A Light in the Darkness, a Lock in the Door: Book 2

Description

Henrietta Achilles, the heir of a legendary wizard, has a serious plumbing problem. When flooding from the wizard's house threatens to destroy everything around it, Henrietta must rally a group of unlikely allies to stop the deluge. Alongside Captain Booner's soldiers and Nate Flemming's motley bandits, Henrietta travels into the house's depths, a journey that brings danger...and discovery. Soon Henrietta encounters one of her uncle's lost creations--and he's a little suspicious about Henrietta winding up in charge. Meanwhile, secrets from Flemming and Booner's shared past explode into view, and the house's volatile magic threatens to sink the rescue mission... [A]n absolute delight. --Entertainment Weekly, for book 1 The action and wonder never stop in this intriguing sequel.--Kirkus Reviews

Haiko Hoernig is a writer of screenplays and graphic novels. He lives in Frankfurt, Germany, where he writes for various clients and works with Marius Pawlitza on their fantasy series A House Divided. Marius Pawlitza was born in Koenigshu tte, Poland but grew up in Ludwigshafen, Germany with comics and video games. After studying communication design in Mainz he started his first job in an advertisement agency. Today he lives in Frankfurt, draws comics and works as a freelance illustrator and art director.

A ragtag crew heads back into a magical house in this follow-up to The Accursed Inheritance of Henrietta Achilles (2020). After being flushed out of a skyscraperlike tower due to a burst pipe, Henrietta leads a group of bandits and soldiers back inside to fix the pipes, save the village from the flood, and continue their hunt for the hidden treasure. It's not all fun and games though, as the Henrietta faces moments of doubt; she's unsure how to properly wield the keys she inherited as the wizard's heir. While the group splits up and experiences various attacks and mishaps, Henrietta forges ahead and finds a boy made of candle wax who promises to help her--but danger lurks around every corner. The striking illustrations are both clear and whimsical, bringing to life the wondrous creatures and imaginative magical elements that fill the story. Rife with humorous moments, this graphic novel is overall a delight. However, the presence of a dozen or so major characters makes it hard for them all to shine, and the clunky introduction of some characters' backstories during the war years ago muddies the otherwise tight, action-packed plot. For those interested in unravelling the additional secrets introduced in this installment, a cliffhanger ending fortunately promises more to come. The cast appears mainly White and mostly male. The action and wonder never stop in this intriguing sequel.--Kirkus Reviews -- "Journal" (9/1/2020 12:00:00 AM)