Review: AMONG THE BARONS by Margaret Peterson Haddix

 

Rating: 4.25/5 stars

This book was probably the most unexpected of the series so far. We were introduced to a lot more characters and there were kind of two parts to the storyline. The first half is about Luke being at school and getting to meet Smits, and the second half is about Luke actually being among the barons, like the title says. 

Among the Barons takes us back to Luke’s point-of-view, like in the first two books. At this point, Luke has taken on the identity of Lee Grant, and we get to see him come more into that persona. It was especially interesting when we got to meet Lee’s family, who all know his secret, when we previously didn’t think they’d ever make an appearance in this series. 

I really enjoyed the character of Smithfield Grant, AKA Smits, and I thought he had a great character arc, even across this short of a book. As Lee’s brother, he knows that Lee is really dead, but he suspects foul play was involved. Can Luke really trust Smits? This book has a lot of secrets and mistrust and false alliances, moreso than in the previous installments, which I loved to read about. 

As a reader of primarily adult books at this point in my life and used to the subtlety of clues presented in those books, some of the foreshadowing here seemed a bit heavy-handed to me, but I think it would be great for someone actually in the 8-12 age range who’s still getting used to solving the mystery along with the book. And I will admit that there were still some reveals that caught me off-guard, so kudos to Haddix for that. 

I can’t decide yet which book in this series is my favorite so far as they are all pretty much equally awesome, but it might be this one if I was forced to choose. Each book in the Shadow Children series is so gripping and fast-paced and entertaining. It’s clear to me the direction the series is taking and what the overall ending will be, but I’m still looking forward to reading the next three books and seeing how it all plays out.