Rating: 4.5 of 5
Synopsis: “Travel back to the enchanting and treacherous land of Limn, where Lottie Fiske has escaped the murderous Southerly king for a while—but other perils are hard on her heels. War is coming to the beautiful world of magic that Lottie has come to love. Events are pushing her to the North, where many answers—about her parents, about her abilities, about this world and others—await. But the road to the north is full of dangers, and so are the answers.” (source)
My thoughts: Noooo! Not a cliffhanger?!!
The torture. The agony of waiting for the next book.
Yeah, I love it.
“A red apple tree grows in the heart of Wandlebury Wood. It is a burst of color in a land of silver grass and white-barked yew trees, and out from its trunk step two travelers. The girl takes a small bird from her pocket. The boy takes a deep breath.“
The Doorway and the Deep picks up pretty much right where The Water and the Wild left off. [spoiler]Lottie heals Eliot; they go off to Limn together. Which is awesome because when Lottie told Eliot’s dad all about her adventure, he believed her! That’s so rare in middle grade/YA — usually the adults never believe the kids.[/spoiler] There is minimal recap of book one aka no info dump. So if it’s been a year or more since you read The Water and the Wild, or if you aren’t that quick at recalling its events, you may want to refresh your memory before diving into book two.
The Doorway and the Deep is all about the quest for answers that will hopefully end the reign of the Southerly king and save Limn from total destruction. Along the way Lottie continues to hone her keen, wrestle her genga Trouble into obedience (or at least his inconsistent cooperation), navigate relationships with friends, allies, and a potential boyfriend (come on, we knew it was bound to happen), and struggle with the uncertainty of who she is and what she’s capable of.
This book is a page-turner; there’s a lot going on and, as my opening remarks all so subtly alluded to, the ending will leave readers wanting the next book immediately.
Highly recommended to young readers ages 8-12 especially if they’re seeking a strong female lead who isn’t perfect but still worthy of respect, if they love the idea of carrying around an adorable magical little bird in their pocket, if they’ve always dreamed of having a special ability. Or, if they’re dealing with a close friend or relative living with a terminal illness. This series has a lot to offer readers of all ages. So why aren’t more people reading these books?!!
Author’s website | Chronicle Books | Add on LibraryThing | Add on Goodreads
(Review cross-posted on LibraryThing and Goodreads.)
Received hardcover from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.