The Prince and the Blight (The Dream Keeper Saga #2) Kathryn L. Butler. 2022. 274 pages. [Source: Review copy]
First sentence: This stuff is like ogre slobber. Lily screwed up her face at the paper-mache paste dripping from her brush and cast a doubtful glance at the mess of newsprint that slouched on the art bench before her.
The Prince and the Blight is the sequel to The Dragon and Stone. In the first book, readers met Lily McKinley, our protagonist, and were swept up and away to a fantasy world. A blend of characters--both human and fantastical--teamed up to conquer evil and 'save' the realm. At the end of the first book, the human characters returned to the 'real' world and the others were left to rebuild their world... It's been a month of our time, but several decades in the fantasy world, and the [fantasy] world needs saving once again. This time it seems even more pervasive and deadly dangerous. This evil blight is spreading and spreading fast--soon they'll be nothing left to save. But can Lily and friends (a few new characters are introduced including Keisha and Barth) save the world again????
Pax, the Prince of the land, is a unicorn. He made a few appearances in the first book--enough to be the ultimate hero--but it's been decades since he was last seen. Pax isn't completely and totally forgotten, but, he's not really foremost or first in anyone's thoughts--or hearts or minds. Lily is learning that all things are possible with Pax, but, she has to place all her faith in Pax. In other words, she has to live every moment as if Pax were in the room with her. She has to believe that Pax is still very much a present help in ALL situations no matter how dangerous.
This one is children's fantasy. If it feels super familiar--that's intentional. It is meant to have all the exact same feels as The Chronicles of Narnia and the like. It does read in some ways like fan fiction for Narnia. There's slight differences to be sure. Lions and unicorns are completely different, right?
I am not sure the same-ness is a bad thing however. Not really. If you think of the target audience and how predictability and familiarity and wanting to know what to expect exactly is just an all too real growing stage. Readers do tend to want a book "like" or "exactly like" one they've just read and loved.
For Christian parents, this fantasy novel is along the same lines as the Chronicles of Narnia series. Some spiritual truths--mainly in regards to Pax and Lily--blended into fantasy. There is magic--light and dark.
I liked the first book. I did. I was pleasantly surprised. I was disappointed with the second book. Don't get me wrong there are a few scenes that are definitely the best of the series. (A few scenes with aha significance and grand meaning.) But I couldn't help wishing that there was one book, one story that managed to have it all.
I also did NOT like the ending at all. I thought the ending was just wrong.
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