Review by Ian Keogh
It’s seemingly going to be a standard feature that Willow changes her hair colour every book, going from purple to blue in The Doors to Nowhere, to pink here. Another change is that with Mr. Elric’s death people he’s hypnotised into forgetting things are remembering them again, and creator Chris Grine again has a good story purpose for Willow’s hearing being impaired as he introduces more mythical creatures to his world.
The previous book ended with a prophecy having been fulfilled, no matter how unlikely that first seemed, and the consequence is that a previously banished menace has returned and has a dastardly plan. It’s down to Willow and her friends to stop him. Fortunately, they’ve picked up a few magic tricks along the way, and made friends with assorted mystical creatures. Many from the previous books make a return appearance, and some new ones are introduced.
A reason for the locality of Nowhere always being foggy was explained in The Doors to Nowhere, and by now Grine is accomplished at illustrating with that as a background, often making objects seem indistinct. A change of location for a crucial sequence means a change in the look, Grine giving the place a green glow to distinguish it, and it brings home how well considered the colouring is overall.
Everything looks to be over by halfway through, but Grine has a clever solution avoiding that, and some of Willow’s friends have a larger part this time around rather than just being one of the gang, Emma especially builds on what was previously revealed about her. As in the previous book, there’s a big lot of explanations, this time just after halfway through, where Grine finally reveals a use for an object that seemed to have been forgotten last time.
There’s a feeling of this being a trilogy complete and a farewell to Camp Whatever, and if that’s the case it’s a far greater shame than ever would have been assumed from the first visit. This is another well drawn story starring a likeable cast in a fine and unsentimental plot that should please the young adult reader.
