A Dark Inheritance (UFiles Series #1)

by Chris d'Lacey

Overview

FORMAT: 5 CDs, Unabridged
NARRATOR:

When Michael Malone discovers his supernatural ability to alter reality, he is recruited by an organization dedicated to investigating strange and paranormal phenomena. He joins in hopes of finding his father, who mysteriously vanished three years earlier. Michael's first task is to solve the mystery of a dog he rescued from a precarious clifftop -- a mystery that leads him to a strange and sickly classmate and a young girl who was killed in a devastating accident. Stakes are high as Michael learns to harness his newfound ability and uncover the deadly truth about his father's disappearance.
A bold and thrilling tale of alternate realities, paranormal mystery, and extraordinary adventure.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545675703
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	05/27/2014
Series:	A Journey Through First Peter #3 , #1
Pages:	6
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 6.00(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Chris d'Lacey is the author of several highly acclaimed books, including the New York Times bestselling Last Dragon Chronicles series, The Dragons of Wayward Crescent series, and, most recently, the Unicorne Files. He lives in Devon, England, with his wife, Jay, where they are at work on their next book.

Editorial Reviews

★ 10/27/2014
This is an adventure story, a mystery, a paranormal tale, and a coming-of-age story, and narrator Corkhill does a terrific job keeping all that straight in his reading of d’Lacey’s enthralling story. Young teen Michael has just discovered he has the ability to alter reality when he is recruited by Unicorne, a group that investigates paranormal activity. The strange leader of the group, a man named Klimt, hints that he may have information about Michael’s father’s disappearance three years earlier. Michael reluctantly joins Unicorne and begins an investigation that brings him closer to a goth girl classmate who may be more than she seems. Corkhill’s reading of the many characters is suitably varied. Michael and the other students in his class are believably young, and the Unicorne mastermind has a delightfully creepy and sinister, high-pitched German accent. Corkhill also convincingly portrays middle-aged women, random working-class cops, and a breathlessly sexy French woman. The book is filled with action, mystery, ghosts, robots, dragons, UFOs, murder, and preternatural powers, which all seem perfectly reasonable when Corkhill is reading. His posh accent anchors the story to reality and lets listeners suspend their disbelief and enjoy the whirlwind adventure. Ages 8–12. A Scholastic hardcover. (June)

Publishers Weekly - Audio

11/01/2014
Gr 3–7—Michael has been feeling a bit off lately. He feels a tightness of breath, which the doctors say is asthma, but he knows better—something is happening to him. A freak accident helps him discover his ability to alter time, which catapults him from everyday kid to new recruit in UNICORNE. The secret organization is dedicated to unearthing supernatural events, and they need Michael's help. In exchange, they'll provide information on his father, who disappeared three years ago. Desperate to find his father and gain a better understanding of his abilities, Michael agrees. Raphael Corkhill narrates the book using various tones and pitches for each character. Those expecting a fast-paced novel will be disappointed by the story's long build up and characters that seem more adult. Strictly an additional purchase where the print version is popular or for clamoring fans of d'Lacey's "Dragon Chronicles" (Scholastic) series.—Katie Llera, Bound Brook High School, NJ

School Library Journal - Audio

04/14/2014
D’Lacey (the Last Dragon Chronicles) launches the UFiles series with a fast-paced yet convoluted offering. When teenager Michael Malone rescues a stray dog, it sets off a chain of events in which he learns he can alter reality under emotional duress, such as changing history so his sister has always played the flute. He is subsequently recruited by an enigmatic agency known as UNICORNE, which may know what happened to Michael’s missing father. However, UNICORNE’s leader, Amadeus Klimt, doesn’t necessarily have Michael’s best interests at heart, constantly forcing him to expand and explore his powers in new ways. In investigating the ties between the dog, a new classmate, and a girl who died several years earlier, Michael is swept up in a strange adventure that’s part murder mystery, part reality-twisting trial by fire. The premise has plenty of potential, but the storytelling suffers from too many disparate elements and a lack of focus. Some twists are unclear, others ask a lot of readers, and the ending leaves many questions unanswered. Ages 8–12. Agency: Johnson & Alcock Literary Agency. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for the Last Dragon Chronicles

