The Door Before

April 1, 2017
An ancient evil is unleashed in this opener of a prequel series to the 100 Cupboards series. The Smith family, all white, leads an unusual life. While the patriarch hunts down the occasional supernatural killer (the last one had two mouths!) his kids go along for the ride. Hyacinth, however, is different from her charming brothers and sisters, with qualities that could easily mark her as a witch. When the Smiths inherit a house with evil brewing inside, they have little idea what's in store. Alas, this interesting family circle is abandoned early on so that Hyacinth and her little brother can join with two strange boys from another world. Together they'll seek to defeat the undying witch-queen Nimiane, who lays waste to countless worlds and now has her unseeing eyes focused on our own. But how do you destroy something that can't be killed? Wilson has perfected the art of the high-fantasy novel, creating new ideas and worlds with inventive aplomb. Sadly, however, characterization lags. Aside from her pursuit of the basic heroic quest, Hyacinth's drive and personality are a bit hazy. Her motivations spring less from any internal needs and wants and more from the evil external forces around her. All this makes for evocative language and exciting action sequences surrounding a less-than-wholly-compelling heroine. A journey worth more than the characters it contains. (Fantasy. 9-12)

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May 1, 2017

Gr 4-7-When Hyacinth and her family arrive at their new home, they discover Great-Aunt Granlea, who refuses to leave. Using wood from the property's unnatural lightning tree forest, Granlea had created frame portals to other worlds. She recklessly allows hideous mushroom men to cross over, along with two brothers who are fleeing the undying witch-queen, Nimiane. Mordecai is a green man with the power to control grapevines. He and Caleb plan to finish the job their father began when he blinded Nimiane. Hyacinth, who has a gift for coaxing nearly dead trees back to life, uses her talent to escape through one of the trees after Nimiane. Traveling through trees and wooden boxes, Hyacinth, Mordecai, and Caleb eventually arrive in a faerie land and meet Kibs, who reluctantly agrees to help them capture Nimiane. This fast-paced fantasy features empathetic heroes and horrifying monsters and further defines the wickedness of the witch-queen villain in Wilson's "100 Cupboards" series. Followers may realize that Mordecai and Hyacinth are the true parents of Henry York, the hero of that trilogy, and recognize other characters, such as the little winged rhino-type raggants. Although this stand-alone fantasy doesn't fully explain how the cupboards came to be, it offers some insight into the popular series. VERDICT One need not have read Wilson's "100 Cupboards" books to enjoy this engrossing prequel. A solid addition to most middle grade collections.-Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT

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