The Ring of Honor, a return to form for middle school fun reading

Everyone hits a moment where things don’t click and that goes for book series too. That was the case with the Secrets of the Seven book series by Sarah. L. Thomson. The first book in the series The Eureka Key was a fabulous first book in the series. It was quickly paced, relatable for kids 9 and up and felt like a kidlit cousin to the film National Treasure. At the end of the first book I was waiting for the second book. When it did the next year, The Eagle’s Quill failed to deliver. It was darker, didn’t have the punch of the first one and left us lukewarm about a third book. The Ring of Honor returns to the swagger and fun that populated the first book so well and makes this a book that kids will really enjoy reading.

Moreover, this is a book that doesn’t require too much prologue and that’s a great thing for many reasons. It doesn’t focus on the back history of the characters. There is some previously mentioned drama and back story, but they’re covered in short order. One of the main characters will casually slip an earlier reference, explain it and then move on. The book moves so quickly and covers things so well that even new readers won’t be confused as to what’s happening.

If you did read the first two books, The Ring of Honor mainly concentrates on Sam, Theo and Marty. They’re in New York City looking for the next clue. It’s a physical object that centers on Alexander Hamilton. The three track down a residence where Hamilton might’ve lived and someone by the same surname still resides there. They can’t take too much time in finding the clues or staying in one place because if The Founders and Gideon Arnold catch up to them there could be lethal consequences.

The melodrama that made the second book a bit of drag isn’t anywhere to be seen here. In their place are fast locations, tween/teen humor and action sequences that are real enough to be dangerous, even though we suspect our history hunters will get past them. It also leaves readers with the same curious and upbeat feeling that they had at the end of the first book.