Customer Reviews

The Rise of the Black Wolf (Grey Griffins, Book 2)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Eleven-year-old Grayson Maximillian Sumner III, or Max, used to believe he led a boring life in an ordinary town. But ever since he discovered an ancient book called THE CODEX in his grandmother's attic, life has spun into an unbelievable adventure. He has learned that he is related to King Arthur and part of an elite group called The Templar Knights, whose members are devoted to protecting the world against evil. Max's new job is Guardian of the Codex, and it's no small task. However, he does have three best friends to help, and together the Grey Griffins, as they call themselves, bravely face all sorts of scary creatures like goblins, bone crunchers and fireball pixies.

As Christmas approaches, the Grey Griffins receive an invitation to visit Scotland where Max's rich dad lives. They expect awesome gifts and a peaceful vacation from school, but they're only half right. The Scottish castle is stocked full of amazing comic books, a unicorn Ferris wheel, go-carts and a racing track, a pool-sized aquarium and unending amounts of yummy things to eat. However, the trip is in no way relaxing. Before they even get to Scotland, their plane is attacked by Kobolds, soldiers of the Black Witch. Thanks to Logan, Max's bodyguard and member of the Templar Knights, they manage to escape and make it safely to the castle.

Of course the Grey Griffins have to explore the castle, and the very first night they sneak off into the darkness. They discover a hidden room filled with unexplainable artifacts, including a painting of King Arthur's son holding the Spear of Ragnarok, made at the same time and out of the same material as the famous sword Excalibur. They also find a secret map of the castle property, with one spot marked as The Witching Well. The Grey Griffins aren't aware of the important roles that these items will play in their near future.

All too soon, another attack descends, this time by the Black Wolf Society, an army of indestructible werewolves. Once again, they barely escape with their lives, taking refuge in the Templar Library where they finally learn what they're up against. The Black Witch and the Black Wolf Society have kidnapped Max's father. In return for his life, they want the Spear of Ragnarok with which they can rule the world. According to a prophesy, only a boy guarding the Codex will be able to find the three parts of the spear and reassemble them --- and Max is that person. He and the Grey Griffins set out to save his dad, but they have no idea of the obstacles they will have to face nor do they know about the evil spies hidden amongst them.

Fans who have eagerly awaited this sequel to THE REVENGE OF THE SHADOW KING will not be disappointed. Non-stop adventure and excitement bombard the likable heroes throughout the pages. Vivid descriptions will put readers right next to Max and his friends as they fight for peace and freedom. And it's not over yet, as a third book is lined up for the Grey Griffins. Authors Derek Benze and J. S. Lewis have delivered another winner!

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman

The Grey Griffins series if packed full of mystery, suspense and fantasy. Although rated appropriate for 9-12 year olds, parents might want to consider the higher age range. The books are fascinating however the types of monsters and violent actions the Griffins go through I feel may not be appropriate for younger readers. It's a series I think kids will enjoy but parents should use caution.

The Rise of the Black Wolf

Are you interested in a book filled with action, mystery and non-stop surprises? If so, you must read The Rise of the Black Wolf. If you enjoyed this book, you will also enjoy the first and second book as well.
It starts with the Griffins which are the four main characters and one is the guardian of a book called the Codex Spitrus. So the Griffins go and have a snowball fight when they find a symbol on the ground and their friend Iver tells them it's the Black Wolf society symbol. They are evil. The good guys are the Templars, they are like knights, but better. The four main characters names are Max, Natalie, Harley, and Ernie. My favorite is Max. If you also like magic there are faries and the Codex Spitrus can trap the faries in the book forever. There is someone else who is really cool and his name is Vlad Dracula. He is different from Dracula because he doesn't drink blood and his full name is Prince Vlad Dracula. He is with the good guys and is their best man. With a sword and the speed of light he is very powerful. About in the middle Max and his friends get to go to his dad's house and boy is he rich. If you read it it seams he has a trillion dollars, but he turns out being bad. He is actually a commander to the Black Wolves.
I think my favorite part in the book was when Max is trying to recover the spear of Raganock to destroy the bad guys. The spear is the most powerful weapon in the world. It stands for doomsday and could destroy a country in a blink of an eye. If the black wolves get it it could be the end, but I don't want to give it away.
From this book I think I learned to listen to your elders because Max almost got himself killed and so did his friends about four times. So I would listen to your elders if I were you.

I thought this book was great so I'm going to give it five stars.

I boght this for my Husband for his birthday and he loved this book, he has read the entire series and loves all of the books.

i will give this book the same review as the revenge of the shadow king. the second grey griffins book is another real thrill ride! you will want to read it over and over! again this book is emmensely scary(to younger children) not for children uner 5.

If you have read the first book "The Revenge of the Shadow King" and liked it, than you will love this one. It pulls you in from the first page. Great reading!

