Balthazar Fabuloso in the Lair of the Humbugs

Balthazar Fabuloso's lovable and eccentric family performs a magic show. What makes the act so unusual is that all the Fabulosos actually have superhuman powers, except for Balthazar, a practical-minded 11-year-old who simply aspires to be a normal kid. So when everyone but Balthazar disappears mid-performance, the only Fabuloso without real magical skills must save the family. Balthazar wonders if the family's archrivals, the Furious Fistulas, are to blame or if there are other, even darker forces at work. To free his loved ones, Balthazar must work with some questionable characters, including a lunatic long-lost uncle, three enigmatic senior citizens and the loathsome Pagan Fistula, whose family also mysteriously goes missing. At the center of these disappearances is a force so evil that the world's most preeminent magicians cower before it. What hope could a ragtag crew of misfits have against it? This wildly imaginative and hilarious debut novel uses magic, humor and high adventure to reaffirm some fundamental family values. What makes 11-year-old Balthazar's eccentric family of magicians unusual is the fact that they actually have magical powers. Only Balthazar lacks the family talent. So when the entire family except Balthazar disappears during a local dinner theater performance it's up to him to find them. To try to free his loved ones Balthazar must work with some questionable characters, including a long-lost lunatic uncle, three enigmatic senior citizens and the loathsome Pagan Fistula. At the center of these disappearances is a force so evil that the world's most preeminent magicians cower before it. What hope could a ragtag crew of misfits have against it? This wildly imaginative debut novel uses magic, humor and high adventure to reaffirm some fundamental family values. As part of his family's magic act, eleven-year-old Balthazar is the only member without real magical powers, but when his family disappears in the middle of a performance, Balthazar must work with with a ragtag crew of misfits to save the day.