The Winter Door

The second of this fantasy trilogy re-imagines the Persephone legend. After Rage Winnoway's excursion in the alternate world of Valley, her Mam's health improved, her long-lost uncle returned and she has finally looked beyond her beloved dog to find a human friend in the school bad boy. But her life unravels as winter sets in, and when Rage dream-travels to Valley, she finds it gripped by killing snowstorms, now leaking into Rage's home dimension. Reuniting with her companions from her earlier adventure, they venture to a third, bleaker universe ruled by the coldhearted Stormlord, attempting to close the "winter door" that endangers them all. Unfortunately, Rage spends hundreds of pages dithering between worlds before the real threat is revealed; too many climactic events occur offstage, further slowing the narrative pace. Subplots are started and dropped, or abruptly resolved between chapters. Yet Carmody's lyrical writing displays flashes of startling beauty, precisely capturing the piercing pain of loss and the dull ache of despair. While Rage remains annoyingly oblivious, she also grows in empathy and compassion; if the adult characters speak in moralizing platitudes, the dogs-turned-humans remain fresh and lovable. Several clues hint toward a satisfying conclusion for an uneven series. (Fantasy. 10-14) (Kirkus Reviews)