From Publishers Weekly
Five unusual students at an isolated English boarding school—Amelia, Vanity, Colin, Quentin and Victor—fought to uncover their true secret identities in
Orphans of Chaos (2005), only to have their memories stolen (again) by their teachers, who are really their jailers. In this exciting sequel, Amelia remembers enough to convince her friends of their shared trouble, and together the five students set out to escape the school, regain their memories, rediscover their individual powers and remain free. Wright keeps the tension high as the students struggle to outwit the teachers and their minions, but never lets us forget his characters are teenagers, prone to all the usual teen troubles as well as the problems posed by their secret "higher" identities. With its focus on Golden Age genre tropes and quirky teenage romance, this fantasy adventure reads a bit like J.K. Rowling meets Roger Zelazny, and should be of particular interest to youthful fans looking for something less predictable than the usual YA fare.
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Review
" Wright's myth-infused fantasy looks like something older Harry Potter fans might enjoy with its creaky British boarding school setting and its five ageless orphans-- Colin, Quentin, Victor, Vanity, and Amelia each with a supernatural gift." - "Publishers Weekly" on "Orphans of Chaos""" " Wright's "Orphans of Chaos" is a stylish roller-coaster ride through the best loops and swerves of science fiction and fantasy. Zelazny lovers in particular ought to love this book as much as I did." - Sherwood Smith
" A bit like C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia updated by half a century, but with more gusto." - "Locus" on "Orphans of Chaos" " I don't know if John Wright's intent for "Orphans of Chaos" was to write a Harry Potter for grownups. But that's what he's accomplished. . . .highly enjoyable." --"SFsite"
" An exciting, unusual, and very satisfying ride through the author's imagination, and the results are certainly going to make Wright even more of a hot property." --"Chronicle" on "Orphans of Chaos"
" Start of a complex mythology-based series from the author of the astonishing far-future Golden Age trilogy . . . . Fascinatingly, dazzlingly... erudite fantasy that trends inexorably toward science fiction; addicts will pounce." - "Kirkus," starred review on "Orphans of Chaos"