PROSPERO IN HELL

The sequel to Lamplighter’s fantasy-adventure debut, Prospero Lost (2009).

The novel continues the author’s updated spin on characters from William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, with Miranda as CEO of Prospero, Inc., a magical corporation that protects the world from natural and man-made disasters. In the first installment, Miranda received a letter from her father Prospero, apparently imprisoned in Hell, warning her that demons known as the Three Shadowed Ones would be coming for her and her siblings' magical staffs. In this sequel, Miranda and her colorful family members further investigate the circumstances surrounding Prospero’s imprisonment, encounter and battle demons, and even venture into Hell itself. Erudite references to Shakespeare, Greek mythology and biblical lore sit side-by-side with sometimes slangy dialogue and glib humor, and that unusual combination of elements results in a somewhat inconsistent tone. When the mix works, however, it works well—as in a scene where The Tempest’s famous brute Caliban invokes his current career as an NYU professor—and Lamplighter’s fast-paced action scenes are engaging. That said, this novel is very much a middle chapter; the third installment in the series, Prospero Regained, has already been announced

A fine sophomore effort in a unique fantasy series.