Book Review - "Hunting the Strange: A Mystery Royale Novel" Expands on the Magical World with a Life-or-Death Sequel Adventure
Hunting the Strange: A Mystery Royale brings fans of the series back to the magical world of New York, and the struggle of the young girl named Mullory Prudence. In the second book of the series, Mullory has a problem. She is responsible for the death of her friend Lyric, and thanks to her magical ability, he is not gone yet, which allows her to keep him on the verge of being alive, but not fully dead yet.
As Mullory spends her time trying to hold on to Lyric forever, she must endure the squabbling of her family, the mystery of her mother, and wonder about what happened to her father. The further she explores how she can bring Lyric back to life, the closer she comes to the reality of the family she has.
With her Uncle Xavier vying for power, and the arrival of Lyric’s sister Ellison, Mullory is forced to ally herself with people she doesn’t trust. More importantly, her family doesn’t trust her either. The more she spends time with her new ‘friends’ the more she worries she will lose Lyric for good, and Mullory won’t let that happen. Even if she must make the ultimate sacrifice.
Kaitlyn Cavalancia brings her characters back to the forefront in this magical mystery tour that allows readers to connect with the story on a personal level. Having each chapter dedicated to the viewpoint of a different character is a unique way to allow the readers to see the world from a variety of perspectives. Rather than seeing just Mullory’s insight, we have her interpretation and then we can make up our own minds based on a fuller picture that enhances the story from the other characters.
The world readers jump into is a world with magic, mystery, and a lot of family trauma. Mullory is a caring, considerate person who is haunted by the mystery of what her mother left, and a guilt for taking part in what happened to Lyric, even though it was never in her hands to decide. She’s passionate and easy to root for, and as this reader travels through the book we hope to see her detach from the pain she has lassoed herself with from what happened to Lyric. Thankfully, we get an opportunity that allows Mullory to stand out on her own accord. Too many times, we have seen children forced to atone for the sins and misdeeds of their parents. Mullory is a victim of this, but it is her personal character that allows her to cast off the anchors of a troubled family.
To me, the most fascinating character is Uncle Xavier Stoutmire. He is portrayed as being the worst of the worst, someone to avoid, and as the story unravels throughout the chapters, I found an interest in this character. His steadfast attempt to stifle the problems that he knows about, and few others do, makes him a complex being in a world that is richly populated with fragile lines of safety. The reader is not meant to like Uncle Xavier, however, it is relevant to recognize that even though kids are often left to deal with the inherited trauma thanks to spirited parents, sometimes the old uncle who is seen as a villain, is not really the villain at all. Xavier’s conclusion in the book is epic, and one to be remembered.
Mullory spends much of the book trying to undo what has been done. In real life this is next to impossible in such a short time, but this being a narrative where magic is possible, problems can disappear. Throughout the book, there is a impending sense of gloom and doom, and while some might find this to be a little depressing, this thread in the storyline is an excellent way for the readers to see that even if you are gifted with magic, nothing is perfect, and nothing can be erased with the casting of a spell, or the power of a trinket.
The truth is that magic will only get someone so far. What Mullory learns, as the readers see the conclusion to the book, is that to accomplish great things you need to rely on help from others, even if you don’t trust them.
Kaitlyn Cavalancia has created a mystical world that is funny and serious and enhances what was created in the first book to a full-fledged adventure. The ending is phenomenal and like all good adventure tales, the next book is laid out ready to be explored.
Hunting the Strange: A Mystery Royale Novel is magic on a page, and sure to please devotees and new fans alike.
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