内容简介
Goblins? Where's the proof? Poppy Malone wasn't the kind of girl who saw goblins. That was what made the whole thing so strange. If it had been anyone else in her family——her parents or Will or Franny or even Rolly, who was only five—it would have made much more sense. But they didn't go into the attic on that hot June afternoon, and Poppy did. And that made all the difference.
作者简介
Suzanne Harper grew up in Texas and lives in New York City.
精彩书评
Publishers Weekly An itinerant family moves into a rambling old house in Austin, Tex., in this highly entertaining launch to Harper's (The Juliet Club) the Unseen World of Poppy Malone series.
When minor mishaps immediately occur, the Malone parents, bumbling paranormal investigators, are convinced that a "Dark Presence" is haunting the house and vow to track it down (" ‘A Dark Presence, hard at work.' sighed happily. ‘We are going to have such fun,' "). Nine-year-old Poppy, a committed skeptic and aspiring scientist, believes there is a rational explanation, yet after she encounters a goblin in the attic, Poppy discovers it isn't the only prankster involved. Soon mayhem erupts——tapping noises keep everyone awake at night, computers falter, possessions disappear—and the replacement of the rambunctious youngest Malone, Rolly, with a (very polite) changeling has Poppy and her two remaining siblings embarking on a search for their missing brother.
The book shines through the consistently amusing dynamics and dialogue among the Malones; Harper has abundant fun with the Malone parents' eccentricities, and kids will too. Readers will want more from this family. Ages 8–12. (May) Children's Literature With ghost-hunter parents, a snotty older sister, a sneaky twin brother and a downright obnoxious little brother, Poppy is the normal one in the family. This makes her discovery at her new house all the more surprising! After moving (yet again) so her parents can research paranormal phenomena, Poppy discovers a goblin in the attic, and she sets out to prove that he is real.
Her parents take the odd noises and strange happenings as ghost invasion, but Poppy knows that this paranormal problem is more sinister when her usually rotten little brother suddenly seems polite, respectful and cheerful all the time. She suspects that the goblins have taken him and replaced him with a changeling. Now, Poppy must rescue her brother before it is too late! The story is well-paced and just suspenseful enough for young fantasy readers.
Poppy's parents provide wonderful comic relief while leaving Poppy and her other siblings to be the responsible saviors of little Rolly. Readers too young for other goblin-infested series like "Fablehaven" will enjoy Poppy's lighter adventures in this first book of "The Unseen World of Poppy Malone" series. Reviewer: Tiffany Torbeck Fewer Reviews School Library Journal Gr 3–6—The daughter of paranormal investigators, Poppy Malone comes face-to-face (or perhaps knee-to-face) with a wily, old gnome in the attic of her new home. Now she thinks she knows what's causing the general chaos throughout the house in the hours since they moved in-the electricity failing, doors collapsing, and food containers exploding.
The premise for this fantasy, set in the steaming heat of a Texas summer, is a good one, but the narrative falls short in its believability, and the characterization of everyone except Poppy is weak. Integral to the story are her three siblings, yet readers learn little about them except for the fact that one is annoying, another lethargic, and the third wayward. Poppy is likable and, for the most part, exhibits the true characteristics of a girl on the cusp of 10 years old. Inexplicably, she continually doubts the solid evidence of a veritable company of gnomes, including numerous sightings and even conversations, despite the fact that her family traipses around the world looking to authenticate the existence of otherworldly creatures.
It's also unbelievable that Poppy never tells her parents about the intruders, even after her incorrigible four-year-old brother is kidnapped by gnomes and replaced with one of their own. The rationale for this: not to upset Mrs. Malone. Poppy's mother is a professional ghost hunter; would she really be unnerved by a colony of gnomes? Students might be happy to follow Poppy on further adventures, but not before a generous dose of pragmatism makes its way into the story.—Margo Doble Schmidt, Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich, CT Kirkus Reviews A new series focuses on the adventures of four kids whose parents are professional paranormal investigators. Protagonist Poppy is logical and practical; her older sister Franny, vain; her older brother Will, lazy; and her younger brother Rolly, mischievous.
