A House Divided Book 2: A Light in the Darkness, a Lock in the Doorby Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 8 Flooding from the wizard's house threatens to destroy the nearby town. Henrietta is aided by both guards and bandits to stop the deluge. The journey awakens memories and uncovers dangerous beings.This second volume is a strong follow-up volume. It backs off slightly from the completely crazy immersion of the first volume, to have a large group get split up (thus still exploring many areas) for a single quest. The quest itself pulls together several different elements and storylines, painting a bigger picture for us while simultaneously keeping things more focused and easier to follow. The most interesting space we see in the house this time is the basement, where old rooms go to die and be reabsorbed by the house. It's very hellscape-ish and once again drives home the Jumanji-like aspects of this place. I love the flashback backstory we get between Mr. Flemming and Captain Booner. It explains so much, but I like that Mr. Flemming's actions in the present day shed new light on his character. There is another flashback in this volume, with Henrietta and the cat monster. This flashback is actually used to explain a lot about the wizard's house and magic while answering a big mystery from the end of volume one. I love the way they both have realizations, and the way things end; it was fitting for the rescue and the aftermath. I hope we'll see the cat again someday. The Third Simulacrum is a character with quite the arc -- and an arc that's well contained in part of one volume. Oh, I could see this character being resurrected as a straight-up villain and / or getting redeemed, but for now it's a satisfying arc as-is. Like the cat flashback, this character and their arc fills in a lot of information about the wizard's house and some of the magic therein. The design is also interesting. As a boy-shaped candle he's rather unassuming, but when he gets mad, his fiery powers melt his looks into something much more monstrous. Moira Kettlebrew is such a fun character! I love the bat design, especially as a maker of wines, spirits, and potions. I love how she uses the fact that she can be scary to finish off her latest mulled wine. Henrietta does some maturing, showing us that she's fully embracing her role, and showing some sound judgement on a few things and beings. I look forward to seeing what happens next. Written: December 6, 2020
|
|
|
Home |
Features |
Columns |
Culture Vultures |
Report Card
Indicia | Contact | Archives © Sequential Tart, 1998 – 2021 |
