Grey Griffins

infobox Novel series |
name = Grey Griffins
books = The Revenge of the Shadow King The Rise of the Black Wolf The Fall of the Templar The Immortals


image_caption = The logo of the Grey Griffins book series.
author = Derek Benz and J. S. Lewis
illustrator = August Hall
cover_artist = Richard Amari
country = United States and Canada
language = English
genre = Children's literature, Science Fiction, fantasy
publisher = Orchard Books (an imprint of Scholastic Inc)
pub_date = March 2006 – present
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"Grey Griffins" is a novel series written by American authors Derek Benz and J. S. Lewis in collaboration [ [http://www.greygriffins.com/index.html Official Grey Griffins Website] "Retrieved on 4/22/08"] . The Grey Griffins series consists of three books with a fourth installment expected in 2009. [ [http://www.greygriffins.com/book4.html The Immortals] "Retrieved on 4/22/08"] [ [http://www.greygriffins.com/book4B.html The Immortals Chapter One] "Retrieved on 4/22/08] [ [http://www.greygriffins.com/book4C.html#story The Immortals Chapter Two] "Retrieved on 4/22/08"] [ [http://www.greygriffins.com/book4D.html#story The Immortals Chapter Three] "Retrieved on 4/22/08"] [ [http://www.greygriffins.com/book4.html#synopsis The Immortals Chapter Four] "Retrieved on 4/22/08"] The series follows the story of four friends who form the Order of the Grey Griffin. The leader of the Order, Max Sumner, is a descendant of a long line of Templar Knights and the Guardian of the "Codex Spiritus". The "Codex" releases mystical creatures into the universe and the Grey Griffins with the help of the Templar Knights battle creatures for the fate of the Earth. The series has been fairly reviewed, a recurring problem of the Grey Grffins series are the stereotypical characters of the series. [ [http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6320846.html?q=The+Revenge+of+the+Shadow+King School Library Journal's Review of the Revenge of the Shadow King] "Retrieved on 4/22/08"] [ [http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6537040.html?q=The+Fall+of+the+Templar School Library Journal's Review of The Fall of the Templar] "Retrieved on 4/22/08"] [ [http://www.bordersstores.com//search/title_detail.jsp?id=55157118&ref=list+harrypotteralts Children's Literature's review of The Revenge of the Shadow King] "Retrieved on 4/22/08"]

Plot

The Grey Griffins series follows the story of 4 twelve year olds who live in the fictional city of Avalon, Minnesota. Those four friends form a secret order named The Order Grey Griffins, consisting of, Grayson Maximillian Sumner III (Max)and his friends: Natalia Romanov, Ernie Tweeny, and Harley Eisenstein, who form the Order of the Grey Griffins. In the "The Revenge of the Shadow King", the Grey Griffins play a magical card game named Round Table. Their trainer in the game, Iver, plays with them when Max plays the Oberon card. After the game is over, Max receives disturbing news that his grandfather, William Caliburn, has died in a mysterious accident. That night Max discovers a magical book in his Grandparent's attic and accidentally summons a spriggan by the name of Sprig into the world. Max takes the book home and starts to have strange nightmares. Max soon discovers that when he played the Oberon Shadow King card, that he released Oberon's Gate onto Fairly Hill and that if they did not close the gate before it touched the ground, Oberon would be released into the world and would kill human race with his army of faries. Iver explains that the great Templar Knights are still alive and that they fight magical monsters. He also explains that Max's grandfather was also one of those Templar Knights and that Max was to be one to someday. He trains the Grey Griffins to fight monsters and how to trap monsters inside of the Codex. Then the Grey Griffins discover that King Author's stepsister Morgan la Fey is still alive and trying to help release Oberon from his eternal prison. She captures Iver and tortures him until the Grey Griffins free him from certain death. The Grey Griffins also suddenly receive a new teacher at Kings Elementary who teaches the class about Templar Knights. The Grey Griffin's friend Ray Fisher suddenly disappeared after being found lastly with Morgan la Fey. Ray wishes for immortality and is turned into changeling by Morgan and completely disappears. When the Grey Griffins discover where Fairy Hill, they are confronted by Morgan and Ray. The Griffins are supported by their new teacher who turns out to be a fairy and by Logan who turns out to be a Templar Knight. By defeating Morgan, Oberon is blocked from entering the world and the Griffin's teacher dies in the battle on Fairy Hill. There at that battle, Max discovers that he has a power activated when hes angry. This powers allows him to shoot blue flames up his arm and attack his target with that power. A name had yet to be discovered for the power.

