Elise Stokes has struck gold again with the third installment of the Cassidy Jones Adventures, Cassidy Jones and the Seventh Attendant. There are a lot of books that I would like my daughters to read, but few that I incessantly encourage them to read, such as these. Yes, the stories are whirlwinds of action, but as always, it is action wrapped up in sound values and wholesome attitudes.

Those familiar with the series will experience their eyes opening as new tidbits leak from the pages. The real background behind the virus that gives Cassidy her powers. How Arthur King fits into it, and what the Kings have to do with Lily White. What Emery's father is really doing. The list goes on. The first two books seem like totally different stories aside from the fact that Cassidy is the protagonist of both, but here we see the two threads drawn together into an even larger and more apocalyptic plot.

It's hard to write a review without saying too much, but I'll drop some hints: the last microchip that hasn't been recovered, an ancient Egyptian queen, international spies, a mutant lizard man, and of course, some enhancement to Cassidy's abilities -- and her worries. We see new twists in the romantic drama between Cassidy and Jared.  (Personally, I root for Cassidy and Emery, but we'll just have to wait and see how that turns out.) Don't worry. I haven't told you enough to spoil it in any way; there are still plenty of surprises in store, most of which you will never guess. You won't believe who shoots Cassidy full of holes. Nor will I tell you who the seventh attendant is, because it's always a treat to find out what Stokes' titles mean for yourself.

I'll admit to some moments of adjustment. One of the things that impressed me so much about the first book was that Stokes had done her research. She had constructed an explanation for the origin of superpowers that, unlike virtually all the most familiar ones, could pass my graduate school education in biochemistry as being plausible. Compare this to Spiderman and the Flash, both of which are total hogwash. I felt some of that satisfaction compromised this time around, especially with the arrival of genetically engineered lizard mutants. Fortunately, the disillusionment didn't last long, nor is it a deal-breaker. I still enjoy the X-Men, and that's a load of tripe orders of magnitude more severe than mere stretching of my genetic engineering credibility.

On the other hand, I have to also admit that lizard mutants fit into the enlarged premise quite nicely, even if the scientific realism is relaxed a bit. With each passing installment, you can see that Stokes' vision was far more expansive than you ever imagined. The back story grows larger, the complexities more intricate, the dangers more profound, and the resolution more satisfying. With the third book, things are starting to feel like Mission Impossible, and I don't think I can, with the English language, tell you just how cool that is.

One outstanding feature is that Cassidy remains true to Cassidy.  I write a lot of strong girls, but some of them are barely human. Heck, many aren't human at all. Cassidy is not only strong, but super-strong, and copes with it the best she can as an authentic human being.  Actually, an authentic teenage human being. I've ranted about this before, and I'll probably rant about it again. This is precisely why I encourage my daughters to read these books. Cassidy deals with her power in a way that serves as inspiration not only to girls, but to boys, and even old men such as myself. She is not only an inspiration to young people; she is an example.

Each new volume only reinforces my conviction that Stokes can do no wrong.