Gabriel Finley and the Raven's Riddle

"A first-rate fantasy for middle-grade readers," declares Booklist in a starred review, comparing Gabriel Finley to Harry Potter, Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series, and The Mysterious Benedict Society.

A tangle of ingenious riddles, a malevolent necklace called a torc, and flocks of menacing birds: these are just some of the obstacles that stand between Gabriel and his father, Adam Finley, who has vanished from their Brooklyn brownstone. When Gabriel rescues an orphaned baby raven named Paladin, he discovers a family secret: Finleys can bond with ravens in extraordinary ways. Along with Paladin and three valiant friends, Gabriel sets out to bring his father home. They soon discover that Adam is being held captive by the evil demon Corax - half man, half raven, and Adam's very own disgraced brother - in a foreboding netherworld of birds called Aviopolis. With help from his army of ghoulish minions, the valravens, Corax is plotting to take over the land above, and now only Gabriel stands in his way.