Max & the Midknights: The Tower of Time is a Children's Fantasy book by Lincoln Pierce. It's the second sequel to Max & the Midknights.
After saving Byjovia from the Bodkins, Max is still thinking of her mysterious twin, a girl named Mary that she fought in the market square. When she goes to talk to King Conrad about it, Sir Gadabout reveals that the locket containing her picture came from a woman Mary was with, who was from the Kingdom of Klunk, a land beyond the seventh sea that hates Byjovia with all its might.
Trying to come up with a way to learn about her past and her connection to Mary, Max decides the only way to do so is travel back in time to when they were born and see their parents that way. She also realizes if her supposed twin is from Klunk, she might find her answers there, despite the risk of being killed the instant she sets foot on Klunkin soil.
However, despite the risk, Max still wants to find out. So, she and the Midknights begin their quest to Klunk, and to find the so-called "Tower of Time" that might help Max solve all her questions about herself.
The book was published on March 1st, 2022.
Max & the Midknights: The Tower of Time contains examples of:
- Abdicate the Throne: Mary's and Max's mom decides not to take up the throne of Klunk after her father, King Rotgut, is made Cap'n Scab's new cabin boy. She says the people of Klunk should choose their own leaders, and that she wants a fresh start elsewhere.
- Added Alliterative Appeal: On Mumblin's map of the world, several places have alliterative names like...
- Blistering Bay.
- Faithless Forest.
- Kingdom of Klink.
- Seventh Sea.
- Stone Sea.
- Wandering Woods.
- All Trolls Are Different: In the world of Max & the Midknights, trolls are giant (smaller than a crag, but larger than an ogre) humanoid beings who live in hilly, mountainous areas and eat people. They're also incredibly dumb and easily distracted.
- Angry Guard Dog: The Brimstone Quarry in which Mary's and Max's father is imprisoned is patrolled on the perimeter by Klunkhounds. Kevyn distracts them by getting them to chase him, since he's a cat at that moment.
- The Bus Came Back: When Max, Mary, and Kevyn enter the tower of time, they discover former King Gastley there, stating he's now turned over a new leaf. He was lying. He came to the tower of time to kill Max when she was a baby.
- Call-Back: The book starts with Mary telling Perrin about what she saw Max doing in Byjovia when Max was organizing the eradication of the Bodkins.
- Covered in Kisses: Mumblin' ends up this way when he meets up with his girlfriend Beatrice in chapter 8.
- Crossover: In one panel, while peering through the tower of time's doors, Max, Mary, and Kevyn open a door and see a classroom with Nate being chewed out by his teacher.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: During their duel on Cap'n Scab's ship, Max trips Gastley, causing him to fall into the Blistering Sea, which is water hot enough to instantly kill a person.
- December–December Romance: Mumblin' has entered into a romantic relationship with a sorceress who lives near Klunk. Her name is Beatrice.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Max has one in the first chapter when trying to think of a way to find out why she and her twin were separated at birth.
- Facial Composite Failure: When the Midknights see a "Wanted!" Poster with Mary's face on it, they note that the eyes, which are drawn in a realistic style, look nothing like Max's. Simon says the following to Max.Simon: Your eyes look like two ink lines in the middle of your face.
- Fantasy World Map: On pages 34 and 35 of the book is a map of the land between the red river and the blistering sea, in which both Byjovia and Klunk reside.
- Kill It with Water: Gastley dies when he falls into the Blistering Bay.
- The Mind Is a Plaything of the Body: After getting turned into a cat, Kevyn starts craving tuna, finds he's unable to stop licking himself, and naps a lot.
- Punny Name: Some of the places on Mumblin's Fantasy World Map have names like...
- Flat Lines (a valley).
- Sneak Peaks (a mountain range).
- Peasoup (a town).
- Slavery Is a Special Kind of Evil: The prisoners in The Brimstone Quarry where Mary and Max's father is kept as a prisoner has all the prisoners being made to work constantly smashing rocks.
- Stewed Alive: The Miknights find themselves in a giant stew pot when the trolls get them. Kevyn initially thinks it's a hot tub.
- Wacky Wayside Tribe: Cap'n Scab and his pirate crew. First they kidnap Max to try and make her their cabin boy, then Max and the Captain get eaten by a whale. Cap'n Scab shows up later in the book to give Max & co. a ride to an island across the Blistering Bay, where Max and Mary's mom is being kept prisoner by her father.
- "Wanted!" Poster: Max finds a few with Mary's face on them. Since Mary's her twin, Max knows that this doesn't bode well for her.
