Breaking Out the Devil

Description

The blazing conclusion to the Stone Man Mysteries trilogy. In the climactic final volume of the Stone Man Mysteries series, the demon-turned-gargoyle Silex and his human helper Craig make the ultimate uneasy alliance: a partnership with the Devil himself. The prince of darkness is stuck on Earth, trapped in the body of Silex's previous assistant. When one of the Devil's lieutenants attempts to conquer both the underworld and living world, Silex and Craig will have to bust the Devil out of confinement in order to save humanity.

Jane Yolen lives in Massachusetts and has written more than 400 books across all genres and age ranges, including the Sydney Taylor Honor book Miriam at the River. In 2022 she was named the The Sydney Taylor Body-of-Work Winner. She has been called the Hans Christian Andersen of America and the Aesop of the twentieth century. Adam Stemple is an author and American folk rock musician based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has co-written many books with his mother, Jane Yolen. Orion Zangara is an illustrator and comic book artist who lives in the Washington, DC, area. He is a graduate of The Kubert School, an art trade school, with a concentration in sequential art.

A boy and a gargoyle are pitted against the devil. In 1930s Edinburgh, Scotland, street urchin Craig works with Silex, a fearsome, fanged demon imprisoned in a gargoyle's form affixed high upon a church ledge. Silex knows that hellions from the underworld walk among humans and, with Craig's assistance, seeks to keep the mortal world free from their impious intentions. After an argument in which Silex mentions his previous young helper, Craig decides to seek him out to learn about their disunion. He finds the boy in an asylum and, to his surprise, discovers that he is possessed by the Prince of Darkness himself. Soon, Silex and Craig are fighting the ultimate battle between good and evil; will Silex finally be able to triumph over the devil? With a hearty dose of Christian influence and a well-wrought gothic atmosphere all set against the background of a continual Scottish burr, this trilogy closer manages to be expressive in its depiction of Scotland, however rushed in its action and weak in character development. The black-and-white art is downright moody and dark; its visual intricacy vacillates between terrifying renderings of demons and shadowy and indistinct scenes of Scotland, making for an ambiance that seems intentionally disconcerting. All characters appear to be white and, for the most part, male. An ambitious conclusion that does not quite hit its mark.--Kirkus Reviews -- "Journal" (8/8/2019 12:00:00 AM)