Delphine and the Dark Thread, Volume 2

March 1, 2022

Gr 4-6-When we last left our mouse (and cat) heroes, they had escaped the rat attack of the Winterberry Ball at the Palace. Now, they are in the dark woods in search of the evil self-proclaimed rat king, Midnight, to put an end to the terrible war. The path is hard, cold, and snowy with little food, but Delphine and courtly Alexander, along with faithful cat Cornichonne, are surviving as best they can. All the while Delphine is channeling anger into her magic, making it more dangerous and forbidden while trying to ignore the quest of finding out who she is. But the answer to where she came from may also reveal how to beat the rat king. Perhaps anger is not the way to unknot past wrongs and spells. Readers will need to read the first book, Delphine and the Silver Needle, as not much backstory is given and things start right where the last book ended. Some of the fairytale aspects are lost in this installment as it veers more into a hero's quest, but readers will still become immersed in this animal world. Familiar characters experience growth, and delightful new ones are introduced, such as a helpful family of bats. Past and present plot lines intersect (with distinguishing typeface), eventually revealing connections and rendering the plot a beautifully intricate tapestry. While the hemming up of the plot at the end tends toward hurried and unbelievable based on the actions of the characters throughout, readers will likely appreciate the happy ending. VERDICT A sound sequel that brings adventure and mystery, and weaves an animal story that will appeal to a wide audience.-Clare A. Dombrowski

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December 15, 2021
Armed only with her magical sewing needle, foundling mouse Delphine sets out to confront the cruel rat king in this duology closer. As vicious rat armies pillage the mouse realms in search of her and her pointy, long-hidden treasure, Delphine finds herself waging an inner war that parallels the outer one. According to dusty documents and other reputable sources, the needle's good powers can be perverted, but she sees no other way except killing to stop evil rat King Midnight. While struggling with a grim determination to go over to the dark side that sets her at odds with her own fundamentally loving nature, Delphine threads her way along with loyal allies past various scrapes--only to come, climactically, face to face with not only her nemesis, but her own past. Moon stitches in flashbacks to fill out the details of a tragic old love triangle that reaches its fruition here and sews her tale up with a return to Ch�teau Desjardins just in time for Cinderella's wedding and a celebratory rodentine ball in the chandelier overhead, and she leaves a fringe of epilogue hinting at further installments to come. Less charming than the opener but does feature a thimbleful of moral quandary at its center. (secret codes) (Animal fantasy. 10-12)

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