Join Tori, Hudson, and their gnome friends Malcolm and Seamus, in the exciting sequel to Quest for the Phoenix. When earthquakes and tornadoes shake the world, governments collapse along with the power grids and the internet. Tori and her family are cut off from the world, and the future seems bleak. Luckily, Malcolm has discovered an ancient prophecy that foretold this exact moment, and it says the young will lead the way into the future. Looking for answers from the long-lost mystics known only as the Weavers, Tori and Hudson travel North along the North Passage, a wild underground river. Facing illusions, fears, and magical challenges, they discover the Weavers and their place in the Tapestry of Life. Anyone trying to make sense of the world, and find light in the darkness, this story is for you.
Middle Grade / YA Fiction that will appeal to fantasy readers of all ages.
Join Tori, Hudson, and their gnome friends Malcolm and Seamus, in the exciting sequel to Quest for the Phoenix. When earthquakes and tornadoes shake the world, governments collapse along with the power grids and the internet. Tori and her family are cut off from the world, and the future seems bleak. Luckily, Malcolm has discovered an ancient prophecy that foretold this exact moment, and it says the young will lead the way into the future. Looking for answers from the long-lost mystics known only as the Weavers, Tori and Hudson travel North along the North Passage, a wild underground river. Facing illusions, fears, and magical challenges, they discover the Weavers and their place in the Tapestry of Life. Anyone trying to make sense of the world, and find light in the darkness, this story is for you.
Middle Grade / YA Fiction that will appeal to fantasy readers of all ages.
Tori strolled into math class with two minutes to spare. She dropped her purple bag onto the floor next to an open wooden desk by the window. She eased into the metal chair, which was already hot from the sunlight streaming in.
It was another sweltering day, the fifth in a row. The sky was the hazy, humid gray-blue of August, not the bright blue you’d see at the beginning of June. Tori’s brown curly hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, but some curls had poked out and stuck to her face in the humid heat.
“It’s a good thing it’s the last day of school, Julie,” Tori said to the girl sitting next to her. “I couldn’t take another day in this hot box!”
“You’re telling me!” the girl shook her head dramatically, long blonde hair swishing on her shoulders as she turned to look at Tori. “I was absolutely MELTING in English class. I don’t think the air works in that room at all.”
“Man, that’s awful,” Tori replied, “I’m glad I had English first period.” Julie turned back to talk with another classmate, and Tori looked outside.
The green grass was already starting to brown in the heat. Her mom had been going on about climate change this morning on their drive to school. A record-breaking year of hurricanes and heat waves was predicted for the summer. Tori’s family lived in farm country, and the weather was all people seemed to talk about. Worries about crops failing and the money that would be lost if the weather continued in this hot and dry pattern. Though she was so excited to be getting out of school for summer break, she wasn’t looking forward to all this heat! At least her air conditioning worked well at home, unlike the school’s.
Thinking about the heat, she remembered her adventure last summer, her secret Quest to save the Phoenix. She had traveled all the way to Scotland! Scotland definitely wasn’t a hot place! Even in the summer, she’d worn a hoodie. She wished she could go back there, instead of melting in this classroom, waiting to be bored by math problems.
She remembered her trip down the underground rivers with her gnome friends Malcolm and Seamus on the way to Scotland. They had met Gallywomps, fairies, and even a magical horse named Ahearn. And then there was the enchanted village of Billadoon where she helped the Phoenix be reborn. It was such an incredible adventure! Multiplication and fractions were not at all interesting compared to that. A small yawn escaped as she thought about the next hour of class.
She’d told her little brother Hudson about the Quest. She had even shown him the magic journal and stone that Malcolm and Seamus had given her last fall. But she hadn’t told anyone else. I mean, who else could she tell? Who would believe she’d gone on an actual quest to Scotland through underground rivers that no one had heard of and saved a Phoenix? Or that she’d healed the King of the Gallywomps with Phoenix tears? And that she, Tori, was the only person who could have done it, because she had ancient magic in her blood?
No, she couldn’t think of anyone besides her brother who would believe her. She almost told her best friend Madi. But as soon as she started to talk about a garden gnome that walked and talked, she could see a look in Madi’s eyes. Some things were just too much for others to believe.
As she thought of Madi, she looked towards the back of the room. Madi’s seat was still empty, even on the last day of school. Tori had hoped she’d be back in school by now, but she just hadn’t been ready to return. Julie, the girl next to her, saw where Tori was looking and whispered, “Can you believe she’s still out? What does it even mean? A mental health crisis? She should just suck it up and get over herself.”
