The Shadowmancer Returns: The Curse of Salamander Street

September 1, 2007
Gr 7 Up-This muddled sequel to "Shadowmancer" (Putnam, 2004) follows Kate and Thomas as they flee to London with the smuggler Jacob Crane, hoping to escape the evil vicar Obadiah Demurral. Their Ethiopian friend Raphah, last seen falling overboard their ship, has made it to shore in the belly of a whale, with the help of Riathamus, "the power of all goodness." He is taking a land route to the capital in the company of Demurral's former servant Beadle. Eventually Kate and Thomas are kidnapped by a sinister alchemist who uses supernatural means to control his child-labor force, while Raphah and Beadle uncover a plot involving the Holy Grail. The development of this story of good against evil is rather slapdash: at one point Kate is force-fed a hallucinogen and instantly starts behaving like an addict at rock bottom. The flashes of inspiration are weighed down by Taylor's awkward prose and heavy-handed moralizing. Fans of the first book will likely welcome a sequel, but other readers of both fantasy and Christian fiction already have many superior resources to call upon."Christi Voth, Parker Library, CO"

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