In "The Rise of the Black Wolf" Max and his friends travel to his fathers in castle in Scotland for Christmas. There, the Grey Griffins meet Athena, a Templar T.H.O.R. secret agent planted there to protect the Griffins from any danger that may cause a threat to the Griffins during there trip to Scotland. After spending weeks at the castle, The castle is attacked by a ancient society: The Black Wolfs. The Black Wolfs destroyed the castle and left a ransom notice from the Black Witch: Morgan la Fey. They are told that if they do not bring the three scattered pieces of the Spear of Ragnorok, that she would kill Max's father: Lord Sumner. Without any other choice, the Grey Griffins travel around the world in search of the magical pieces of the spear. Once they had gathered the first two pieces of the spear, they discovered that the final pieces were located in the headquarters of the Black Wolfs. The Grey Griffins are separated in the headquarters leaving Max alone to find the final piece. Once he found the final segment, he was forced to look into a magical mirror. The mirror showed thousands of dead magical creatures in a war scared wasteland. Max is shocked to find that the tyrant is himself as a adult, and with him is his true love, Brooke. The mirror was a trap to delay him and the room started to fall apart. Max escapes but is then taken captive by the Black Wolfs and dragged with his friends to the Black Wolf. The Griffins then discover that one of their bodyguards at the castle was a part of the Black Wolfs, and that Max's father was working with the Black Witch the entire time. Ernie bravely tries to fight for the spear but is thrown into a magical coma, leaving him in the hospital at the conclusion of the book as Max swears revenge on his father.

In the "The Fall of the Templar", The T.H.O.R. secret agents led by Logan and Søren journey to Iceland in search of Lord Saxon's Diary. Lord Saxon was one of the first travelers that traveled all through the world. Each journey was recorded in his diary, but the his final journey, was the one when he navigates through the Underworld in which he gives the details of his navigation through the pit of hell. As T.H.O.R. arrived, they discover several dead Black Wolfs killed by Tundra Trolls as they also searched for the diary. As the T.H.O.R. agent study the area, Logan finds the coffin of Lord Saxon and the diary along with a skeleton. As Logan reaches for the diary, the skeleton come to life and grabs Logan. Then the T.H.O.R. agents are attacked by Tundra Trolls. As they killed the skeleton and the Tundra Troll fell to the ground Logan recovers the diary as the entire area falls apart.

Meanwhile, the Grey Griffins constantly visit Ernie in the hospital as he falls deeper into his horrible magical coma. At school, the Grey Griffins are summoned from school to visit Ernie in the hospital. But on there way from their school, they encounter a bully and Harley and the bully begin to fight. Dr. Blackstone breaks up the fight and insults both children. Then Brooke's father, Baron Lundgren, stops Blackstone from further insults and saves the Griffins from trouble. Later that day Max's mother received not reading:

"Annika Sumner

You will allow Maximillian to join his father for the holiday. If you try, in any way, to defy his will again, you will again, you will loose custody of both Grayson and Hannah. The lawyers have already been notified.

Sincerely,

Ursula

Chief Counsel

Sumner Enterprises"