Tori was angered by Julie’s statement but kept her calm. “A mental health crisis happens because people tell us to suck it up and ignore our feelings until we can’t even find a way to face the day. Madi’s going through a lot right now. First, she got bullied by those girls at lunch for being on the spectrum. Then her dad lost his job, and her parents are having a rough time with money. She blames herself for all of it, like any of this is her fault. She thought hurting herself was the only way out. Have some sympathy, Julie. It could happen to any of us.”
Julie shot Tori a sulky look but kept quiet. Tori had learned a lot in the last year about standing up for others and being confident in her opinion. But it didn’t make it any easier to see so many people she cared about struggling.
Just as she looked at her watch, surprised that class hadn’t started yet, the bell rang. Two boys came careening in the door, pushing a smaller boy aside to get inside before they were late. The little boy stumbled, and they laughed cruelly.
“Can’t you see you’re in our way, Cedar?” the bigger one jeered. “But that’s you, isn’t it? Always in the way. Always trying to fit in where no one wants you. You’d be better off just disappearing,” he finished with a swoosh of his hand as if wiping Cedar from the world.
Cedar slumped into a chair, eyes downcast. The teacher spoke up and called everyone to attention. No comment on what had just happened, just to get out their books so they could finish up the lesson on fractions.
Tori sighed and looked out the window again. She promised herself to message Madi after school. At least Madi would know someone cared about her.
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By 3:15, all the kids in Tori’s class were bouncing in their seats, waiting for the school bell to ring and summer to start. At this point, the teacher had given up on teaching and was talking about the importance of staying sharp during the summer. “Don’t forget to keep up on your studies!” he said, though clearly no one was listening. He finally gave up entirely and told the class they could clean out their desks and pack their bags.
At 3:30, the bell finally rang, and Tori about ran out of class. Shouting bye to her friends and promising to meet up soon, she wove her way through the parking lot and found her mom waiting for her in their blue SUV.
Her little brother Hudson was already in the car, his long blonde curly hair cascading down to his shoulders. He was wearing an ice hockey jersey and drinking a protein shake. Tori put her backpack in the back next to his hockey gear.
“Hi Mom! Hi Hudson!” she called out as she closed the hatch and got in the passenger seat of the car. Last month, she’d gotten tall enough to move from the back seat to the front. “Are we going to Hudson’s practice?”
Her mom replied, “Of course we are! It’s Thursday! And hockey practice never stops, even during the summer.”
Tori buckled her seatbelt and smiled back at her brother. Most of the time, they got along okay, though sometimes he drove her crazy. “Oh yeah, that’s right. I almost forgot what day it was. I was just so excited for school to be done!”
“Was Madi back in school for the last day?” her mom asked.
“No,” Tori sighed. “But I heard she’s home from the hospital. She seems to be doing better. I thought I could visit her next week. She seems pretty alone.”
“I think that’s a great idea, Tori,” her mom said, smiling kindly at her.
As they drove to Hudson’s hockey practice, the radio was tuned to the news channel, going over the day’s headlines.
“Bombings continued overnight in the Middle East,” the journalist droned on in a monotone voice. “The civilian casualties continue to mount on both sides. The leaders of the four countries at the heart of the conflict have been called to the UN for peace talks, but so far, discussions have gone nowhere. Fears of a broader war continue to grow, and the surrounding countries have started to make preparations by instituting drafts and stockpiling weapons.”
“Mom,” Hudson asked with worry in his voice, “Are they saying that war could come to us, too?”
“Oh, sorry, sweetie,” Mom replied, switching the radio off. “We don’t need to listen to the news anymore. I was just checking the headlines before I picked you up.” She paused for a moment. “I hope everything will be fine, but honestly, I don’t know anymore. Kids, we seem to be leaving you with a big mess to clean up when you’re grown.” Letting out a long sigh, Mom switched on an upbeat song to play from her phone.
But just as the song’s happy melody started to play, she slammed on her brakes, cursing loudly at a car in front of her. “What the heck, buddy! We have kids in the car! Get off your phone and pay attention!”
Tori looked back at Hudson. He had a blank stare on his face, but she knew what he was thinking. He often talked to her about his worries and anxiety. The adults tried to make them feel safe, but the kids still knew what was going on. It was all the grown-ups talked about, how much costs had gone up, how a friend was struggling to make rent, or if politics had gotten so bad there’d be a civil war.
