3 out of 4 stars
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The Elf Archive by Jordan David is the second book in the Magi Charter series. It continues the story of Noel Night as he sets up the History department at the North Pole.
The Elf Archive takes place five years after the events of the first book and focuses on a special event. Every year the elves of the North Pole take a week off to spend some time relaxing at a midsummer fair known as the Reindeer Games. While everyone else is celebrating Noel Night spends his waking moments looking for a long lost North Pole library.
One of the strongest points to the book is Jordan David's command of tension. There are three main events during the Reindeer Games: a sled race, a ski jump, and a surfing competition. Each event is skillfully described and Jordan David transports the reader into the audience with Noel and his friends. The drama of the Reindeer Games punctuates what would otherwise be a evenly paced book. Not only does the reader get to see Noel make North Pole history, the reader gets to know more about the elves and their day to day lives.
The Elf Archive also reinforces the main antagonist for the series, Mistletoe Green. The first book introduced the Mistletoe as a secondary character who is in charge of a North Pole department. Mistletoe is annoyed with Noel more than anything else in the first book. The Elf Archive shows the reader that Mistletoe's motives go much deeper than disliking another elf. Mistletoe's plans might even stretch back centuries. Yet, Mistletoe is suspicious and the reader is left guessing what his end goal is.
The main drawback to The Elf Archive was the grammar. Technically, there were no spelling errors. There were many homophone switches and quite a bit of awkward language. Some examples of the homophone switches are mixing up threw/through and one/won. The only sections that appeared to have been fully edited were the Reindeer Game events. The remainder of the book seemed like it passed a spell check but not given more thought.
I rate The Elf Archive 3 out of 4. Jordan David continues to capture the Christmas imagination and he gives a wonderful look into the workings of the North Pole. Despite my personal wishes, there are too many grammar issues for a higher rating. I enjoyed the book and I would recommend The Elf Archive to anyone who wants a look at the inner workings of the North Pole.
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The Elf Archive - Book Two of the Magi Charter
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