Bone Quill

Hollow Earth #2

by John Barrowman, Carole E. Barrowman

12-years-old twins Matt and Emily Calder are Animare: they can bring art to life and enter paintings at will. They must do everything in their power to prevent a breach in Hollow Earth: a supernatural place that holds all the demons, devils and creatures ever imagined. The Hollow Earth Society are getting closer to finding the key that will release the beasts: an ancient bone quill whose powers can be only be used by a powerful Animare. The quill has been lost for centuries, but important clues to its whereabouts lie somewhere on the island of Era Mina - as does the entrance to Hollow Earth itself. Matt and Em must find the quill and protect it through their drawings, through certain famous paintings and, ultimately, deep into the mists of time itself. But their lives in the relative safety of Auchinmurn Abbey are thrown into confusion with the arrival of a newcomer who threatens to ruin everything they have worked for. All too soon, the twins are forced to make a terrible choice: save their father, or save the world.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Science Fiction Fantasy, Science Fiction

329 pages, Paperback

First published February 2, 2013

About the author

John Barrowman was born in Scotland, and moved to Illinois when he was eight years old. He is bi-dialectal, doing much of his stage and acting work in his American accent, but speaking with family in his Scottish accent.

He moved back to Britain in 1989 when he was hired to play the lead in Anything Goes. He took on a number of West End roles, including the leads in Sunset Boulevard and Miss Saigon and a dramatic play entitled Rope, while working as a children's television presenter and came back to America briefly to work on short lived shows such as Central Park West and Titans. He then bounced around Broadway, West End and the LA Stage for a number of years before moving back to Britain permanently. He won the role of Captain Jack Harkness in the new Doctor Who series and went on to star as Captain Jack in its adult spin-off Torchwood.

John married Scott Gill, his partner of fifteen years, in December 2006.

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sequel that's better than the first book. It ends on the cliffhanger of all cliffies, so I'm awaiting the third book.

I feel that the Barrowmans have done something really clever in the way they've built up this story. There's a lovely device of introducing characters from the past and then bringing in the device of time travel so that the stories all come together.

I know there's the thing of celebrities writing books that winds some people up, and mostly I agree, yes there are no doubt lots of people out there who write as well or better but never get published, but that applies no matter who the author is. However I feel John Barrowman has done something different, and it's admirable as well as a good business idea, instead of using an uncredited ghost writer who often gets paid a fraction of the money the celeb gets, he's properly collaborated with his sister, who can properly write. I have recommended these books to friends who had discounted them thinking it was just another celebrity rip off.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely should have read book one, Hollow Earth, first but Bone Quill was still a lot of fun. This adventure goes by so fast, but luckily I never completely out of the loop. I'm going to have to catch up on this series in the future.

[Miss Thing · Rating 5 out of 5]

More please :)

[Shannon O'Donnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great sequel--every bit as action-packed and suspenseful as Hollow Earth!! L-O-V-E!!!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second in the Hollow Earth series. I enjoyed the first one enough that I wanted to keep reading the rest of the series. This second one still wants me reading the third, so that is a good thing!

Twins Matt and Em are back again, drawing pictures that come to life. But this time Matt goes off on his own creating conflict that was absent in the first book. The writing is similar, an easy read where you can get into the story and not be bogged down by either too good or too bad writing. The story flows and you care about the characters. The book is not challenging but a good, fast read.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this book gets 3 stars instead of 4 because it had a typical series cliff hanger ending with no closure. I guess I didn't mind the cliff hanger in the first book because there was closure -- here there obviously needs to be another story. It also took me longer to get into but I think that is because I read it immediately after finishing the first book. Once I did get into the story I enjoyed it and was shocked and surprised by some of the plot elements. Enjoyable but I'm tired of series books.

[Alison Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great sequel, now I'm looking forward to the next one.

[El Amethyst · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome!! there are no words to describe the unique ingenious of this story and world!!!

[CaroleHeidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I confess that I only bought the first book in this series to fuel my John Barrowman obsession and didn’t really have very high expectations of it. Then I read it and loved every second and desperately wanted book two already.

Luckily for me, Liberty recieved Bone Quill for review (having borrowed my copy of Hollow Earth and loving it, too) so I didn’t have to wait long before I could borrow it.

I raced through Bone Quill because it was fast-paced and gripping, the story carying on from where it left off at an unrelenting speed.

There was the all the previous excitement of the Animare with added time-travel and the complications that brings to any story.

