The Legend of the Rift

Seven Wonders #5

by Peter Lerangis, Torstein Norstrand (Illustrator)

This is the epic final installment of the series. This edition begins right after Aly has been kidnapped by King Uhla'ar and pulled back into Atlantis. The rift is guarded by a behemoth, and Aly simply cannot be rescued easily. Frantic, the kids come to believe that their only hope is to find the rest of the lost Loculi in order to rescue Aly. With that, it’s off to the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, where they have to face down the armies of Artemis, and then to the Lighthouse of Alexandria, where they wind up in the belly of an unimaginable beast. And then finally, back to the Karai Institute for a final trip back to Atlantis to save Aly, the world, and themselves.

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

440 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2016

About the author

Lerangis's work includes The Viper's Nest and The Sword Thief, two titles in the children's-book series The 39 Clues, the historical novel Smiler's Bones, the YA dark comedy-adventure novel wtf, the Drama Club series, the Spy X series, the Watchers series, the Abracadabra series, and the Antarctica two-book adventure, as well ghostwriting for series such as the Three Investigators, the Hardy Boys Casefiles, Sweet Valley Twins, and more than forty books in the series The Baby-sitters Club and its various spin-offs.[1] He has also written novels based on film screenplays, including The Sixth Sense, Sleepy Hollow, and Beauty and the Beast, and five video game novelizations in the Worlds of Power series created by Seth Godin.[2] As a ghostwriter he has been published under the name A. L. Singer.[3]
Lerangis is the son of a retired New York Telephone Company employee and a retired public-elementary-school secretary, who raised him in Freeport, New York on Long Island. He graduated from Harvard University with a degree in biochemistry, while acting in musicals[4] and singing with and musically directing the a cappella group the Harvard Krokodiloes,[5][6] before moving to New York. He worked there as an actor[7] and freelance copy editor for eight years before becoming an author.[8]
In 2003, Lerangis was chosen by First Lady Laura Bush to accompany her to the first Russian Book Festival, hosted by Russian First Lady Lyudmila Putina in Moscow.[9][10]Authors R. L. Stine (Goosebumps) and Marc Brown (the Arthur the Aardvark series) also made the trip with Bush.[9]
Also in 2003, Lerangis was commissioned by the United Kingdom branch of Scholastic to write X-Isle, one of four books that would relaunch the Point Horror series there.[11] A sequel, Return to X-Isle, was published in 2004.
In 2007, Scholastic announced the launch of a new historical mystery series called The 39 Clues, intended to become a franchise.[12] Lerangis wrote the third book in the series, The Sword Thief, published in March 2009.[13][14][15] On March 3, 2009, Scholastic announced that Lerangis would write the seventh book in the series, The Viper's Nest.[14][16]
Lerangis lives in New York City with his wife, musician Tina deVaron, and their sons Nick and Joe.[17]

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the last book in the Seven Wonders series and it starts off where the last one ended. I like when books do this. You don't feel like you missed anything. Aly has been taken through the rift and it's up to Jack, Marco, Eloise and Cass to find the last 2 Loculi and save her. Eloise ends up being a great addition to the team. Her wit and innocence is refreshing. The gang travels to the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus where they meet a most unfortunate man and a group of Amazons. Then onto the Lighthouse of Alexandria where they meet a giant underwater creature. The action is nonstop and Marco and Eloise make you laugh constantly. Everything comes together nicely at the end and I really like how the author ended things. He may have left an opening for further adventures, but that may be just my wishful thinking. I have highly enjoyed the whole series and the wonderful history behind the Seven Wonders of the World.

[Misty · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK, so I hadn't read this series in over 2 years, so it was a bit hard for me to remember what happened in the previous books. I remembered some of the characters, but some were lost to me. The plot/story eventually came to me.

This was a decent ending to the series. The whole book's focus was getting the last two Loculi and getting Aly back. Aly didn't appear in this book at all until well past 300 pages and basically was non existent when she was on the pages. The scene between the rift seemed pretty fast and boring to say the least. I wanted more action in that sequence!!!

