A Way between Worlds

August 1, 2019
The quest that began with The Lighthouse Between the Worlds (2018) continues. Four days after escaping Somni and its evil, magic-wielding priests, Griffin and Fi have taken refuge on Caligo, one of the eight worlds connected by lighthouse portals. The children learn they are crucial to defeating the priests, who are bent on controlling the magic of all eight worlds. (Earth is one of the eight, and its magic, oddly, is not disclosed.) The priests have now invaded Fi's home world of Vinea, aided by mind-controlled soldiers from Earth. Fi discovers the greenwitch magic of Vinea has been lying dormant within her and must learn to trust her new power in order to help the resistance back home. Griffin travels to Maris, an oceanic world whose sonic magic may be able to protect Earth from further mind control. The risks are great, but they have no other options. Worldbuilding is vivid, from Caligo's library, with bear-sized batlike creatures that convey visitors to the multistoried stacks, to Maris, where the inhabitants live on docks suspended above the sea. Third-person narration alternates between Griffin and Fi. Each has a fair balance of accessible strengths and weaknesses. Griffin is white; other Earth humans assume a white default. Greenwitch skin glows green, and Marisians have bronze skin. An effective and exciting conclusion. (Fantasy. 8-13)

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September 1, 2019

Gr 3-6-In this fast-paced sequel that picks up soon after The Lighthouse Between the Worlds, Griffin and Fionna fight to save a series of mysterious worlds from mind-controlling priests. Earth-born Griffin and otherworldly Fionna set off on different missions. Fi struggles to harness her newfound powers as a Greenwitch to liberate two worlds whose forests have been destroyed, but leading a rebellion is much more difficult than her previous work as a spy. Meanwhile, Griffin and his parents travel to an oceanic planet in search of the source of a mysterious healing song that seems to rise from the deep. One of the joys of fantasy is world-building, and the descriptions of the realms of Caligo, Maris, Vinea, and Somni are concise and vivid but never distract from the action. For example, Griffin's appreciation of Caligo, where people live on floating islands, is tempered by his dislike of their slimy food. Those who have not read The Lighthouse Between the Worlds might find the conflict hard to follow, as the villainous priests and soldiers are nameless and usually far away. However, Crowder deftly conveys the stakes of Griffin's and Fi's struggles by depicting the effects of oppression and resistance on their families. VERDICT Best enjoyed directly after finishing its predecessor, this title will delight readers who yearn for escape, new worlds, and powerful main characters.-Katherine Magyarody, Texas A&M University, College Station

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