The Dark Talent - (Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians) by Brandon Sanderson (Paperback)

About the Book

So there I, Alcatraz Smedry, was, tied to an altar made from outdated encyclopedias, about to get sacrificed--wait, you've heard that before? Oh yeah, I wrote it at the beginning of my first book. Well, this is the one where that actually happens, I promise! I managed to beat the evil Librarians attacking Mokia (it's not on the maps the Librarians let you see, so don't try to find it), but Bastille was hit by some kind of knockout ray and is in a coma. The antidote is locked away in the heart of evil Librarian power--the Library of Congress. I already infiltrated one library, so a bigger one shouldn't be that hard, right? (Help!)"--

Book Synopsis

Now in paperback for the first time, featuring all new covers, the Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians middle-grade series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson.

Sneaking into the evil Librarian cult HQ!

So there I, Alcatraz Smedry, was, tied to an altar made from outdated encyclopedias, about to get sacrificed--wait, you've heard that before? Oh yeah, I wrote it at the beginning of my first book. Well, this is the one where that actually happens, I promise!

I managed to beat the evil Librarians attacking Mokia (it's not on the maps the Librarians let you see, so don't try to find it), but Bastille was hit by some kind of knockout ray and is in a coma. The antidote is locked away in the heart of evil Librarian power--the Library of Congress. I already infiltrated one library, so a bigger one shouldn't be that hard, right? (Help!)

My father has this crazy idea about giving everyone in the world the Smedry Talents, and he's convinced that ancient books in the Library of Congress hold the secret. But the Talents already destroyed one entire civilization, so he has to be stopped--even if I did accidentally break all the Talents during the battle. (Oops.) And now there's a rumor that the original evil Librarian, Biblioden, has been spotted, but that can't be true--he founded his dark cult centuries ago. There's no way he could be back!

The Dark Talent is the fifth book in this action-packed fantasy series for young readers.

Review Quotes

"This is an excellent choice to read aloud to the whole family. It's funny, exciting, and briskly paced. The message it gives young readers is that a person's flaws--being late, breaking things, etc.--can sometimes turn into useful talents." --Nancy Pearl on NPR'S Morning Edition

"In this original, hysterical homage to fantasy literature, Sanderson's first novel for youth recalls the best in Artemis Fowl and A Series of Unfortunate Events." --VOYA

"A happily action-packed romp... and a cliffhanger ending that promises more of the same. Plus dinosaurs in tweed vests. Who could ask for more?" --Horn Book

About the Author

BRANDON SANDERSON grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. He lives in Utah with his wife and children and teaches creative writing at Brigham Young University. He is the author of such bestsellers as the Mistborn trilogy and its sequels; the Stormlight Archive novels; and other novels, including The Rithmatist and Steelheart. In 2013 he won a Hugo Award for The Emperor's Soul, a novella set in the world of his acclaimed first novel, Elantris. Additionally, he was chosen to complete Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time(R) sequence.