The Blackhope Enigma

by Teresa Flavin

Overview

An ancient painting, a magical labyrinth, and skeletons found in a locked room.

For centuries, Blackhope Tower has been shrouded in intrigue, centering on a labyrinth and painting in the Mariner's Chamber. When fourteen-year-old Sunni Forrest visits the tower and sees her stepbrother, Dean, disappear, seemingly into the painting itself, she must find him and risk being drawn into the heart of the Blackhope enigma. This action-packed debut follows Dean, Sunni, and her friend Blaise on a journey to the heart of an age-old mystery.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763662066
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	08/28/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	48,096
Lexile:	690L (what's this?)
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Teresa Flavin was born in New York and studied art in Boston and at Syracuse University. After moving to Glasgow, Scotland, she was awarded a Scottish Arts Council New Writers Bursary. She has illustrated a number of picture books. THE BLACKHOPE ENIGMA is her first novel. Teresa Flavin lives in Glasgow, Scotland.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Sunni and her stepbrother Dean enter a labyrinth and are transported into the exciting-and treacherous- layers of a 16th-century Italian painting, where swashbuckling, map reading, monster dodging, and romance are routine.
—Scholastic Parent & Child

Flavin's novel is full of twists and unique characterization; these characters keep the reader wondering who can be trusted. The book is fast-paced and full of mystery and fantasy-a good combination for young readers.
—Library Media Connection

Editorial Reviews

Sunni and her stepbrother Dean enter a labyrinth and are transported into the exciting-and treacherous- layers of a 16th-century Italian painting, where swashbuckling, map reading, monster dodging, and romance are routine.
—Scholastic Parent & Child

Flavin's novel is full of twists and unique characterization; these characters keep the reader wondering who can be trusted. The book is fast-paced and full of mystery and fantasy-a good combination for young readers.
—Library Media Connection

From the Publisher

People have been intrigued by the legends concerning Fausto Corvo's enchanted paintings for centuries. As classmates, Sunni and Blaise, are studying The Mariner's Return to Arcadia hanging in Blackhope Tower, then Sunni's stepbrother Dean begins walking the labyrinth laid in stones on the floor. Suddenly, Dean disappears and the other two spot him in the painting. They follow. The three teenagers begin in Arcadia, and soon become entangled in a maze of adventures as they pass through layers of paintings separated by thin white walls. They meet people who have been living in these strange lands for over five hundred years. They fight terrifying monsters, and they outwit conniving villains who are intent on destroying them. All the while they are searching for a labyrinth as their passage home. A compelling fantasy featuring memorable characters and a fast-moving plot. An excerpt of the sequel, The Crimson Shard, appears in the back. Reviewer: Phyllis Kennemer, Ph.D.

Children's Literature - Phyllis Kennemer

Gr 4–7—This novel presents the intriguing premise that because of a 16tth- century artist's exploration of the magical arts, a person can physically enter one of Corvo's paintings. Sunni, 14, and her younger stepbrother, Dean, accidentally enter one such painting when they visit Blackhope Tower and walk a labyrinth in Mariner's Champer. They are followed by Sunni's friend Blaise, who wants to rescue them. The children travel through various layers, looking for a way back to the real world. The outer layer is completely dead, with no movement or speech, just what the world sees when the painting is viewed. However, as the children travel along, they meet several nefarious characters as well as some helpful ones. No rules apply in the painting's world: a talented artist with the assistance of some sorcery can draw someone's picture, trapping him within it; invisible monsters stalk the labyrinth; boats magically appear to offer aid; and an artist can hide his other magical paintings so that they are inaccessible to villains. The unusual premise is quite involving. Granted, some characters are a bit two-dimensional but many fairly jump off the pages. Recommended for lovers of mythology and monsters, mystery and magic.—B. Allison Gray, Goleta Public Library, CA

School Library Journal

Video games and themes parks are no match for the world Il Corvo created.

Centuries ago, Fausto Corvo, an artist as famous for his works as for his knowledge of astral magic, disappeared along with paintings rumored to be enchanted; that is, canvasespeople could literally enter. Over the years, Il Corvo has been hunted by many; most notably, the power-hungry Soranzo and a rival, Bellini, anxious to steal Il Corvo's secrets. When Sunni's stepbrother Dean accidentally entersThe Mariner's Return to Arcadia, which hangs in Blackhope Tower, she and school chum Blaise follow. As they traverse a fantastic labyrinth of the artist's making—one layer, one underpainting, after another—they confront fearful creatures and are pursued by villains as desperate to locate Il Corvo as the threesome are to find their way home. The plot, like a labyrinth, is full of unexpected twists, and there are threats to be faced at every turn. The settings are described in detail, and interesting facts about painting techniques are cleverly interwoven. The three youngsters each respond differently to the challenges presented by the journey and return home changed but ready to continue their day-to-day lives—just as the characters trapped in Il Corvo's painting will continue theirs.

Readers raised on Jon Agee'sThe Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau(1988) will be delighted with Flavin's fully-realized, action-packed debut.(Fantasy. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews