W.A.R.P. Book 1: The Reluctant Assassin by Eoin Colfer begins in London in 1898 where young Riley, an orphan, is apprenticed to a former magician turned assassin named Garrick. This is to be Riley's first job, and he has no doubts that refusing to obey Garrick and kill the target will mean his own death. As he approaches the old man's bed, Riley cannot kill him, and the man wakes. Garrick forces the knife in Riley's hand into the target and watches in amazement as both Riley and the man disappear into a cloud of orange sparks. The two reappear in modern London where scientist's son and 16yo FBI agent Chevron Savano are waiting. Riley is arrested on suspicion of murder, and Chevron is left in charge while the son and an elite FBI team return to 1898 to wipe down the scene. Riley warns Chevron that Garrick will come after him, but it turns out to be even worse than he expected. Garrick arrives with the memories of the scientist's brilliant son who died on the return trip. In an effort to escape Garrick, the two use a second pod to return to Riley's time; but Garrick manages to follow them. Now the two of them must work together to stop the murderer and save themselves.
W.A.R.P. Book 1: The Reluctant Assassin is an engrossing young adult science fiction tale with plenty of action, a hideously evil villain, and of course two quirky young protagonists with the unenviable job of trying to stop a man capable of taking down a team of specially trained FBI agents. I was looking for another author that my Riordan fans might enjoy, and I have found a possibility. I enjoyed the book enough that I'm going to try his earlier Artemis Fowl series later this month. This new series I would recommend for ages 14 and up.
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