MEESH THE BAD DEMON

Meesh and friends uncover a fissure at the heart of fairy and demon societies alike.

Meesh is training up her newfound guardian abilities with her grandma Chow, but danger is closing in. The werewolf pack, including Chai, is displaced when its forest home is bulldozed. Friends Nouna the fairy and Xavier the demon offer to help, but the cause of all this trouble shakes the foundations of everything they thought they knew about Ponderosa and Plumeria City. The first book dealt with prejudices between demons and fairies; this sequel exposes both societies’ unfair maligning of a third group. The characters grapple with uncomfortable feelings that arise from honestly facing the harm done by members of one’s community and setting aside ego in the interest of truly helping others. In the process, they demonstrate self-sacrifice, empathy, and forgiveness. Callbacks to the series opener are used for humorous and dramatic effect. There’s still plenty of room for magical showdowns, assistance from sentient trees, and the threat of a giant laser of doom, of course. The range of perspectives and the clear emotional expressions the characters wear mean readers will easily find someone among the cast to connect with. The story’s message of looking beyond merely assigning worthiness or blame to find a productive path forward is a powerful and affirming use of its fantasy world.

Uses questions of right and wrong to thoughtfully challenge a robust fantasy society.