The Chronicles of the Virago Book Three: The Triumviratus by Michael Bialys is a middle grade fantasy that continues the story of a thirteen year old girl with a powerful destiny. Makenna Grace Gold, the Virago, is charged with protecting her infant siblings, Noah and Emilyne. The twins are fated to be the hope for the future of the world. Makenna is guided by her fairy mentors, Marigold Frith and Bree and Dee Delphine. But after her father’s soul is stolen, it is up to her friends, Sam and Stephen to rescue her father’s spirit from the Under Realms. Can they succeed before it’s too late?

I enjoyed reading this dramatic book for the creativity in its setting and plot. My favorite part was the scenes of Sam and Stephen figuring out how to get past the levels in order to try to complete their mission. I liked the way the two plot lines were woven together with the boys working to recover the soul of Makenna’s father while Makenna stayed with Noah and Emi to protect them and covered for her friends’ absence. There were some humorous moments when two of the fairies changed their appearance and took the place of Sam and Stephen, and Fluffy the talking earthworm turned in to Makenna’s dad. 

While there is plenty of entertainment to be had in this book alone, to best enjoy it and appreciate the depth of the overall story, I think this book should be read after book one and two in The Chronicles of the Virago series. The beginning of the story might be a bit confusing for readers who have not read the previous books. There are certain details about various characters that are not fully explained in this book, and I think readers will pick up on all these interesting details if they already know the backstory revealed in the other books.

There is an impressive and fascinating ensemble cast within this book. The story was told from multiple points of view of more than half a dozen different characters, which was handled well overall. However, I felt that some of the changes in point of view happened frequently and there were places where I would have enjoyed staying with the character a bit longer before switching to another character.

The Chronicles of the Virago Book Three: The Triumviratus is a stimulating children’s adventure novel that fans of magical realism and adventure stories will find entertaining.

Pages: 353 | ASIN: B0B6758HHD

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/11/27/the-chronicles-of-the-virago-2/