DANDELION FIRE

Picking up where 100 Cupboards (2006) left off, this new adventure finds young hero Henry York back in Kansas, sleeping fitfully next to a wall of doors that lead to secret worlds. Forces have been after Henry ever since he freed the remarkably evil Witch of Endor in his previous adventure. After a surprisingly painful run-in with a seemingly average dandelion, Henry is kidnapped and taken through one of the doors. Now his family has split up, trying desperately to find one another through the various openings, and Henry must find a way to battle the witch’s forces and defeat Darius, a wizard of great power and filthy desires. Wilson has unfortunately strayed away from the sheer, wonderful weirdness of his previous fantasy to create something a little more staid and normal. This may earn it a wider readership, but it sacrifices much of the originality particular to the series. Still, it is a memorable sequel and fans will look forward to Henry’s future adventures, wherever they might lead. (Fantasy. 9-12)