They all find their folks exasperating, and Poppy finds her siblings so as well. Oddly, it is Poppy, the grounded one, who finds herself tracking down actual paranormal creatures: goblins. Their parents are distracted by exploring ley lines under their new home, preparing for an onslaught of vicious vampires chasing one of their colleagues and trying to make contact with a potential Dark Presence that Mrs. Malone senses in the house. These are all red herrings, for readers as well as Mr. and Mrs. Malone; the real story is the goblin troupe that kidnaps Rolly and leaves a goblin doppelganger in his place, after having observed the boy's extraordinary talent for getting into trouble. Poppy is likable and a good problem-solver, and the plot moves along swiftly. Unfortunately, the secondary characters, especially the siblings, are completely one-dimensional. Franny is so annoying that even reading about her becomes so; the same goes for Will. Rolly's tricks are funny, and he might make an interesting character if we get to know him a little better in subsequent stories. Needs a little more development all around. (Fantasy. 8-11)
前言/序言
《星辰之歌:迷雾之地的探险者》 第一章:暮色降临与古老的回响 在大陆的西南边缘,坐落着一个被时间遗忘的国度——艾尔德拉。这个地方终年笼罩在灰蓝色的薄雾之中,传说中,只有最勇敢的灵魂才能穿透这层迷雾,触碰到隐藏在深处的真实。 故事的主人公是里奥,一个瘦削却眼神坚毅的少年,他并非生于贵族之家,而是在边境一座名为“寂静之墙”的古老堡垒边长大。寂静之墙,顾名思义,是文明世界与“无声之地”的界限,一道由黑色玄武岩筑成的巨大屏障,据说能阻挡来自彼岸的某种无形侵蚀。里奥的日常工作是维护堡垒外的风向标和监测塔上的火光,这份枯燥的工作却让他对外界的一切充满了好奇。 一个深秋的傍晚,当最后一抹夕阳被迷雾吞噬时,里奥在例行巡逻中发现了一件异样的事物。不是野兽的踪迹,也不是走私者的信号,而是一段被风沙掩埋了不知多久的,由一种泛着微光的金属铸成的符文锁链。锁链很沉,带着一股冰冷的、似乎能穿透骨髓的寒意。当他触碰到它时,脑海中闪过一幅快速的画面:一片被闪电撕裂的天空,以及一个发出低沉哀鸣的巨大身影。 里奥知道,这东西绝非凡物。他小心翼翼地将锁链藏在随身的工具袋中,心跳如同战鼓般擂响。他向导师,年迈的守塔人埃尔温报告了情况,但埃尔温只是瞥了一眼那段锁链,脸色瞬间变得煞白。 “把它扔回你发现它的地方,孩子,”埃尔温的声音颤抖着,这是里奥从未听过的语调,“有些秘密,最好永远沉睡。” 然而,里奥的好奇心已经被彻底点燃。他深知,在艾尔德拉,禁忌往往是通往真相的唯一路径。 第二章:无声之地的召唤 接下来的几周,里奥开始利用夜间的间隙研究那段锁链。他发现,锁链上的符文似乎记录着一种失传已久的星辰历法。他翻阅了堡垒图书馆中所有关于古代历史和禁忌魔法的残卷,终于在一部被称为《星咏者的手稿》的典籍中找到了相似的记载。 手稿中描述了一个被称为“编织者”的古老文明,他们掌握着驾驭星辰能量的技术,但在一场被称为“大寂静”的灾难中突然消失。而里奥手中的锁链,正是编织者用来约束某种强大存在的“镇魂索”的一部分。 手稿的最后一页潦草地记载着一个警告:“当镇魂索重现人间,意味着约束已然松动。若要阻止‘虚空之影’重临,必须寻回散落的‘引力之核’,并到达位于‘哭泣山脉’顶端的‘回音祭坛’。” 哭泣山脉,那是无声之地的核心区域,一片常年被剧烈风暴笼罩的险峻之地,那里被认为没有生命可以存活。 里奥明白,如果埃尔温说的是真的,那么无声之地并非一片死寂,而是在压制着某种恐怖的存在。 他决定动身。 在一个月黑风高的夜晚,里奥带上了他的行囊:几块干粮、一把老旧的折叠刀、埃尔温偷偷塞给他的半块月光石(据说能微弱地指引方向),以及那段镇魂索。他翻过了寂静之墙最低的那段缺口,义无反顾地踏入了弥漫着浓厚白雾的无声之地。 第三章:迷雾中的遭遇 无声之地的第一感觉是“压抑”。空气异常沉重,声音传播得极其缓慢,仿佛所有的一切都被一层无形的粘稠物包裹着。里奥不得不依靠月光石微弱的蓝光来辨别方向。 走了两天,他不仅没有看到任何动物的痕迹,连植物都显得异常稀疏,只有一种灰色的苔藓附着在嶙峋的怪石上。就在他几乎要放弃希望时,他听到了声音——不是低语,而是一种清脆的、有规律的敲击声。 他谨慎地靠近声源,发现了一个躲在一个巨大岩石裂缝中的身影。那是一个看起来只有十岁左右的女孩,名叫希拉。她穿着由兽皮和植物纤维编织而成的简陋衣物,正用一块燧石敲击着一块黑色的石头,发出他之前听到的那种声响。 希拉看到里奥时,立刻警觉地举起手中的石头。她的眼睛是罕见的浅金色,在昏暗中闪烁着光芒。 “你是从‘墙外’来的?”希拉用一种带着古老口音的方言问道。 里奥花了很长时间才让她相信自己没有恶意。希拉是“守火人”部落最后的幸存者,她的族人世代生活在无声之地,负责维护着某些古代的平衡机制,防止“虚空之影”的力量蔓延。但如今,只剩下她一人。 希拉告诉里奥,镇魂索的重现预示着一个灾难性的事件即将发生——“大寂静”正在解除。她也感知到了引力之核的存在,但它们被分散在无声之地的三个“能量汇聚点”,每一个点都被某种强大的、扭曲的守护者看守着。 “单凭你一个人,走不到哭泣山脉的顶端。”希拉毫不客气地说,“但如果你能帮我重建一座‘唤醒灯’,也许我们能有一线生机。” 唤醒灯,是守火人用来短暂驱散迷雾,照亮古老路径的装置。 第四章:唤醒灯与熔岩深渊 在希拉的带领下,里奥和她前往了第一个能量汇聚点——“熔岩深渊”。这是一个被地热活动常年烘烤的地区,空气中弥漫着硫磺的味道。 第一个引力之核被困在一座半熔岩化的古老神庙的中央。看守者并非实体生物,而是一团被扭曲引力场包裹的能量体,它以极高的速度在神庙内盘旋,任何靠近的物体都会被瞬间撕碎。 “这是‘斥力之灵’,”希拉解释道,“它不惧怕刀剑,只有用纯粹的平衡力量才能压制它。” 里奥想起了他随身携带的月光石。这种石头据说是从陨石中提炼的,具有奇特的稳定属性。他们没有直接攻击,而是制定了一个精巧的计划。里奥负责引开斥力之灵的注意,而希拉则利用她对当地能量流动的理解,在神庙的特定节点放置了三块从自己部落遗迹中带出的稳定水晶。 当斥力之灵被里奥的快速移动引至神庙边缘时,希拉同时激活了水晶。三道柔和的光束交汇,瞬间形成了一个临时的稳定区域。里奥抓住这个千载难逢的机会,冲进能量场中心,用镇魂索的一段紧紧缠绕住了那个闪烁着微弱蓝光的引力之核。 