes use of magician's secrets to carry out his nefarious tasks, and the FBI employs WARP technology to conceal people in a truly secure witness protection program-the past. Unfortunately, not all of those who are hidden have learned their lesson, and the stakes are amped even higher when Garrick manages to transport himself into the future. By setting the story in both present day and 1898 London, award-winning author Colfer is able to explore the intersection of magic and technology in a clever, double-pronged way. Fairly gruesome murders and mutations, as well as alternating time periods and points of view, keep the action moving. Everything is tied up sufficiently at the end, but Colfer leaves a few threads that can be pulled to further the universe of this fascinating high-octane thriller. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: A new series by the author of the internationally best-selling Artemis Fowl books? Yes, please. - Charli Osborne Booklist"

From the Back Cover:

IT ALL BEGAN WITH THE F.B.I. AND W.A.R.P
Witness Anonymous Relocation Programme
Hiding witnesses in the past protects the future ­- until now . . .

RILEY
is a Victorian orphan, hurtled into the twenty-first century and on the run from his evil master

ALBERT GARRICK,
the terrifying assassin-for-hire pursuing Riley through time, along with

CHEVIE SAVANO,
the FBI's youngest and most impulsive special agent.

As Garrick relentlessly hunts them down, Riley and Chevie face a desperate race to stay alive and stop Garrick from returning to his own time - armed with knowledge and power that could change the world forever.

About this edition

• Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1423161629
• ISBN 13: 9781423161622
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 341