The two storylines of past and present, previously not directly connected, suddenly become intertwined and the peril notches up several levels. Matt and Emily suddenly find themselves having to choose between their family and the world – a choice no 12 year olds should have to make – and they hit all of the obstacles you would expect, plus a couple of extras (such as flaming Hellhounds).

The world of the Hollow Earth series is beautifully crafted, rich and well-thought out and so carefully described that it is very easy to lose yourself in it and really feel like you are there with the characters. Everything is covered, not just the sights but the smells and sensations – the world-building is one of my favourite things about this series because it is so thorough.

If you liked Hollow Earth then you will love Bone Quill, no second book syndrome here!

[Clarabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Après avoir appris qu'ils étaient les héritiers de dons hors du commun, en tant que Animare et Gardien, les jumeaux Calder, Matt et Emily, ont trouvé refuge chez leur grand-père Renard, dans son manoir sur l'île d'Auchinmurn (au large de l'Écosse).

Leur mère a disparu et leur père a été enfermé dans un tableau. Le danger n'a jamais été aussi proche, mais Matt et Emily n'ont que douze ans et sont donc naturellement prompts à désobéir et minimiser les conséquences de leurs actes.

Cette suite (tome 1 : Le réveil des Créatures) ne faiblit pas et propose le même mode narratif qui avait déjà su m'enthousiasmer : un ton vif et entraînant, des chapitres courts, qui défilent à vitesse de l'éclair, un univers qu'on n'a plus besoin de présenter et qui se développe en proposant des tas de rebondissements !

Et c'est franchement PAL-PI-TANT ! Il est difficile de se détourner une seconde de cette lecture, qui nous capture entre ses filets et ne nous lâche plus avant la toute dernière ligne. Voilà une très bonne série, pour jeunes lecteurs, écrite avec panache et un peu d'humour. Bravo Captain Jack !

[Landon alexander summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Em and Matt Calder are back to save the world. You thought after defeating Tanan and the Hollow Earth Society once that it would be all good, case closed? Ha! You thought wrong! After the incident that ripped through the family, Matt and Em are stuck in a world without animating, which at the moment, meant no drawing, making art, or coloring of any kind until they could get their powers under control. But do you think that will stop them? Of course not, because in a book, do main characters usually do what their told what to do? So in a trip to 19th Century London, Zach is separated from Matt and Em, so Matt and Em use water skis to chase after him, accidently scaring some fisherman, and Zach almost gets killed. Typical time-travel. When the group comes back, all the adults are angry. Except Sandie. Did I mention she disappeared? Oh, and a book filled with monsters is close to being unleased, which would overrun the world with monsters. So, the sum up the situation, it’s pretty bad. The second book in the Hollow Earth series will sure to keep you on edge.

[Iris Halliez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally loved this book, it's a great read for everyone regardless of age. It was captivating from the very start and I was glued to it until the very end. I read it in one sitting. It's fast paced and exciting with lots of suspense, mystery and gripping adventure, great characters and many unexpected turns. I was most intrigued by the sinister forces and mixture of myth, fable and fantastical vision. As in the first instalment fiction is linked in a great way with real places and artwork which I enjoyed very much. I already loved Hollow Earth but enjoyed Bone Quill even more. I was thrilled to learn more about the Calder Twins and their fascinating powers and their enemies. I think the concept of the Animare with their ability to bring art to life and enter paintings at will is brilliant and totally unique and I was thoroughly entertained. I wish there were more quality books like this! I can't wait for the next instalment. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

[Anja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as good as the first installment, but still great, entertaining, and fun. Confusing from time to time, all those switching back and forth in time made my brains tingle ^^ It wasn't always gripping, some parts dragged a little bit. The thrilling ending made up for the slow parts, though.
Loved the setting and the imaginative world, loved the protagonists (esp. Solon and Zach ❤️), loved how the plot developed. The evil cliffhanger, however, I didn't like that much... which is why I'm off to read the third and final book in this trilogy right now.

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was a fantastic read. just like the first one (hollow earth) it was full of excitement and adventure. at one point i knew what was going to happen but the suspense to get there was well worth it. but the ending had me in tears.

i only hope there is a third part and as soon as its out i'm getting it.

the characters where so realistic and honest. i felt their feelings and saw what they did.

loved it.