I guess it ended the way it should have. I don't want to give away what happens at the end, but I feel like I got gypped or at least I think the kids in this book did.

Overall, it was a fun series to read.

[John Ross]

Check out the cover!



#FiveIsTheNewSeven

[maysri??? · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really want to know if Jack ends up with Aly

[Lily · Rating 2 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT! DO NOT READ IF YOU HANE NOT READ BOOK YET!
After five great books, I thought the ending was a little disappointing. Everyone except the select forget what happened. It was like those disappointing endings where the main character wakes up and it was all just a dream. I would have giving this book a four if it weren't for the ending.

[Eve O. Spellman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh... my... goodness. This book is not a good one. First off the 46, and 55 chapters stank. I mean it was like he couldn't think of what to put here. So he just tied the ends up. Really?

It still stank.

[Jdtolbert2003yahoo.com · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wrapped up the series. I must say I was disappointed in how it ended. The loculi were destroyed in ancient Alantis so the GW7 gene never took affect. Jack, Cass, Marco, Alley and Eloise all remembred each other though no one else seemed to remember. No one died of the GW7. No Messa were created. Etc.

I have a lot of problems with this. If the whole reason Jack, Cass, Marco and Alley were brought together evaporated then they wouldn't remember each other. Also, the infulx of survivors of the GW7 gene would have changed the course of history. Prodgies in science, math etc would have all made a significiant impact on the world.

The seven wonders would not have existed because Masserem(sp, I know) didn't have a reason to build them and more importantly fund them.

[Sai Fer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved the whole series!... Though... I'm not so into with its ending, I end up re-reading the last chapter just to make sure it did end like that. But still KUDOS to the author for such a wonderful series!

[Logan Parsons]

an epic conclusion to the series. really enjoyed it!

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is so much fun to listen to

[Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this series overall, but I felt like the last book was a bit of a letdown. It left me feeling like the author got tired of the plot or wasn't quite sure how to get the ending he wanted, so it got wrapped together really quickly (and loosely) and served up like a grilled cheese sandwich when I wanted a gourmet panini. It wasn't terrible, just wasn't what I'd hoped it would be. It seems like we were getting to know more about Jack's dad, and intimations that we might see more development of his mom's character, but nope, nothing really on either. Torquin gets taken over by the evil queen's spirit...what happens to him after they come back to normal time!? No mention. Aly is virtually written out of the book. Herostratus gets hurriedly dumped after trying to develop a character. Dimitrios, the nasty Massa monk? Hurriedly offed with little fanfare. Are we ever going to see Jack face down the hometown bully that keeps getting brought up? Mmm, nah. Two gigantic beasties at the same time? Let's hurry and have them take each other out, save time. Two loculi acquired in minimal time, no biggie. Again, I liked the book fine, really liked the series, but upon finishing this last one, I just felt very underwhelmed and disappointed.

[Rubi · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO much happens in this book!
In the previous book, Jack, Cass and Marco have lost Aly in a time rift back to Atlantis. Jack miraculously convinces the Massa and KI to work together, bringing the deaths and contant fighting to a brief halt. With both groups helping, the kids find the final two loculi, but a hiccup in the loculi's power sends them into the rift after Aly.
The old King who took her remembers what happened to his home and this time sides with Karai...the Queen also cursed by her younger son finally figures out her part in Atlantis's destruction and she too helps stop Massayrm.
It was a rollercoaster of a events, but in the end (at first) I felt let down a little. The kids destroy the Loculi in ancient Atlantis, the island already doomed, and Jack wakes up at home, his parents non the wiser. It seems the island did not completely sink and was turned into a Jurassic Park style attraction. Many loves were saved but nobody but Jack seems to remember all the events fhat transpired!
At least he still have a way to contact the other Selects and a reunion seems to be planned so they can finally celebrate their well deserved victory and the fact that they will LIVE! woo hoo!
P.s. Jack is very happy to not be a King lol

[Omkar K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good book to finish off the series. The end is like every other book with a bad guy, and a good guy. However the last couple pages after they defeat the bad guy is kind of like a cliffhanger because it introduces a new world where the main character is a normal regular person, and just ends without any extra information, or without an explanation of how that happened. This book has a lot of twists and unexpected events like when who you thought were the bad guys, end up joining with the good guys. Overall this book, and the entire series were great, and they were about my 3rd favorite series.

[Jack Fahy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book Jack, Cass, and Marco are trying to find Aly by getting all the loculuses. During the book the Massa and the Karai work together and the make a truce between them because the island is sinking. Throughout the book they find all the loculuses execpt for one. The one that is missing is the one that got in the rift when Aly was stolen. At the end of the book it has a really happy ending and I was not expecting it at all.


I really liked this book and I give it a 5 out of 5 stars. It was a very interesting book because of all its special powers. I really wish that it wasn't the end of the series because I really enjoyed this series.

[João CTA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Não sei o que dizer, isto porque o final é meio confuso e até anti climático e preguiçoso em certo modo.
Não acho que seja mau, só não é forte o suficiente para fechar em chave de ouro uma aventura de proporções gigantescas como a que foi vivida nos outros livros.
Novamente, gostei do seguimento da narrativa e aprecio a criatividade do autor na primeira metade (mais ou menos) do livro, mas o final ... fuck!... ficou-me entalado na garganta por maus motivos. Se calhar eu é que não o percebi bem, espero eu.
Daqui a uns tempos voltarei a lê-lo, não posso morrer sem deixar isto claro. (too much drama, I know)

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending seemed a bit too "pat" for a complex novel such as this, but it fit with the logic of the book, so it was okay. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the concept of introducing young readers to the seven ancient wonders of the world through an action-packed fantasy series, much like Riordan does with his Percy Jackson books. Some loose ends (Dad was important and then disappeared from the novel), and, though Lerangis glows over his copy editors, there are numerous typos in the fifth book, so many that it makes it difficult to remain "in" the story.

[Peyton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. All the twists and turns, all the plot twists, and all the betrayals definitely earned this book a spot in my top 20 favorite books ever. I have been following this series since I was 9 or 10 and I'm sad that its over, but glad that Lerangis ended it the way that he did. If you're someone looking for a nice read I would easily recommend this series.

[Alethia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the final book of the series and as book four ended on a bit of a cliff hanger, boy was I eager to read this. With the twists and turns you'll come to expect in this series, not much goes as planned. Thankfully the ending is satisfying and wraps up the series nicely. I enjoyed the author's writing style and hope to read more from him in the future. Hoping anything else is just as good as this series was.

[Cory Abell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It contained the right amount of mystery, suspense, and action. Jack and his friends must save their lives by finding seven magic loculi. They find the last three loculi in this book to complete their quest. They also travel back in time to Atlantis. I would recommend this book to someone who likes action, suspense, and a little bit of mystery.

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT BOOK! WISH THERE WERE MORE

[Eric · Rating 1 out of 5]

This series started out good, but after book 3 it went down hill. So glad its finished, I doubt I could have read a 6th book.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was definitely the best book in the series! I loved the non-stop action in this one! There was never a dull moment and I love how the “in-between moments” of planning the next step was always supplemented with some sort of clue/riddle/puzzle. Every step of the way, I was always wondering how the team of Selects would make it out of their predicaments and each action-packed event always managed to amaze (and sometimes even surprise) me. The only predictable moment was the “Jonah in the belly of the monster” instance where getting the creature to vomit was a bit foreseen although even then, the “Loculus of time” having a completely different purpose managed to surprise me! Loved the pace and adventure this series - especially this volume - brought!

