The Guardians of Zoone

Zoone #2

by Lee Edward Födi

Worlds of adventure await in this action-packed sequel to The Secret of Zoone, where it’s up to Ozzie Sparks, a blue skyger, a purple-haired princess, and one very overprepared aunt to save the multiverse from an evil robot overlord.

Ozzie Sparks’s life went from normal to out of this world—literally—when he traveled to the station of Zoone, saved the multiverse, and somehow managed to find his way home to his Aunt Temperance. He’d like nothing more than to go back right away, but the portal is stubbornly closed.

Until Zoone comes to him. But his friends Fidget and Tug aren’t dropping in for a friendly visit. An evil overlord and his army of automatons have taken over Zoone, and it’s up to Ozzie, Fidget, Tug, and Ozzie’s usually very normal aunt to defeat them and save the station (again).

Fans of adventures like The Unwanteds and The Glass Sentence will be swept away by the second book in Lee Edward Födi’s fantastically fun multiversal series.




But saving the multiverse is harder the second time around. Can this unlikely crew defeat an army of robots and uncover the secrets of Zoone’s new overlord?




Found A boy longing for adventure, a runaway princess, a loyal winged skyger, and an aunt with a secret circus past must learn to rely on each other to survive.Epic Their mission will take them from the magical nexus of Zoone to the desolate, machine-run world of Moton, and even into the clutches of notorious portal pirates.A Tragic The mysterious overlord Klaxon isn’t just another villain. His connection to one of their own threatens to tear the team apart before they can save the day.Misfit To succeed, they’ll need help from the Zoone Underground, a quirky resistance of misfits, and one very strange, teapot-shaped robot named Scoot.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade

413 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2020

About the author

Lee Edward Födi is a children's author, illustrator, and educator—or, as he likes to think of himself, a daydreaming specialist.

He is the author of several books for children including Spell Sweeper, The Secret of Zoone, The Guardians of Zoone (HarperCollins Children's Books), and the The Chronicles of Kendra Kandlestar (Simply Read Books).

He has also illustrated several picture books for other authors, including The Chocolatier's Apprentice (a national bestseller) and I'll Follow the Moon.

He is a co-founder of the Creative Writing for Children Society (CWC), a not-for-profit program that helps kids write their own books. He has the joy of leading workshops for kids in Canada, the US, Korea, China, Thailand, and other places here and there.

He enjoys mythology, history, and the mysteries of the universe. During his free time, he is a traveller, adventurer, and builder of dragon eggs. He lives in Vancouver with his wife, Marcie, and his son, Hiro.

Reviews

[Kathie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and HarperCollins for an eARC of this book.

Wow. I absolutely loved THE SECRET OF ZOONE, the first book in this series, so I was nervous when I picked up the sequel that it might not live up to my expectations. There was no need to worry, because the author wrote a brilliant follow up that far exceeded my expectations.

Ozzie desperately wants to return to Zoone, and take his Aunt Temperarance with him, but the door back just will not open. When his friends Tug and Fidget arrive unexpectedly, and tell Ozzie that Zoone is under attack and has been taken over by machines, he still doesn't believe things can be as bad as they say. When they receive a message that their help is needed, they embark on an unexpected adventure across the multiverse to help their friends and to save Zoone.

I wish I had the words to tell you just how extraordinary these books really are. The world building is incredible; I'm astounded by the imagination and creative thought that goes into every aspect of it. It's a book that you need to reread to take in all the details that you missed the first time. It's an immersive adventure with nonstop action, interesting characters, unexpected twists, and a message that finding your crew is powerful magic.

I highly recommend this 5 star series for middle grade readers.

[Fleur Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good, if not better, than the first in the series. I loved disappearing into the world of this book so much, I didn't want to turn the last page...

Read the first book, and don't miss this follow-on!

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a little under my age/reading level but I had to read the second one. I was very frustrated with Ozzie when he started complaining about how no one ever listens to him. That's because there their ideas were better so GET OVER IT. The lighting bolt that was a claw was very creative. Ozzie just had a very frustrating personality, but other than that great book!