当核心被取走时,斥力之灵发出一声无声的尖啸,随后便迅速消散了。神庙的熔岩活动也暂时平息下来。 他们成功取得了第一个核心。但随后的旅程变得更加艰难。 第五章:冰霜迷宫与沉默的考验 第二个能量汇聚点位于无声之地的北部——“寒晶迷宫”。这是一个由巨大的、会缓慢移动的冰晶构成的复杂区域,温度极低,足以冻僵血脉。 这里的看守者是“回音之兽”,一种能够模仿任何声音并利用声音的震动来定位和攻击的生物。它的存在让希拉的“唤醒灯”计划变得极其危险,因为任何发出的声音都可能引来攻击。 他们必须依靠绝对的静默通过迷宫。里奥展现出了惊人的忍耐力和观察力。他发现回音之兽的攻击轨迹虽然难以预测,但它们对特定频率的震动极为敏感。 希拉则需要依靠她祖先流传下来的“心语”——一种极度细微的、通过触觉传递的信息交流方式。里奥必须完全信任希拉的指引。 在迷宫深处,他们遭遇了最严峻的考验。回音之兽模仿了埃尔温的声音,呼唤着里奥的名字,声音如此逼真,带着老人的关切和焦急。里奥几乎要冲出去回应,但希拉死死地抓住了他的手臂,她的指尖在里奥的皮肤上快速地写着两个字:“谎言。” 挣扎中,里奥用尽全力将那段镇魂索缠绕在了那个发出声音的冰晶核心上。核心被取出后,回音之兽发出了刺耳的、完全失真的尖啸,随后整个迷宫的冰晶开始崩溃,向他们袭来。 在逃离的过程中,里奥和希拉紧紧相依,终于在冰晶完全坍塌前冲出了迷宫,带着第二个引力之核。 第六章:攀登哭泣山脉 他们获得了前往哭泣山脉的最后线索。希拉的部落古籍中记载,第三个核心并不被看守,而是“被遗弃”,它位于山脉顶端回音祭坛的下方,只有集齐前两个核心才能激活通往那里的路径。 第三个核心的获取,反而是最艰难的一步。哭泣山脉高耸入云,风暴如同刀刃般切割着一切。当他们到达山脚时,发现山体上覆盖着一层由古老魔法固化的闪电残留物,普通攀爬根本不可能。 里奥意识到,镇魂索的完整形态或许就是解开这个谜题的关键。他用尽自己所有的力量,将两段镇魂索拼合起来。当两端对接时,金属上闪耀的符文瞬间激活,发出了一道稳定而强大的能量光束,直射向山顶。 这道光束击中了山顶的回音祭坛,瞬间,一道横跨山体的、由纯粹星光构成的“星梯”显现出来。 他们开始攀登。星梯的每一步都蕴含着古老的力量,但同时,山顶的“虚空之影”似乎也感受到了集结的力量,开始对他们进行精神上的冲击。 里奥和希拉的脑海中充斥着绝望、恐惧和无意义的呓语,这是“大寂静”解除时,混沌力量的初步渗透。 希拉紧紧握住里奥的手,用她仅存的意志力,将关于她部落的记忆,关于艾尔德拉和平的信念,通过触觉传递给里奥。里奥将这些信念化为攀登的力量。 终于,他们到达了祭坛。 尾声:星辰的回响 回音祭坛,是一个巨大的圆形石台,中央有一个凹槽,正好能容纳引力之核。 里奥将前两个核心放入凹槽。祭坛开始嗡鸣,星梯的光芒更亮了。然后,他们找到了第三个核心——它并没有被隐藏,而是静静地悬浮在祭坛的边缘,等待着。 当三个核心全部归位时,祭坛上的符文完全亮起。一道巨大的能量柱直冲天际,穿透了笼罩艾尔德拉的灰蓝色迷雾,让久违的星光照耀大地。 在星光之下,那股笼罩无声之地的压抑感瞬间消散了。 然而,虚空之影并未被完全驱散,它以一种无形的形态,试图吞噬最后的光芒。 里奥高举着完整的镇魂索,在希拉的指引下,将索链的另一端抛向了祭坛中心。镇魂索自动缠绕,与三个核心、祭坛形成了一个复杂的、仍在运转的能量场。 这股力量并非用来攻击,而是“重塑寂静”。镇魂索激活了编织者留下的最后一道指令——重新校准无声之地的能量屏障。 随着一声宏大而古老的“回音”,所有的混乱能量被重新吸入屏障之中。迷雾开始退散,露出了哭泣山脉真正壮丽的景象。 里奥和希拉站在祭坛上,看着远方边境那道黑色的寂静之墙,不再是恐惧的象征,而是一个被稳定和守护的边界。 他们没有拯救世界免于一场大战,而是以最古老的方式,修补了世界的裂痕。艾尔德拉的黎明,在无数星辰的回响中,终于到来。里奥和希拉,两个来自边缘的人,成为了这片土地上,真正意义上的探险者与守护者。他们的旅程才刚刚开始,因为星辰之歌,需要新的歌者来传唱。