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CM . . .
. Volume XXIII Number 4. . . .September 30, 2016
excerpt:
Darkling Green is the third book in the “Eldritch Manor” series and follows Shadow Wrack. In this fantasy, readers follow the continuing adventures of Willa, a 13-year-old human, who acts as caretaker to a motley crew of characters from mythology and fairy tales. Tenga, for instance, is a martial arts expert of small stature but human. His friend Horace, however, is an androsphinx who looks like an elderly gentleman, but sometimes he assumes the form of a lion. Other characters that have roles in the story are dwarves, fairies, a witch and even a basilisk. In order to understand the nature of the different residents of Eldritch Manor, the author provides information about the cast of characters in the first few pages of the book. All of these characters play important roles in the story, and while most of them are from the earlier books, the third book in the series can also be read on its own. The longest of the “Eldrich Manor” series so far, Darkling Green ties up many of the loose ends that arose in the first two books. In this third volume, Willa learns about the history of her grandmother Belle, a mermaid, and of the hostility between Belle and her mother. She also learns the truth about her special talent that allows her to read minds and where she fits in with the mythical and magical characters who live in the house. The passage of time is an important element in this book. Mab keeps time flowing at its proper pace by knitting a never ending scarf. Tired of the perpetual job, Mab hires a spider, Tabitha, to maintain knitting the timeline that also magically keeps the dark side at bay. Unfortunately, Tabitha could not be counted on to keep time flowing at its proper pace, and the reader discovers that she is from the dark side. The enemy in this book is The Green Man who is linked via a time bubble and branches between the past and the present. When Willa explores the time bubble, she encounters a witch who lives in the Middle Ages and who is connected to Willa’s time period and Eldritch Manor. Darkling Green was a thoroughly enjoyable book. The plot, characters and setting are believable and all contribute to the storyline of the book. Highly Recommended. Janet Johnson is a retired librarian who used to teach Children’s Literature for the Library Technician Program at Red River College in Winnipeg, MB.
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.
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