The Magnificent 12 Blog Tour Clue #8: Meet Xiao of The Trap

Today we are thrilled to be part of the blog tour for the release of The Trap, book 2 in Michael Grant’s middle grade series The Magnificent Twelve! In order to celebrate the release, we have a guest post from Xiao (a character in The Trap), two mini-reviews, and a chance to win the books.

And now for the blog tour and giveaway clue, plus a little more about Xiao!

THE MAGNIFICENT 12: THE TRAP (available now!) is another fast-paced episode in New York Times bestselling author Michael Grant’s hilarious fantasy adventure series. Mack MacAvoy already answered The Call. Now he must assemble the Magnificent Twelve and avoid The Trap if he’s to save the world from the wicked Pale Queen. But time is short—the Pale Queen’s banishment ends in 35 days and she will be free to destroy the world! Can Mack assemble the Twelve and avoid The Trap?

To join the adventure, read along as Michael Grant introduces characters new and old from the world of The Magnificent 12 and gives sneak peeks at their adventures in THE TRAP. Each post will also reveal a clue about a worldly location the Magnificent Twelve visit in THE TRAP. Follow Michael Grant and the characters to each blog until you’ve discovered all eight locations. At the final stop on the blog tour, enter all eight locations to win a signed copy of both MAGNIFICENT 12 books!

Join The Magnificent 12 online community: Play free games, create an avatar, enter sweepstakes, and earn points at www.themag12.com!

Ready to get your Mag 12 on? Here’s your 8th and final character and clue:

Post #8: Xiao

Xiao Long is a pretty Chinese girl with dark hair and almond eyes. She lives with her parents in a vast palace, where her father rules a king. Xiao looks a lot like her father, or at least like a smaller, more delicate version of him. Her favorite color is turquoise, while his is yellow, but they have a lot in common. Like scales . . . and horns . . . and four stubby legs. Did I mention Xiao is a dragon? She’s also the third member of the Magnificent Twelve, where being able to fly certainly comes in handy. In THE TRAP, Xiao joins Mack, Jarrah, and Stefan on their quest and finds herself fighting the evil Princess Risky, a host of ancient Norse gods, and countless Skirrits. Don’t know what Skirrits are? Lucky you.

Clue: THE TRAP location #8: This is the tallest ferris wheel in Europe. It’s definitely more fun than studying. Well, unless you’re Mack, Jarrah, Stefan, Xiao, or Dietmar. Wait. Who’s Dietmar? And why’s the ferris wheel no fun? You didn’t think we’d give everything away in these posts, now, did you?

Visit the Mag 12 Site on Thursday to guess the destinations and enter to win!

And just in case you missed the first 7 clues, we’ll fill you in:

Clue: THE TRAP location #1: If you’re in Beijing, China and craving deep-fried crickets, centipedes, and lizards for dinner, this is the place to go. Hint: it’s not McDonald’s! Read it and meet Grimluk at The O.W.L.

Clue: THE TRAP location #2: With 9,999 rooms, this is the world’s largest surviving palace complex. For 9,999 bonus points, memorize a map of this place. (Note: We lied—there aren’t any bonus points. But if you still want to memorize a map of 9,999 rooms . . . you’re crazy.) Read it and meet Mack at Mundie Moms.

Clue: THE TRAP location #3: People say you can see this Chinese monument from space. We’ve never been to space, so we can’t say for sure if that’s true, but it’s definitely HUGE. For a bonus point, build a model of this monument out of 1 million Popsicle sticks. (Note: We lied again. No bonus points. But we’ll help you eat Popsicles if you want.) Read it and meet Risky at Charlotte’s Library.

Clue: THE TRAP location #4: This location is an ancient distinctive rock formation in Germany. It’s sort of like the German equivalent of Uluru, which you might remember from BOOK 1: THE CALL. Giant rocks. Gotta love ’em. Read it and meet Jarrah at Reading Nook.

Clue: THE TRAP location #5: This location was home to the ancient Norse god, Thor, before Thor fell to earth and met Natalie Portman and became a movie star. Read it and meet Paddy at Alison’s Bookmarks.

Clue: THE TRAP location #6: You can find these massive upright stones arranged in a mysterious circle in England. What you won’t find is an explanation of who put them there. Seriously, what’s up with all these giant rocks? Read it and meet Golem at The Reading Zone.

Clue: THE TRAP location #7: This fancy store in the United Kingdom has a motto of “Omnia Omnibus Ubique.” That’s Latin, by the way, not Vargran. But for one measly bonus point, you can translate the Latin into Vargran (Note: There. Are. No. Bonus. Points. We’re not sure why we keep offering them. Sorry.) Read it and meet Stefan at Novel Novice.

For more information about The Magnificent 12 and The Trap, check out our review HERE. You can also read an excerpt by using Harper Collins’ Browse Inside widget below, or by accessing the website HERE:

The Book Trailer:

Good luck, and happy clue hunting!