So Hudson worried about these things, too, even though he was only nine. He worried about wars, about what would happen if they lost their parents, or if they lost their home. He worried about money, even though his dad had a great job that paid well. Mom and Dad reassured him, but he still worried.
“Hey Hudson!” Tori brought him back from his far-off look. “Who are you playing in hockey this weekend?”
“I don’t know,” Hudson smiled, coming back to himself. “But I sure hope we win! Mom, who are we playing again?”
“You’re playing the Jets. You played them last month and tied,” she said, moving swiftly along the highway now that the traffic jam had cleared. “But your whole team has been improving a lot this month. I bet you’ll win this time!”
A new song came on, and Hudson’s mood improved as he thought about hockey, watching the trees go by in the car.
_______________________________
Tori felt like Hudson’s practice was taking forever, even with her ice skating for an hour on the second rink. She was anxious to get home and officially put her school bag in the closet for the summer.
After practice, they stopped to get take-out Indian food. The sun was setting by the time they finally got home. Her three dogs greeted them loudly at the door, barking and jumping excitedly. Tori barely made it in without spilling the takeout containers.
“Go wash your hands and let’s have dinner,” her mom called out as she followed Tori into the kitchen. “And then, kids, you get to turn your alarms off! Summer break!”
Hudson cheered and zoomed upstairs immediately to turn off his bedroom alarm. Tori’s was on her phone, so she’d do that when she went to bed. Instead, she set the table for the four of them and put the biggest takeout container next to her dad’s seat. He loved Indian food!
“Yummy!” He called to her as he walked in from the living room and gave her a big hug. “Thanks, Tori! I’m looking forward to eating all of it, plus yours, too!” He grinned at her and then asked. “Hey, do you know where your mom is?”
“She went upstairs,” Tori replied.
As he walked out of the room, she could hear him call out to their mom, then saying in a quiet voice, “Gwen, I have to talk to you later, after the kids go to bed. Some more bad news.” Tori felt worried. Maybe Hudson was right to worry. Things did seem to be getting pretty bad.
She tried to put her fears aside and focus on the excitement of summer break and takeout Indian. By the end of the evening, she’d completely forgotten about the radio’s talk about war and her dad’s whispered discussion.
She’d texted with her friend Madi, and she was doing well. She was even up for a get-together next week. After watching some TV, she went up to her room, turned her alarm off, and fell happily asleep.
____________________________________
Tori woke with a start. It wasn’t even light out, but she had the distinct feeling someone had been shaking her awake. She looked around and didn’t see anyone. Just as she was about to turn over and go back to sleep, the bed shook. Then the things on her dresser began to shake. A book fell off the bookshelf, crashing to the ground, along with a little glass figurine. She turned on her bedside lamp as the shaking stopped.
What the heck? Tori thought to herself. Was that an earthquake?
They never had earthquakes where she lived. They were only supposed to be in California!
Suddenly, the house rattled again, stronger this time. More things shook and fell from the dressers and shelves.
“Mom?!?!” she heard her brother cry out in the hallway. She jumped out of bed and went to her door, also wanting to find her parents.
“Mom!?!?” she echoed, running to their parents’ bedroom. “What was that? Was that an earthquake?”
Their mom came rushing out, turning on the hallway light so they could see each other. “Quick, kids, let’s stand in a doorway. It’s the safest place.” She guided them to the bathroom’s doorway and held them tight. “Dad’s run outside to see what’s happening, but yeah, I think that was an earthquake! I mean it must have been! I don’t know what else it could be? We’ve never had them here before.”
Hudson held on to his mom’s side for dear life, and Tori wrapped herself around the other side, forming a kind of Mom sandwich. There was another rumble, the largest and longest one. A lamp fell over, crashing in the bedroom, sending glass everywhere. A bookshelf toppled over in the hallway. Shampoo bottles fell off the shelf in the shower. They heard a giant tree crashing to the ground outside, and the floor shook beneath them. The lights flickered off and on as the whole house trembled.
After what felt like an eternity, the shaking stopped.
The three of them stood huddled in the doorway for another few minutes, not sure if the earthquake was over. Their dad came up the stairs two at a time to check on them. “Are you okay?” Relief washed over his face when he saw the three standing there, shaken, but safe. He continued, “Everything seems to be standing. But what the heck was that? An earthquake? Here? I’ve never heard of such a thing!”
