The Secret Cipher is the sequel to The Secret Box, a rollicking adventure full of family rivalry, magic, questing, and laugh-out-loud humor that's perfect for fans of Dan Gutman, Wendy Mass, and Trenton Lee Stewart.

Jax Malone and her cousin Ethan Hoche were not expecting one of Jax's birthday presents to contain a dangerous magical object from a mythical past: an urn with the dark power to suck hope out of the world.

Though the first urn is safely hidden, there are two more urns that could rid humanity of both faith and love. And powerful enemies who want to find them and use them to control the world. Now, even though they were never meant to open the present and discover its secret, Jax and Ethan must race to find and destroy the two remaining urns before it's too late.

But how can two kids find artifacts the gods themselves have lost?

• Secret Codes and Ciphers: The only clue to the next urn is a mysterious message on an ancient leather belt. If Jax and Ethan can crack the code, they might just stand a chance.
• Puzzle Solving Adventure: Join a fast-paced quest where Jax’s impulsiveness clashes with Ethan’s by-the-book approach to every new puzzle and peril.
• Modern-Day Mythology: The Greek gods are real, and so are their catastrophic creations. When two more urns—with the power to destroy Faith and Love—are at stake, the cousins must face villains both human and legendary.
• An Action-Packed Adventure Series: The rollicking quest continues in this thrilling sequel to The Secret Box, perfect for middle grade readers who love magic, mystery, and a race against time.