63. Curses! Foiled Again by Jane Yolen

Curses! Foiled Again by Jane Yolen. Art by Mike Cavallaro (3/5)
Foiled, Book 2


Jan. 8 2013, First Second, 176 pgs
Ages: 11+


(US) - (Canada)

"Aliera Carstairs is back. This time she's got her cousin—and best friend—Caroline in tow, and the stakes are higher than ever. The realm of Seelie, the fairy kingdom of which Aliera is the hereditary defender, is under attack, and only Aliera and Caroline can set things right. Caroline, fragile and wheelchair-bound, may seem like more of a liability than an asset, but Aliera knows there's more to her quiet cousin than meets the eye."

I've got to say I was somewhat underwhelmed with this one.  I really enjoyed the first book and this sequel just didn't live up to it for me.  The initial background story was never referred to; the mix of b/w and colour in the art doesn't make as much of an impression when one forgets that Aliera is color-blind in the first book, and references to a few names and places from her and Caroline's "rpg"-ing from the first book also fall flat.  The story presented here was an ok fantasy, a quick divergence, but nothing out of the ordinary.  Cavallaro's art is bold and dark when needed, his use of colour is bright and I've read a few of his works now that I know it is always a pleasure to enjoy his artwork.