As they all exhaled in relief that this was over, all their phones started dinging with notifications.
An emergency alert text came to all their phones, screeching with a high-pitched alarm.
SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER. MULTIPLE EARTHQUAKES DETECTED. SEEK SHELTER INSIDE IN A SECURE AREA SUCH AS A DOORWAY OR UNDER A TABLE. AUTHORITIES WILL UPDATE SOON.
A news notification came up on her mom’s feed. EARTHQUAKES ERUPT ALONG THE ENTIRE EASTERN SEABOARD. MULTIPLE CASUALTIES REPORTED.
“Rob, look at this,” she showed her phone to Tori’s dad. “It wasn’t just here.”
He read the first few lines of the article. “It must have been the entire fault line that gave way. This is insane. Let’s see if we can find out anything more. We can go downstairs to the kitchen. We should be safe there.”
Tori and Hudson held their mom’s hands as they all went downstairs, avoiding the many fallen objects on the floor. Their dad brought out his laptop. Scanning the different news feeds, his eyes grew more furrowed by the minute. Meanwhile, their mom was scrolling through her phone while Tori and Hudson stayed by her side. “What the… No way… It can’t be.. This is insane…” she exclaimed. Tori and Hudson could both see the images on the screen, and what they saw didn’t look good at all. Piles of rubble instead of buildings, fires, people on the street walking around in fear and confusion, and great cracks in the road. The more their mom scrolled through the images, the more frightened Tori became. What was going on?
“Kids,” she finally said to them. “This earthquake we felt happened everywhere. I mean like, EVERYWHERE. All over the world. The whole world has just ripped open.” Their dad nodded solemnly, agreeing. “Let’s take a minute. Don’t panic. We’ll figure this thing out. We’re on a farm with plenty of resources. We’ll be okay, kids.”
Just as he said that, another huge tremor erupted from the Earth, shaking the entire house. Dishes fell on the floor, and pictures jumped off the wall, glass shattering as they fell. The lights flickered. Then they went out. And stayed out. They all clung to each other in the darkness, Mom and Dad protecting Tori and Hudson in a tight hug. Finally, after what felt like an hour, the shaking stopped. Their mom looked tentatively at her phone to see if another notification would come through, but nothing. Up at the right corner, it showed zero bars. No service.
The dogs came running into the kitchen, whining, frightened at all the commotion. Hudson grabbed the smallest one in a fierce hug. And then all was silent.
The North Passage by Erin Lucero is the sequel to Quest for the Phoenix, a rich and hopeful middle-grade fantasy that begins calmly, but quickly brings readers into more action. Tori is looking forward to a peaceful summer on the farm, but she quickly sees she’s not going to get that when the earthquakes, tornadoes, and global chaos start and turn the world upside down. With no internet, no power, and everything in turmoil, Tori and Hudson depend on their family and the people around them. But then magical friends (gnomes!) show up. They’ve come to tell the siblings of an ancient prophecy, and now they must embark on a secret journey beneath the earth. And just like that, they’re part of a winding, magical quest to the North Pole, where they confront illusions, team up with kids from across the world, and meet the Weavers—elves creating a new path forward with help from the next generation.
What really stood out to me in The North Passage was how grounded the story feels—even with gnomes and glowing crystal caves, the emotions are so real. Tori and her brother Hudson have this funny, believable sibling dynamic: they tease and argue, but you can feel the love and protectiveness underneath like the scene after the earthquake, when they tease each other about their messy rooms, which is described as: "What a mess, Hudson," she scolded, "did the earthquake do this, or does it always look this bad?" He scrunched up his nose at her. "Whatever, Tori. Your room is way worse. At least all my fossils are organized," he pointed to his box. "You just leave everything all over the place". Their relationship reminded me of my own relationship with my older brother.
Erin Lucero also incorporates some heavy themes like grief, anxiety, and hope without the sense of wonder being lost. I thought the magic system was an original idea, and I found it touching that kids can “choose their thread” in a larger tapestry, shaping the world through their choices and kindness. It’s a story full of heart, adventure, and meaning—perfect for readers who want a little more than just another quest.
Even if you didn’t read the first book, you can jump in and follow along easily. I’d recommend The North Passage to families, teachers, and readers around 9–13 who like meaningful adventure with a dash of magic.