On the other hand, I had just a couple of minor criticisms:

Throughout this series, I always thought of the Massa and Karai feud as both having justifiable opinions, with simply a long-standing hatred between the sides; neither side is good nor evil, they are just chasing different goals. However, I felt with this book, and in the first 90 pages or so, the Massa are just downright evil. In previous books, they always come across as inviting/welcoming to the Select children, claiming that they do not force the children against their will to choose a side “like the Karai do” nor do they force the children to stay; (they previously said on multiple occasions that the children were free to leave the Pyramid if they wanted to). And yet here, the Massa are completely contradicting their word by forcing the children under constant surveillance in this book, not giving them any choice and instead attempting to arrest the children for leaving. What gives? It seems like they’re intentionally being more evil than usual in the beginning before eventually deciding to work with the children.

I read this after reading The Key (book 4.5). Aliyah in The Key was a likeable protagonist, but I’m afraid I can’t say the same about her character in this book. It’s almost as if she is a completely different person! I recognize the time skip but still, she is unrecognizable in this book compared to her younger self.

Little side note: every single book in this series had numerous word typos in it. I noticed as the series progressed that they became more numerous. This book had at least 8+ different instances of missing words or repeated words in sentences. Seriously editors you had 1 job!

Nonetheless, it was the best book in the series and a perfect finale! Full of many unexpected, action-packed moments and surprises!

[Mark Buxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

My name is Jack, and I only have a few more months to live. All of us Selects will die on our fourteenth birthdays if we can't find a way to reunite all seven Loculi. Each one enhances an ability, the Loculus of healing has been very handy, but they must be destroyed in order to correct history. Unfortunately, the followers of Massarym and Karai are fighting over the fate of the Loculi, and my friends and I are always caught in the middle. We must travel to the last two Wonders of the World, collect the last two Loculi, and travel through the rift to an ancient world. Hopefully, we'll save Aly and end this curse that's been killing Selects for centuries. Recent events give me hope that we'll be successful, but there's still a nagging feeling that something unexpected will complicate things.

I enjoyed this conclusion to the series, but I wish I'd read the previous book more recently. It'd been six years, so I'd forgotten most of the past events. However, this book contained plenty of action, mystery, and suspense to carry the plot without knowing past details. Jack was leader of the Selects and displayed the uncertainty of being thrust into that position. His decisions were complicated by new revelations about characters and past events. This all created tension and suspense to keep the plot interesting. It was a bit unusual that the touch of a Select was necessary to activate the Loculi. Imagine several kids holding hands and touching the Loculus of Language to understand what someone else was saying. It made sense, but it was strange. It was also unusual that there wasn't a clear antagonist for most of the book. The main conflict was like fulfilling a quest to return the Loculi through the rift, but there wasn't an actual bad guy until the book neared the end. Overall, I really enjoyed the series and recommend you give it a shot. You'll probably appreciate it more than I did, because you'll read all the books straight through. You won't wait six years to finish the series!

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Legend of the Rift is the fifth and final book in the Seven Wonders series written by Peter Lerangis and illustrated by Torstein Norstrand. The series concludes as Jack McKinley and his friends try to save themselves and, while they're at it, the world.

Jack McKinley, Aly Black, Marco Ramsey, and Cass Williams just had two Loculi to collect at different ancient wonders of the world when disaster strikes – the rift opens up on Atlantis, carrying Aly and the Loculus of Strength back into ancient times before closing again.

A massive earthquake then rocks the island in the present, causing the island to sway and partially sink. Jack, Marco, and Cass don't think they have much time to find the other Loculi before Atlantis disappears for good. Adding to their problems, warring factions on the island need to make peace before they can move forward and when a shaky truce enables the Selects to head off on their next Loculus quest – the Temple of Artemis, which is a dangerous fortress crawling with supersized Amazon warriors.

The Legend of the Rift is written rather well. The narrative is action-packed with lots of complicated subplots to wrap up this high octane pentalogy. The Amazons, giant blob beasts, and underwater escapes are exciting, but the character depth is rather shallow as well as their motivations.

