The Maelstrom by Henry H. Neff (Books of Tapestry, Book 4)

468 pgs.
Target audience: Middle Reader
Rating: Wizard

Astaroth is weakened and the demon Prusias seizes this golden opportunity to build his empire by attacking everyone else with his workshop powered war machines of course. Max returns to a hero’s welcome at Rowan. The celebration is cut short due to the threat of Prusias and the discovery that Max’s name is at the top of an assassin guild’s list. Max and his sorcerer friend, David, must once again work together to fight the famed workshop and stop Prusias’ invasion, while simultaneously dodging assassination attempts. Cooper, an old comrad, now possessed by a demon is sent as an assassin. Scathach returns to Rowan as Max’s bodyguard. This series is a marvelous blend of fantasy, mythology, science fiction, and mystery. The characters are endearing and well developed. Fantastic battles, cool spy-like inventions, fierce friendships and great illustrations await the eager reader. It is necessary however to read them in order to fully enjoy the experience because the overall plot of the series is intricate and complex. There is also a glossary at the end of this volume.