The Wherewood

Blue Jasper made a promise to his Nixie friend, Salix, in his previous adventure in Faerieland. Salix wants Blue to help him find his way to his home, the Merwood. The way to the Merwood can be found through the Wherewood which is a quirky place filled with lost objects. Unfortunately, entering the Wherewood is much easier than leaving. The only way to leave is to find the thing you are looking for. With Olea looking for revenge and the friends caught until they find entrance to the Merwood in the Wherewood, they may find some danger they were not looking for.

The Wherewood is the second installment in “The Faerie Woods” series, with The Crosswood being the first. Blue Jasper continues to be the narrator, learning about this odd world with the reader as the worldbuilding continues to develop throughout the narrative. Prendergast also brought back most of the characters readers met in The Crosswood which means it is best for readers to start their journey in Faerieland with The Crosswood.

I enjoyed the touches of humour found throughout the book, such as Ikea meatballs for Blue at the fairy feast and meeting historical figures running through the Wherewood because they exist in lost homework. Blue also finds a dog that joins their team. There is a lot of fun in these pages. The suspense comes from the danger represented by Olea whose minions make an appearance about three-quarters of the way through the book. This is also where the narrative loses some of its cohesion. Although the primary arc is about the friends looking for Salix’s home, Olea’s minions wound Indigo, making it necessary for him to be sent home to be healed. Salix is kidnapped by Olea, and Blue’s sister, Violet, suddenly appears to help vanquish the evil fairy yet again.

I really enjoyed The Crosswood, but I feel that The Wherewood was unnecessarily complicated for a high interest novel. Prendergast did foreshadow Olea’s intervention early in the tale, but it is a challenge to create a fully developed plot in such a short novel. As a result, the climax feels rushed. For readers who are willing to invest in learning about Faerieland, more adventures are in the future for Blue Jasper, his siblings, and his friends.