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Kingdoms of the Cursed

by Greg Keyes
Night Shade. (High and Faraway, Bk. 2). Jun. 2019. 360p. ISBN 9781597809955. pap. $14.99. FANTASY
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This second entry in Keyes's "High and Faraway" series (after The Reign of the Departed) finds Errol restored to his body but stuck in a mental asylum, with both his girlfriend Veronica and former enemy Dusk trying to spring him free. Meanwhile, their friend Aster is held in jail, but her magical powers will ensure that isn't the case for long. Once everyone has been released and reunited, their goal is to stop Aster's megalomaniac father and somehow break the curse plaguing the kingdoms. Oh, and maybe find time for love along the way. The tone of this dark fairy tale is reminiscent of Seanan McGuire's "Wayward Children" series and Lev Grossman's "Magicians" titles.
VERDICT The swiftly changing points of view can be confusing, and the characters' endless rushing around is exhausting. While the main players are fairly layered, Keyes expends minimal effort on adding to the complexity of the magical worlds he's created and gives even less attention to the plot.
Reviewed by Laurel Bliss, San Diego State Univ. Lib. , May 01, 2019
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