ARCHIBALD FINCH AND THE CURSE OF THE PHOENIX

A cruel ancient conflict between Earth and a hidden dimension involving witches and monsters continues in this second installment of the Archibald Finch series.

One year after 11-year-old Archibald escaped Lemurea, an underworld where witches are hiding, he returns to find Faerydae, the only person who can help him catch the Marodor that followed him home. Faerydae refuses to leave, but Archibald tricks and abducts her, bringing her back to Earth with him. To make matters worse, the Orbatrum, a device that opens portals between their realms, breaks, leaving Faerydae no choice but to confront the Marodor and the world she left behind centuries ago if she wants to get back home. On their hunt for the Marodor, the all-White team of Archibald; his sister, Hailee; former thief Oliver; and Faerydae encounter a vicious witch hunter who has a beaklike nose. The large or hooked noses of other villains are a recurrent theme that evokes antisemitic stereotypes, in stark contrast to the explicit mention of Archibald’s small nose. The description of an antagonistic multiracial army of witches led by an African former child soldier stands out as the only direct representation of people of color. The characters’ magic includes elements from various cultures: golems, Romanian animal spirits, and shamans (who are equated with wizards and sorcerers). Hailee, who likes boys, shopping, and fashion, is portrayed as unintelligent. Apart from all this, the plot itself is a chaos of tiring twists and turns.

Messy in execution and representation.