Iver then tells the Griffins that the Black Wolfs led by Lord Sumner, are destroying Templar Knight outpost all around the world. He then tells them that The Grand Templar Council would be meeting in Malta to discuss the problem. Max and the Griffins are saddened to discover his departure. Suddenly, Max is followed and harassed by ravens constantly. The night of his first attack, Max is summoned by Sprig to quickly help save Ernie before he dies. With little time to spare, Max summons a bottle of fairy blood and forces the drink down his throat. Because he drunk the potion, Ernie automatically fully recovered but in turn truned into a changeling, and he starts to receive powers, and everytime he uses one of his powers, he becomes more and more of a fairy. Then Max is called before the Templar High Council to be tested to see if he can be trusted. He discovers that the true form of the Codex is a gauntlet and that the name of his anger controlled power is called Skyfire. Weeks later, the Templars discover that Lord Sumner will stab The World Tree which would give him unlimited power. But in order to do so he would have to get past The Great Dragon. The only way to stop him was to go through the Underworld and find the Eye of Odin. A party led by Baron Lugdren travels through the Underworld and finds the Eye of Odin. Together, Max and Athena confront Lord Sumner but are stopped, and Lord Sumner takes the eye and absorbs the power of the tree and engages in battle with the Great Dragon. Max decides to allow his father to live instead of killing him with the spear. Ultimately, it is Max's act of mercy that allows the world to be saved, as the Great dragon rests again. As the fight ends Athena reveals that she works with Dracula and steals the spear.

List of novels

*"The Revenge of the Shadow King" [ [http://www.greygriffins.com/book1.html The Revenge of the Shadow King synopsis] "Retrieved on 4/22/08"]
**Grey Griffins Book One
**Release date: March 2006
*"The Rise of the Black Wolf" [ [http://www.greygriffins.com/book2.html The Rise of the Black Wolf synopsis] "Retrieved on 4/22/08"]
**Grey Griffins Book Two
**Release date: January 2007
*"The Fall of the Templar" [ [http://www.greygriffins.com/book3.html The Fall of the Templar synopsis] "Retrieved on 4/22/08"]
**Grey Griffins Book Three
**Release date: January 2008
*"The Immortals" [ [http://www.greygriffins.com/book4.html The Immortals preview] "Retrieved on 4/22/08"]
**Grey Griffins Book four
**"'Release date: due August 1

List of major characters

* Grayson Maximillian Sumner III / Max Sumner [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Sumner]
*Natalia Romanov
*Ernest Tweeny(Ernie)
*Harley Eisenstein
*Logan
*Olaf Iverson
*Morgan LaFey
*Sprig
*Dr. Diamonte Blackstone
*King Arthur
*Brooke Lundgren
*Ray Fisher
*Lord Sumner

Promotional video

A promotional video was released on the Grey Griffins official website. The video gives first look at the trading card game to be released in 2009. It also features quotes from teachers, librarians and others who have read the book across America. [ [http://www.greygriffins.com/multimedia.html Grey Griffin Promo video] "Retrieved on 4/22/08"]

Reception and criticism

The Children's Literature Review states that The Revenge of the Shadow King is "imaginative" and that "the story's fast-paced, adventure plot is compelling" but that it "lacks depth, as it fails to connect with the larger question asked by great fantasy literature." [ [http://www.borderstores.com/search/title_detail.jsp?id=55157118&ref=list+harrypotteralts Children's Literature's review of The Revenge of the Shadow King] "Retrieved on 4/22/08"] The review concludes that "Overall the book is a good read, even if it is not great literature." [ [http://www.borderstores.com/search/title_detail.jsp?id=55157118&ref=list+harrypotteralts Children's Literature's review of The Revenge of the Shadow King] "Retrieved on 4/22/08"] Numerous reviews [ [http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6320846.html?q=The+Revenge+of+the+Shadow+King School Library Journal's Review of the Revenge of the Shadow King] "Retrieved on 4/22/08"] [ [http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6537040.html?q=The+Fall+of+the+Templar School Library Journal's review of The Fall of the Templar] "Retrieved on 4/22/08"] [ [http://www.bordersstores.com//search/title_detail.jsp?id=55157118&ref=list+harrypotteralts Children's Literature's review of The Revenge of the Shadow King] "Retrieved on 4/22/08"] describe the characters as "stereotypical." The School Library Journal said in their review of The Rise of the Black Wolf that the book is "practically unreadable" due to its "surfeit of strung together clichés and hyperbole." [ [http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6421643.html?q=The+Rise+of+the+Black+Wolf School Library Journal's review of The Rise of the Black Wolf] "Retrieved on 4/22/08"]

References

External links

* [http://www.greygriffins.com Official website of the Grey Griffins Books]
* [http://www.scholastic.com Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.]