Overall, the Seven Wonders series was written rather well. The series is based on Greek mythology and set around the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Jack McKinley discovers a secret organization on a hidden island, and becomes the leader of a mission to retrieve seven lost magical orbs. As Jack and his three friends realize their lives are at stake, they have no choice but to accept the quest and embark on the challenge. The narrative is high on action octane, but rather sparse on character motivation and growth.

All in all, The Legend of the Rift is written rather well and is a wonderful conclusion to an equally wonderful series.

[Joseph Grondin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, Peter Lerangis managed to pull it off. After Seven Wonders #3 and #4, my interest in the series had seriously begun to decline. But Lerangis pulled it all together in this final run. I actually had trouble putting it down, which is saying something. It was fast-paced, energetic, and emotional. There was a real sense of urgency to the book which you shared with the characters; whenever something went wrong, I felt the same frustration that the characters did. This sympathy also extends to the characters' struggles with trust. The uneasiness which came with the alliance between the Karai Institute and their long-time enemies the Massarym was felt throughout the entirety of their interactions. The book ends with a satisfactory and surprising ending which I honestly think was probably one of the only ways it could have concluded. I gave a number of answers, but still left some questions open for the reader to interpret.

Jack, the protagonist, developed the most in this book. His leadership abilities, present throughout the entire book, were finally realized by himself and others. However, some aspects of his character, such as his whole claim to the Atlantian throne, were left up in the air with little direct resolution. Overall though, he developed well enough to satisfy the reader in the end.

Marco and Cass had little development, but they developed enough in the previous four books to warrant their neglect in this one. Two characters who actually suffered from Lerangis' neglect were Eloise and Aly. Eloise remained a static and unchanging character, with little to redeem her aggravating nature. This could be explained by her being more of a child than the rest of the cast, but if this was a case, her role should have been less prominent. Aly suffered the most, though. She was a fantastic character with great relationships in the previous book, and her absence through the majority of the book is sorely felt. However, when she does make a return, that hole is never filled. She returns to the story, but never returns to that place of prominence she held throughout the rest of the book.

Overall, Lerangis managed to pull things together to end his series in a satisfying manner. Though I complained of Eloise and Aly, the main focus of most of the book is on Jack, Cass, and Marco. Those three characters carry this story to a great conclusion to a good series. I'd recommend this series highly, not only to the younger audiences, but to older ones as well. It was a breath of fresh air to me, and I think it will be to others as well.

[~Evy's OBSESSED~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

AHHHHHHH!!!! Be still my beating heart, I'm fangirling so bad right now. Oh my gosh, I loved the ending build-up!!! I'm usually into YA fantasy, but I must say I loved this middle grade book! The unexpected betrayals, the bending of reality, Aly+Jack. I just can't. I highly recommend this entire series, it starts off a little slow but picks up considerable by the second book. And leaves the fourth book off on a crazy cliffhanger.

THE SELECT

Marco: This kid is hilarious, he is so laid back and chill. A much needed comic relief when situations get tough. His betrayal in the second book had me really upset though. Good thing he fixed it. All in all, love you Marco.

Cass: At first he was really shy, but as the book progressed he gets braver. And I love his fighting-but-actually-protective love of his little sister. It's so sweet.

Aly: I love this girl. She is so feisty and smart. One of my favorite characters by far, this girl makes the best of her situations and is a tech genius. Also she should totally date Jack. They are adorable! "I heard you say it Jack McKinnley, you said 'I love you', I heard it." -One of my all time favorite parts.

Jack: Ah, Jack McKinnley, where to start? The tailor, the destroyed, the one who brings it all together. This guy is all that and more. I love how he always tries so hard and loves a good problem. He is a great main character and shapes up to be a pretty good leader too.

