Monster War by Dean Lorey

(Nightmare Academy series). HarperCollins, 2010. ISBN: 9780061340505.
(Age 12+) In this book, the third of the series, Charlie Benjamin is called upon to stop the evil Fifth Queen of Nightmares from summoning all of the monsters from the Nether to destroy the earth. From her lair in Central Park New York, the Fifth is summoning and commanding golems to take control of the whole Earth (there is even a brief mention of Australia). To stop this from happening Charlie needs to obtain the Sword of Sacrifice. Charlie's quest is made more difficult because of his exile from the Academy as punishment for something that he didn't do. Charlie's loyal band of friends decides to join him however, defying the orders of their Academy commanders, to the Netherworld and back-again, several times, in order to help find the Sword and defeat the Fifth. The small group face several obstacles along the way including: a misunderstood witch and a traitor from the former ally turned traitor and part-lobster called Pinch. Charlie's loyalties to his friends are sacrificed in order to obtain the sword. This easy to read and at times humorous book has plenty of characters and monsters to remain interesting and would be recommended for readers who like to read more in this type of fantasy series.
Adam Fitzgerald