The Rise of the Black Wolf is the second book of the Grey Griffins trilogy, a series of young adult, modern fantasy novels. The story picks up about a season or two after the last book; it's almost Christmas and during the down time Max has gained some experience in using the magic of the Codex, his mystical book of faerie. The four friends have been cleaning up some of the rogue and renegade faerie in the forests around Avalon, Minnesota from the fall out of the previous book, using the Codex to capture and trap the faerie within its pages.

While Max discovers more about his legacy regarding his lineage to King Arthur and his family's involvement in a secret Templar society, he gets a telegram from his father for the Grey Griffins to join him for Christmas at his castle in Scotland. All four friends are excited, except Ernie of course, who tends to be nervous about everything, and prepare for their trip. It isn't too far along when the castle comes under siege by a group of werewolves called The Black Wolves Society who end up kidnapping Max's father.

The Grey Griffins learn that the Black Wolves are after an ancient artifact known as The Spear of Ragnarok, and apparently only the Guardian of the Codex can recover the pieces. The race begins for the Grey Griffins to find the pieces of the magical Spear and use it to rescue Max's father. An action adventure that leads to a very heart-rending, powerful revelation at the end.

The Rise of the Black Wolf is definitely geared for the young adult crowd, though adults will find the books an enjoyable read as well. Amazingly, this book does not suffer from the common `middle trilogy book' syndrome where the story only seems to be an overly long lead-in to the third book. In this book, instead, lies a great story that is worthy of standing on its own. A strong plot, excellent story telling and character development that picks up nicely where it left off, and provides the springboard for even more powerful story telling for the next book.

Benz and Lewis have done a marvelous job crafting the second book to the Grey Griffins trilogy and seem to have overcome the little errors in the first book. The story develops as well, becoming more mature in tone than the first book, seemingly to parallel the character development within. Again, the authors are spot on in style and are able to maintain a fluid tale that carries the reader into the book three. Another great book for a good relaxing weekend!

When I read the first Grey Griffins book, The Revenge of the Shadow King, I found it very fun but had mixed feelings about its quality as an actual book. There were many random action events that seemed to come out of nowhere, and many plot elements I felt went underused. On the positive side, I really liked the character interactions and some of the characterizations - at least for Max and Natalia, as Ernie and Harley were underdeveloped.

The sequel deals with all of those complaints, while keeping the strengths from the first book. Right in the first chapter, we learn some of Ernie and Harley's background, and the two are further developed throughout the book, particularly Ernie, who plays some surprisingly important roles.

The action picks up very quickly. I won't spoil what happens, but I will say that this time, there's far fewer random elements and much more things that connect together, with a more cohesive overall plot, and many surprises. I was genuinely surprised and impressed.

Natalia retains her inquisitive demeanor and love of snooping. Max is, like before, more interested in being with friends and family than he is with his family's massive wealth. His personal problems are explored in greater detail than anyone else's backstory, as he is the primary main character after all.

The story does follow roughly the same formula as the previous. The four friends go on adventures, get rescued by adults, have some backstory dumped on them (there's one entire chapter that's mostly dialog and backstory, with no action), and the final adventure involves the kids going at it alone. Only this time, the formula has been tweaked to near perfection. There's more logical reasons for why these things happen, and it just feels more designed and well thought out.

If this is a sign of things to come, then I have high hopes for this series. The series' trademarks - lots of friendly banter between the kids, plot dumping in the form of dialog from adult mentors, and lots of close calls - will probably remain consistent throughout. But as long as these trademarks and handled with care so that they form a well flowing narrative rather than a mixed bag, the result will be a lot of fun.

After I read revenge of the shadow king I just had to read this one! The book is a grabbing story for all ages! It had a fantastic blend between historical myth (yes historical myth) but with it's own twist. These two men are artists!

It all starts out with the Grey Griffins on yet another adventure, only this time it's in Scotland! The Grey Griffins are invited to spend the winter holidays in Scotland with Max's father. Before they are set to leave, max has to deal with his mother and a couple of brownies and a Pucca that attack max as he sleeps. When they finally arrive to Scotland after a bumpy plane ride, it is ever kids dream, massive collections of rare comic books for Ernie, a personal garage for harley, a unicorn room for Natalia and a vacation with max's dad.

Every thing is going great they are exploring the castle and uncovering small mysteries, but soon max's father is called away on business only to be kidnapped by a group of werewolves called the black wolf society. The ransom? The spear of Ragnorak (sp?) what will max do? nobody has seen the spear in centuries! and what is this of a strange prophecy?

This is a great story that includes werewolves, vampires, magic, templar knights, and lots of faeries. It is a fantastic tale interwoven with fantasy, magic, and history all put in one! I recommend this to everybody who reads this review! and i can not wait until the last book, supposedly coming out this winter!

Derek Benz and J.S. Lewis add another to the 'Grey Griffins' series with RISE OF THE BLACK WOLF, a story of Max and his Grey Griffin friends who are invited to a Scottish castle for a relaxing summer vacation. When Max's father is missing and some werewolves attack, Max and his friends find themselves on a magical adventure mission. No prior familiarity with the Grey Griffins series is required to appreciate this new adventure.