October 23, 2023
A terrifying local legend tests the mettle of a resolute trio of sixth graders in the first installment of this grisly horror series by Loran Clark (The Lock-Eater) and Eliopulos (the Minecraft Stonesword Saga). Emrys is excited to move to New Rotterdam despite the town’s gloomy atmosphere; after all, it’s a “hot spot for urban legends,” and the home of his best friend Hazel, a fellow creepypasta fanatic and cataloger of New Rotterdam lore on the town’s active wiki. Though he feels like a third wheel around Hazel’s childhood friend and cryptid skeptic Serena, Emrys champions teamwork when a power outage prompts the middle schoolers to investigate a shadowy neighbor’s ruined apartment, from which they’re hurled into another dimension embroiled in a conflict between two opposing magical organizations. Guided by a deadpan talking spell book, the friends confront a demonic hourglass named The Wandering Hour that spells gruesome doom for anyone who gazes upon it. This dark plot-driven adventure, sprinkled with insightful New Rotterdam wiki entries, winking humor, and heaps of horror sensibilities, is unsettlingly creepy. Emrys and Hazel are white, and Serena is Black. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. Agent: (for Loran Clark) Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary; (for Eliopulos) Josh Adams, Adams Literary.