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun. Not having read the first book in this series, I was worried that I might get lost-but everything is explained without giving away any action that happened in the first book. An interesting world, with REALLY unique characters. A great sense of self and family (blood and chosen) is imparted in this great adventure.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ozzie's aunt comes along on this next adventure in Zoone! The story unfolds more about her, but we get plenty of Fidget, Tug the skyger, and Ozzie too. This lovely sequel to The Secret of Zoone explores what's behind other doors in the universe, and features pirates and automatons. The adventure kept me turning the pages! Great action and humor. It was great to escape into Zoone again.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this awesome sequel, Ozzie and his Aunt Temperance are visited by Tug and Fidget who're escaping the Moto invasion of Zoone. The Motos, sentient and self-replicating robots in all shapes, forms and sizes, have Lady Zoone under guard and she's begging for Aunt Temperance and Ozzie's help to save Zoone. Pay close attention to Lady Zoone's message. Although it doesn't make sense at first, it will, by the end.

The message revolves around Aunt Temperance's lost love, Mercurio. And so will the story, although it's not apparent at first.

The doorway to Zoon's finally open again, and Aunt Temperance, Ozzie and the others depart right away, Aunt Tempie with stars in her eyes at the prospect of questing to find Mercurio. But before they arrive at the Zoone station, pirates waylay them. Specifically, a merciless woman pirate, Captain Aurelia Traxx, of the Empyrean Thunder. As it turns out, Mercurio was once a pirate on her ship, and she dropped him off on planet Creon, a desolate, dead world where he was sure to die. But that's where he requested to be dropped off, because he couldn't live with a broken heart.

The ship's attacked by a Cosmic Storm that gobbles it and all the questers up and they use bubble bath to make it upchuck the vessel. In return for saving her ship (not the crew, she's unrepentant about losing some of those scallywags), Captain Traxx drops them off on Creon, where the hunt for Mercurio begins.

The kids quickly discover Creon is the source of the Motos, but the Motos' true nature, and their designs on universal domination, are worse than anything Ozzie -- or Aunt Temperance -- could ever have imagined!

I won't say any more or I'll reveal the big twist. I really wanted this book to be set in Zoone, or to feature some of the Zoone station, but Ozzie and his friends spend hardly any time there and that was a little frustrating. So while we liked this one, we're very much looking forward to a story with Ozzie, Tug and Fidget that's actually set on the wonderful world of Zoone and all its doors.

Enjoy!

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[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This title follows Ozzie in his return to Zoone. He had returned to the real world and his Aunt Temperance dealing with the problem of being bullied at school and his absentee parents threatening to send him to boarding school away from Aunt T and his home where the portal to Zoone is. But something seems to have happened to the portal, it appears to be sealed and he cannot figure out how to get back to Zoone. Suddenly though his friends arrive from Zoone and ask for both his and his Aunt Temperance's help to save Zoone. It is being overrun. This begins an adventure that goes between worlds and looks at the consequences of choices and what it means to be a friend. It is not an easy journey that the group or crew goes on but it filled with twists and turns and surprises along the way, especially about Aunt Temperance. This is a fun book that the leads the reader on a mighty adventure. Although it is a sequel, the characters were well developed enough in this book to be easily followed and understood. I would recommend this book to be purchased by those libraries where action, adventure, and fantasies are well read or where the first book has found a following.

[Tracy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this fantasy novel about the many worlds of the Multiverse with Zoone as it central hub. Characters were quirky and fun and there was a great message of accepting all those who may be considered outcasts or different than the "norm".

I did not realize that this was Book #2 in a series. Reading the first book might have helped my enjoyment, but I understood the story and followed along easily.

[Dallan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Parental warning: this book is inappropriate and destructive to kids. If you care at all what your kids are taught don't let them read this.

[Whitney Godinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as good as the first book. Still entertaining and fun to read with my 10 year old.

[Crystal Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun adventure. Very out of the box. Gets you right in the feels. 😊

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imaginative and creative, this is both a fun and dark journey! There are lessons to be learned, but nothing ever feels forced.