"Chris d'Lacey's writing is sometimes exciting and sometimes silly. But that seems in keeping with the worlds he created -- one that seems almost real and one that is beyond imagination." --THE WASHINGTON POST
"An entertaining adventure." --KIRKUS REVIEWS
"D'Lacey's characters are realistic and engaging. . . . A page-turner." --THE HORN BOOK
"The story, with its involving and thought-provoking plot full of clever little dragons, mystical polar bears, and spiritual and ecological aspects, will appeal to many fantasy lovers." --SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

From the Publisher

The strangeness began one morning as Michael Malone’s mother was driving him and his sister Josie to school. They had to travel the coast road because of flooding when they were stopped at a roadblock; suddenly Michael jumped from the car to save a dog that was about to go over the cliff, or at least that is how it seemed to witnesses. Actually, Michael somehow knew the dog planned to jump and managed to stop time briefly. This incident is just the beginning. Michael is instantly a hero, but he attracts the attention of UNICORNE, a secret agency that studies paranormal activity. He is approached by Mr. Amadeus Klimt, a man who knew Michael’s father who has been missing for some time. Apparently, Mr. Malone was an agent of UNICORNE. If Michael will use his new ability to stop time to help Mr. Klimt, he will then assist Michael in finding his father. Michael decides he has no choice but to work with Mr. Klimt and thus embarks on an adventurous summer in which he learns to use his newfound talent to solve the mystery surrounding a young girl who died on the coast where he had saved the dog. The conclusion of this fast-paced story will leave readers wanting more. Reviewer: Shirley Nelson; Ages 8 to 12.

Children's Literature - Shirley Nelson

03/01/2014
Gr 6–8—"It was the day Mom took the coast road to school. The day I tried to save a suicidal husky. One day before I would begin to wonder if my father was still alive." So begins Michael Malone's journey and this first installment in the "UNICORNE Files." Michael's father disappeared three years ago without a trace. Lately, Michael's been experiencing lightheadedness and shortness of breath, which the doctors diagnose as asthma. Even more strangely, Michael begins to notice after these episodes is that his reality has changed—his sister, who never played the instrument before, is a violinist, and an au pair is suddenly part of the family but his mother and sister act as if she's always been there. Baffled, Michael soon meets Amadeus Klimt, the leading member of a covert organization called UNICORNE. Klimt tells Michael that his father may still be alive, but in order to find out for sure, Michael must agree to take on an assignment for the secret agency. This book will hook readers from page one and won't let up until the dramatic conclusion. D'Lacey manages to make the implausible seem possible. While many questions are left unanswered, they are likely to be answered in the next installment. Fans of action-packed adventure will devour this new series.—Kathy Kirchoefer, Henderson County Public Library, NC

School Library Journal

2014-02-26
This admixture of suspicious deaths, ghosts, shifting realities, weird science, teen issues, family issues, secret organizations and unexplained events in a British town will all, no doubt, come clear in future episodes. As the story opens, Michael suddenly develops the ability to read a suicidal dog's intentions and teleport himself a short distance to rescue it. After this remarkable occurrence, he is forcibly inducted into a group called UNexplained Incidents, Cryptic Occurrences, Relative Nontemporal Events by the sinister, inhumanly strong Amadeus Klimt and his hot, surly, butt-kicking assistant Chantelle. Learning that he can alter events by "imagineering" himself into alternate universes, Michael squeaks past multiple murder attempts while stumbling through a nightmarish mystery. This involves moody goth schoolmate Freya and Rafferty, the killed (but not gone, thanks to "cellular memory") former owner of both the dog and Freya's transplanted heart. For comic relief, d'Lacey adds a younger but smarter sister to expedite Michael's relations with the opposite sex. He also chucks in strange revelations about their long-missing father, a luridly icky science lab scene, dragons, unicorns, UFOs (possibly), a melodramatic climax featuring literal cliffhanging and several encounters with dead teens. No genre trope is left in the basket, making the result more a crazy quilt than a free-standing series opener. (Fantasy/science fiction. 11-13)

Kirkus Reviews