And finally, Eloise: I'm so happy that Cass got her for a little sister😝 because she is INCREDIBLE. No more needs to be said.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't remember if I reviewed any of the other books in this series. This is the 5th and final installment of the "Seven Wonders" series. Overall, the series has been entertaining but there were definitely some books that were better than others. I would say, by the end, that this was the best of the series, although it did seem a little long. This story begins with Jack, Marco, and Cass worried about Aly, who in the last book was taken "into the rift", or back in time to ancient Atlantis by a half-deranged King Uhla'ar. Before they can rescue Aly, however, they determine that they need to retrieve the remaining Loculi so they can enter the rift and make things right once and for all. This will ultimately require an uneasy truce between the Karai and the Massah, as both organizations have been handicapped in the ongoing and dangerous quest for the Loculi as well as their own feuding. The Selects must take charge and work together to use their powers like they never have before to try to accomplish this one great and last feat. A great ending to the series, well-written and Lerangis does a good job "tying up" the loose ends and making everything fit together.

[J. Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I raced through this series almost immediately after finishing the Percy Jackson/Olympians books.
Maybe I'm jaded, maybe I'm too old for this type of series, but after Rowling and Rick Riordan, each series seems a little less special than the last.
I was grateful for the 'primer' on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (with maps on the endpapers of every volume as a reminder and a resource), so I found that aspect very interesting. Atlantis has long been a source of fascination for writers and readers of speculative fiction, but I almost didn't see enough of Atlantis as the series went on. That's a minor quibble.
In the Harry Potter movies, Daniel Radcliffe mentions there's a "Wow! I love magic." moment in each of the early films, certainly, and that sense of wonder is vital to the success of these fantasy adventure series. It's almost not enough to make it believable, to make it seem logically real, but there has to be moments of wonder and awe when the reader encounters these ... Wonders.
I suppose I'm saying, it sort of worked for me. I enjoyed it, but wasn't in awe myself, over it.

[Max Bruns · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book talk is for a book that I have recently read and enjoyed very much called The Seven Wonders, The Colossus Rises written by Peter Lerangis and I am very excited to share it with you.

He wakes every morning from a strange dream. He is running from a terrifying beast. It is no use. He knows that he is running to his death anyways. The ground opens up beneath him. He wakes just before he hits the ground.

Jack is a normal kid from Bellville, Indiana, except that his mom died when he was six and ever since, his dad has been going on so many business trips that he is barely ever home. Jack also just discovered that he has a very rare genetic disease called G7W, that will kill him in one year on his fourteenth birthday but turns your best ability into a superpower, and is taken away to a secret lab on the island of Atlantis where his own ancestors are from. On the island he meets three others like him called the select, named Marco who is amazingly strong, Aly who is a technology genius, and Cass who is able to give directions to anywhere from anywhere.

Now Jack and his new friends must retrieve the loculi, seven relics holding the ancient power of Atlantis that each give the user a certain power. The loculi are also the only thing that can save
Jack and his friends from their death that is quickly approaching.

But the loculi are scattered around the world hidden at the sites of the seven wonders of the ancient world, six of which have been destroyed for centuries. Another thing to make matters worse is that the only people able to retrieve the loculi are the select, meaning Jack, Marco, Aly, and Cass are the only ones able to find the ancient artifacts that are the only thing that can save them.

As Jack soon discovers, his G7W ability is nothing and he begins to wonder if he should even be with the rest of the select or if this whole thing is a mistake.

As the select begin their quest to recover the first loculus of the seven, they have no idea what they are getting into.

This book is one of my favorites with characters that stick with you long after you finish, I hope that you enjoy it as much as I have.

[Bryan Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book and series means so much to me because I had an amazing time reading this. There's a time that I was really paying that much of attention so I kept on re-reading some pages. But, it's such an awesome adventure I had for a long time! I felt like this 22 years old human transported inside of a 9 years old boy.

I really love how the characters develop from the very first book to the last because as a reader, that's one of the quality that I'm looking for especially if it's a series.

I also adore the way Peter give us a bit of a background about the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.To be honest, I don't have a lot of knowledge about them so whenever they visit a Wonder, I keep on looking in Wikipedia about it to catch up which actually made me stupid ugly. Haha.

Over all, I recommend this book if you like a fast paced, thrilling adventure novel.

I wish I posses G7W!

!koob emosewa dna gnizama

I'll miss them!!!