Castle (Paperback)

I liked this book a lot more than I liked the first, because this one had a little more action. It still plodded along a bit at the beginning, but then it turned into a spellbinder! Things got darker and tenser as Nix picked up the story and turned it into a twisted mystery of sorts. This was definately a good read! I'd recommend this book to young people and adults ages 10 and up. I hope that you enjoy the secong book of the 7th Tower series, 'Castle'!

Tal's family is being mysteriously victimized, and will become outcasts unless he can get into the mystical land of Aenir. But now he's captive of the Icecarls, and is the grudging ally of the tough wannabe-shieldmaiden Milla. After meeting with the ancient Mother Crone, Tal agrees to help sneak Milla in, so they can both find Sunstones -- he for his family, she for her people.

But they have more trouble. After getting inside and consulting with Uncle Ebbitt, he tells them that they must find the Codex in Aenir. Then things take a hideous turn: The two kids are captured. Tal is imprisoned in the Pit -- and discovers something about his father's fate. And Milla is trapped with the half-shadow-half-man monster Fashnek, in the Hall of Nightmares...

Though "Castle" is not as strong as "Fall," it's a darker, weirder story that adds to the mystery. Why does Sushin hate Tal and his family so much? What is happening to the Sunstones, if they're dying and becoming useless? And who was the mysterious Longface, a Chosen taken in by the Icecarls -- what was he terrified of?

Nix's talent for fantastical horror is also more evident here, in the hideous Fashnek, who has an insectile shadow-claw over part of his body. While "Fall" was pretty much pure fantasy, "Castle" has the darker, more macabre bits -- probably even more as the series progresses. And his talent for creating familiar but alien cultures now extends to the Icecarls as well as the Chosen.

Tal was a well-rounded character to start with, and he doesn't disappoint in this book. Milla gets a bit more depth, and shows some liking for Tal and Uncle Ebbitt. She softens a little bit, while being no less tough. Uncle Ebbit is likably quirky, but more serious, and the Mother Crone is an intriguing old wisewoman.

The second part of the "Seventh Tower" series is a little darker than the first book, and a little more of what fans expect from Nix. And he knows when to stop, just to make them dash eagerly for "Aenir."