[Kris Padget · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is so imaginative. I really enjoyed the first book 'Hollow Earth' and 'Bone Quill'was even better. Matt & Em's journey is full of twists & turns and some darker adventures than I would expect. The way the plot skewed at the end was a surprise that wasn't totally unexpected but definitely welcomed. Life is complicated, even more so when you have magical abilities. The cliffhanger has me desperate for the rest of the series!

[Rainb0warri0r · Rating 4 out of 5]

Degno seguito che mantiene intatto il ritmo concitato, la curiosità, il fascino dell'ambientazione, l'originalità dell'intreccio. Non solo si presenta all'altezza del primo libro, evitando l'effetto "sequel", ma amplia anche l'ambientazione e la storia, introducendo nuovi elementi, come il viaggio nel tempo. Per finire con un altro cliffhanger.

[Amy Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant just the like first book they wrote the ending is a cliff hanger...

[Debra Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely a fantastic adventure. Loved every word. And the time travel added a great touch the the kids Animare abilities. Can't want for the last installment to the trilogy.

[Tianna Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! It kept me wanting to read more and more! I couldn't put it down! I can't wait for the next book to come out! A wonderful series! Absolutely fantastic!

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

the second rethrough was better than the first. i missed a few things that made more sense now that i have read it again. still could not put book down at the end.

[Thoiba Malik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bone Quill evokes the magical atmosphere that fans of the Harry Potter series will undoubtedly appreciate, yet it stands out with its simplicity and accessibility. The plot flows smoothly, making it easy to follow without losing its sense of wonder and adventure. Among the characters, while Matt's determination to fix his family and his entanglement with the timeline adds tension, I find Em more compelling. Her grounded nature and focus on the present make her a refreshing contrast, allowing the reader to experience the journey without the weight of overly dramatic decisions. Overall, this book was an enjoyable and engaging read that captivated me with its charm.

[Mieneke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last week I reviewed the first book in the Hollow Earth series, which I really enjoyed. The second book, Bone Quill, was just as big a treat as the first book was, perhaps even more so as some of the elements I enjoyed in the first book had a larger role in this book and we got to see more of the adults and their history. As this is book two in a series and this book starts where the previous book leaves off and deals with the fall out of that earlier book, it is impossible to discuss Bone Quill without giving spoilers for Hollow Earth. If you want to remain unspoiled it would be wisest to not read any further.

The biggest new element in the story is Em and Matt's discovery that they cannot just animate themselves into a painting, they can actually time travel using the paintings. This is quite a cool application of Animare powers I'd never had thought of in the last book. Imagine all the possibilities of such an ability! Of course, Em, Matt, and Zach do and they have quite the adventure. Bored out of their minds after having been confined to the Abbey grounds after the events in the last books, Matt decides to animate himself into a painting of Victorian London to alleviate his boredom, something expressly forbidden by his grandfather and Simon. I loved the short adventure the kids had in the Victorian age, which focused on the awful living conditions of the poor and on the dangers of Victorian society for a deaf boy, but I did have some trouble with Matt's all but black-mailing Em and Zach into accompanying him. It's something he does repeatedly and mostly without any lasting repercussions and I just wish Em and Zach would just stand up to him for once as he can be a bit of a bully.

The twins' time travelling ability also creates a far closer connection to the storyline set in the Middle Ages. I enjoyed the fact that we learned more about what happened to Solon and the larger role he has to play in this book. The closer interaction also meant we get more background on the history of the Hollow Earth and also on the Calder family background. Their connection to Era Mina turns out to go far further back than I'd expected. The mythology of the world is developed further as well and I really enjoyed learning the full background to the myth of the peryton. However, it does highlight in a rather direct way the tendency of the narrative to lean towards a black and white delineation between good and evil. You have the beneficent creatures such as the peryton and the good Animare and Guardians – Brother Renard, the Abbot, Grandpa Renard, and Simon to name a few – and the evil creatures, such as the Grendel, the black peryton, and the hell hounds and the evil-intentioned Animare and Guardians, such as the twins' father, several of the members of the Council of Guardians, some of the medieval monks and Mara. There are only a few grey characters in the story, even if those include our protagonists, especially Matt.

As in Hollow Earth, my main frustration was that the twins, mainly Matt, make decisions and take actions that were rather infuriating. In some ways their choices are understandable, but at the same time they are quite hair-tearingly frustrating and rather dumb. But as I said in my Hollow Earth review that has to be my parent brain thinking, because I know at that age I wouldn't have blinked at such behaviour. The addition of the character of Carik, a Viking girl who stowed away as a warrior on the raiders' ship was a welcome one to the medieval timeline. She's different and brave and quite unexpected. Another intriguing addition was Duncan Fox. The founder of the original (non-sinister) Hollow Earth Society makes an appearance and does so in grand style. It does have to be said that the Barrowmans aren't afraid to shock young readers by killing off characters; blood flows and lives are lost in this book and show that where there is struggle there will be consequences.

