“A first-rate fantasy for middle-grade readers. Like Harry Potter,... Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series,... and Trenton Lee Stewart’s Mysterious Benedict Society books.” —<i>Booklist</i>, Starred<br> <br> “A vivid, compelling fantasy that sends you off to a world you will not soon forget.” —Norton Juster, author of <i>The Phantom Tollbooth</i><br> <br> How can twelve-year-old Gabriel find his missing father, who seems to have vanished without a trace? With the help of Paladin—a young raven with whom he has a magical bond that enables them to become one creature—he flies to the foreboding land of Aviopolis, where he must face a series of difficult challenges and unanswerable riddles that could lead to his father... or to his death.<br><br>"...brimful of antic energy and inventive flair, like the best middle-grade fantasies; readers, like baby birds, will devour it and clamor for future installments." —<i>Kirkus Reviews</i>