Reviews

Had some iconic, immersive action sequences, but unfortunately a lot of mundane filler injected in between which made it challenging to get through. Main character arc of Susan - wanting to be "normal" and not supernatural - felt somewhat contrived, and there wasn't much substance to the characters beyond that single motive.

elsie2110's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

worldsunlikeourown's review against another edition

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4.0

Find this review and more on my blog at Worlds Unlike Our Own.

3.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher, Harper Collins Canada, and Edelweiss for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Susan Arkshaw is still struggling with her newly discovered heritage, and is trying to lead as ordinary a life as possible. But when Merlin vanishes into a magical map that acts as a portal to a mysterious house and garden separated from the world, Susan is drawn right back into the Old World and all the mythical troubles that come with it to set out on a rescue mission. What they find there quickly makes it evident however, that the map and house are only the prelude to something much more deadly, relating to centuries of unsolved disappearances and murders – and the killer is about to strike again.

I had some doubts about picking up this sequel because while I did enjoy The Left-handed Booksellers of London, it wasn’t Garth Nix’s best work, yet the blurb for this book had me curious enough to request an ARC. As such, I didn’t remember much beyond a vague outline of the story from the first book. However, I was quite surprised at how quickly I was drawn into the narrative and there were enough hints that the details came back to me very easily.

I really enjoyed the plot and returning to the Old World. The storyline was much stronger and more focused than the first book, and the mystery surrounding the house and what the trio find there was very interesting, especially as they discover how it connects to the real world and what it means for the upcoming winter solstice. This book also threw the reader directly into the action which helped quite a bit as I was a bit worried that this might once again be slow paced. The narrative was still a bit long winded, with too much unnecessary description in some places and far too little in others where it was actually needed along with slowing down significantly in the middle section. Still, it wasn’t difficult to get through as the plot kept moving and there was always enough happening to keep my attention.

Character development was unfortunately a letdown with this one. First, beyond Susan, Merlin and Vivien, I could never keep any of the other names straight, largely because they never became memorable or distinctive enough to do so. And even within the trio, I couldn’t really connect with any of them, and I didn’t find them to be relatable characters at all. Susan’s constant whining about wanting to be normal, yet continuing to involve herself in bookseller business became quite annoying too. Basically, I just accepted this as a completely plot-focused book and moved on.

While this series certainly isn’t living up to the standard of The Old Kingdom series or even Angel Mage, it continues to be an entertaining and fast-paced read, so I’ll probably be keeping an eye out for the next book if there is one, and of course for any future works by this author.

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