Operation Storm City: The Guild of Specialists Book 3 (Guild Specialists) [Hardcover]

Joshua Mowll (Author), Various (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 12, 2009 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Guild Specialists (Book 3)

Danger and intrigue follow Becca and Doug into the Desert of Death in the gripping climactic episode of the Guild of Specialists trilogy.

Deep in the Sinkiang Desert in China, forces converge in the race to find Ur-Can — the fabled Storm City. Becca and Doug are desperate to reach the lost city and discover their parents’ fate, but enemies, old and new, threaten to arrive fi rst and take control of the ancient machine located there. Can Doug and Becca solve the fi nal mystery and stop the power-hungry General Pugachev from endangering the planet — or will they find their parents only to lose them forever? Weaving in maps, vintage photos, and gatefolds, this fi nal adventure is fi lled with special features, including a foldout of a formidable zeppelin airship.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5–10—Fearing for the safety of their British cartographer parents who have been searching for the fabled lost city of Ur-Can, Doug and Becca MacKenzie railroad their chaperone into going on a perilous mission to find them. Armed with research papers found in their parents' study, and accompanied by a pet Bengal tiger, the teens leave their home in India for the deserts of Sinkiang, China. This third book about the Honourable Guild of Specialists, a secret group of scientists and explorers, revolves around four gyrolabes that contain Tembla symbols that, when put together, reveal the whereabouts of Ur-Can. Knowing their parents may be the only ones able to decipher the code, the siblings have a race against time and a Russian bad guy who is certain to use the lost city for evil purposes. Returning to this installment is Julius Pembleton-Crozier (former Specialist and good guy gone bad) and Liberty da Vine, the MacKenzies' American pilot-chaperone who channels Amelia Earhart with her daredevil moxie. Historical fact and fantasy intertwine as technological marvels of the 1920s, such as the hydrogen-filled gondola and the Vickers Vimy fighter plane, are detailed in wonderfully illustrated gatefolds. These factual elements, which include a map of Sumatra's Toba volcano eruption, sidebars about such things as mustard gas, and illustrations of Cossack flamethrowers, make the hard-to-swallow elements about secret societies, codes, and technologies entirely believable. A great romp for history and mystery fans.—Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY
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About the Author

Joshua Mowll, a graphic artist for the U.K’s Mail on Sunday, debuted as an author-illustrator with Operation Red Jericho. He lives in London.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; 1 edition (May 12, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076364224X
• ISBN-13: 978-0763642242
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 1.2 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #302,461 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good end to a good series!, October 12, 2009

By 

J. Lyon "certified geek & gaper" (Fairfax, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Operation Storm City: The Guild of Specialists Book 3 (Guild Specialists) (Hardcover)

The final installment in the Guild of Specialists trilogy lives up to the first two, both in terms of the art and the story. But, the story is good and enjoyable, not great literature. It follows the adventures of the two teens through India and the deserts of central China. It's got all sorts of good stuff: ancient warriors, crazy Russian mercenaries, super high tech lost societies, conspiracies, in other words, all the good stuff!! But what makes the series so awesome, is the illustrations, diagrams and "photos" of artifacts. It's all a very well built little fantasy, complete with artifact numbers on all the illustrations. I'm glad he wrapped up the series, but I actually hope there's more to come.

5.0 out of 5 stars James bond for kids, November 4, 2009

By 

Wendy Stanton (Santa Cruz, Calif) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Operation Storm City: The Guild of Specialists Book 3 (Guild Specialists) (Hardcover)

This series has character for sure.I love the fold out pictures. Very clever and well written.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars book Operation Storm City, October 19, 2010

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Jen - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Operation Storm City: The Guild of Specialists Book 3 (Guild Specialists) (Hardcover)

Book came in timely manner for my son he was really happy and the quality was good. Only downfall was the binding along the inside of the book broke and there was a dent n the cover but still readable and that is all that really matteres to me.