Bone Quill, like Hollow Earth, was a compelling adventure. However, as it does have somewhat of a cliff hanger ending with no real resolution, it doesn't stand alone at all. Of course this is only the second in a series of books, so I'll just have to be patient until the next book is released. In many ways the Hollow Earth series reminds me of the books I loved when I was of middle grade age and I know that eleven-year-old me would have adored this series. And I'm sure that the middle-graders of today will love it as well.

This book was provided for review by the publisher.

[Nessa [October Tune] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3,5 - I am not sure how I found out about this series, perhaps from a tweet from one of the authors (John Barrowman, who I followed because he played Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who and Torchwood), but I knew that I wanted to read it because I thought the summary was quite interesting. I bought the first book, and was pleasantly surprised, even though it was a book written for children I enjoyed it very much. It wasn't the best story I've ever read, but I did like it enough to want to read the rest of the series.

Bone Quill starts off, I think, a couple of days after the events from Hollow Earth. The twins are under house arrest while the grown ups search for their mother. I didn't really remember anything that happened in the previous book, because it'd been a while since I've read that. But luckily, there was a sort of 'previously on...' page in front of the book. I am going to start a petition to force every author to do this at the beginning of their sequels, because that would save so much precious (re)reading time! (Of course, rereading a book is not that bad, but if you just want to start the sequel without having to reread the rest of the series, a 'previously on...' page would come in handy).

I liked the story in this book very much, loved how the twins started to find out their powers were much more than they had thought they were. They found out they can sort of travel back in time through paintings, and they also find out they are not the only ones who can do this. We learn more about the island, and about the events that happened in the middle ages after the vikings attacked. We are introduced to some new characters, and we see most of the older characters again which I liked (I really liked Zach and Jeannie).

This book was still a multiple POV story, and it was still a bit confusing whose pov the story was being told from sometimes. Because like with the previous book it sometimes seemed like the chapter was from Em's POV, and then it would change to Zach's POV sentences later. I did get used to this a bit more thanks to the previous book, but it was also still a bit annoying in my opinion. Also of course the story happens in two places - or I should say two times - at once. Present day (with Em and Matt) and the middle ages (with Solon), and I liked that. They eventually met each other near the end of the story, thanks to the twins being able to travel through time and I really hope they'll meet each other more often.

In the end, I liked Bone Quill and I will definintely be reading the third book in the series, because I just want to know how the story ends. It ended with a kind of cliffhanger, and I HATE CLIFFHANGER GODDAMNIT! Ugh. Yeah, will definitely be reading The Book of Beasts soooooooooon-ish.

My opinion on this book in one gif:

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Woah! If there was one thing that I was not expecting from this series, it was time travel. This does not change the fact that the plot of Bone Quill hinges entirely on it.

For the first half of the book, I honestly felt let down. The sudden new ability infuriated me for some reason (more on that later).

I put it down and went away for a few months (exams and the Blood of Olympus are to blame for this)...

When I picked it up again, everything got moving. In my Hollow Earth review, I mentioned that the characters were realistic, and that struck me again in this one. Matt is rash. He doesn't always think before he acts. Instead of this being annoying, I actually found it heartbreaking, especially towards the end. No matter how hard he tried, he just kept making things worse, and this is partly because none of the adults ever gave him the full story about his father. The revelation that the entire plot was all his fault was awful, not because it was a surprise, but because it confirmed my worst fears. I know they say that they cannot bind a child, but Matt has single-handedly endangered the stability of the universe. Now, I need the The Book of Beasts because all I can think is "they won't bind him...will they?" I feel terribly sorry for Em, seriously, this was a terrible book for her. Everything that happened seemed designed to destroy her. Zach...there wasn't nearly enough of him in this book (I am totally biased because he's one of my favourite characters but still...). I loved the new additions of Solon and Carik, so I really hope that they team up with Matt in the next book. That doesn't mean that I don't want some focus to remain on Em and Zach though.

Above, I mentioned that the new ability infuriated me. It came out of nowhere, I mean, it's never happened to them before, so why now? By the end of the book, I realised that it was 100% necessary and, I'll be honest, this new time travel plot has messed with my head in the same way that TimeRiders does, so I love it.

The end smelt suspiciously of plot convenience to me (I'm looking at you, Jeannie!), but I'm still really excited for the final book! Just don't bind Matt...please...

[Kyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sequel to Hollow Earth is enrapturing from the start, and we soon figure out that there is a whole lot more to this story than first thought. Solon's story, dated in the middle ages, finally begins to make sense when we realise that Matt and Emily have one amazing animare power fairly early on in the book. Every aspect of the plot from then on is driven by this realisation to enable a very complex and interesting story. The children find themselves in much more grave situations than before, and finally all the tiny pieces of information that we have been fed are culminating and turning into action. This is a whole lot darker than the previous installation.

As this is the second book of the series, you can expect a few plot twists, as well as a gaping cliffhanger, the likes of which I'm not sure I want to even live with. The story has a great pace and the characters develop slightly by coming into themselves as individuals instead of brother and sister. The writing was a nice surprise for me. The first book felt a little young for me, but this book was more complex and filled with more action and less getting-away-from-adults-because-they-can. I liked the change and thought it actually added more to the story as a whole.

A good, fast-paced read, suitable for teens but also for adults who love a bit of YA fiction.

[Jenevieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review first published on My Blog. Check out all my reviews there!

The second book in the Hollow Earth trilogy by John & Carole E. Barrowman. Matt and Em are just learning more and more about their powers, their family history, their father, and Book of Beasts that was created to keep the most dangerous creatures of myth and legend away from the rest of the world. At the same time, they are worried sick and trying to find any trace of where there mother has disappeared to. Clues start to point that she has ended up in the past and by accident, the twins end up there as well. The reunion ends with their realizing that there are things even further in the past that need to be settled to keep the world safe but in a misguided effort to make things right, Matt manages to unbind his father from the painting his mother and grandmother put him into when the twins were young. Unfortunately, Matt does not understand just how dangerous and psychotic his father is until he is released from the painting in the past and starts doing absolutely anything to be able to open Hollow Earth....

Usually the second book takes a bit of a nosedive in a trilogy but this one kept up the same pace and moved the story along very nicely. I'm really glad I already had the last book in the series in the wings waiting.

[Erikka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was equal to, if not better than, the first book. I enjoyed the time travel element (seriously, could I expect anything left from Jack freakin' Harkness?), I still love the characters, and the ending leaves plenty of questions for the third book.

One thing I like about these books is that they don't "child" it down at all. The characters are more developed and flawed than in other books for this age group (4th-6th grade, which I'm assuming is the target audience), the plot is complex and will make young readers think, and the vocabulary may actually require them to look some things up (especially in terms of Medieval dress and customs).

The only negative I see, and it's one that bothers me in many many books for this age group, is the "one impulsive kid making a stupid decision that screws everyone over" trend. When I want to become an Animare just so I can animate myself in the book and strangle a character, I get a bit frustrated. Seriously, this is why I don't work with this age group--they don't think things through! I can't deal with that kind of shortsightedness.

I look forward to the third book to see what's going to happen to the Animares, Guardians, and the fate of Hollow Earth and Era Mina.

[Friend of Pixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We thought this was the first book in the series, but it's the second. Oh we'll. No wonder we were so confused by the prologue! But once into the book, we enjoyed it. This fantasy/time-travel story alternates between modern times at a monastery on a Scottish island and the Middle Ages at the same monastery. Logan liked the medieval parts best. I (mama) liked all the references to real paintings and the idea that the artists (like Van Gogh, Seurat, and Turner) were Animare; people who can animate paintings into real life. There is a Hollow Earth web site that shows or has links to the paintings that appear in the books. The book ends at a real cliff hanger. It feels like pages have been ripped out of the back! Unfortunately, the next book isn't out and I can find no mention of it anywhere, so no idea if or when we'll be able to find out what happened.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never given it much of my time to think about stories picking up right where we left off. With Bone Quill, it turned out I happened to like it. A lot. It made it possible to get straight to action and we get rewarded with one cliffhanger after the other!

On top of that, we get to know a great deal more about the characters and their history (some are REALLY surprising!!!). And as I kinda hoped for, we get to spend much more time at the Abbey and its surroundings during the Middle Ages.

And Barrowman wouldn’t be Barrowman if there wasn’t something wicked like time travelling involved! *JACK HARKNESS MOMENT*

The missing pieces of the puzzle fell into place, but now what…?
A wonderful sequel, wich makes you long for more!