(I Box Publishing) Writer/Artist: Mark Oakley (M'Oak)
M'Oak's lovely description of sunrise over Toronto, and the feeling he gets looking out over that city at that hour, more than makes up for the fact that his cover art-- of a reclining Soracia, sitting cross-legged in a coach and apparently conjuring some nasty genie out of a bottle-- having nothing to do with the story within. It's a pretty picture, but it threw me just a bit.
The story, which doesn't feature the thief Rubel nor any kings, deals with the aftermath of Heath Wingwhit's "dream" adventure under the tree, where she encountered Rubel and the future Soracia. Seems that Heath-- who has been almost alone in believing her friend Quinton is a sorcerer-- is well on her way to becoming a woman of considerable power herself.
After Quinton, referred to by the authorities as "the Dutchy," is led away from the Jays' household and thrown into the Magistrate's lock-up, Heath and her friends try to figure out a way to release them. Heath notes her insights into the way Quinton's magic seems to work ("He can get people to do things they wouldn't normally do"), and, as if to confirm her growing knowledge, encounters-- a talking bird!
I really like this change. It suddenly throws a whole different light on the storyline of Heath and her friends, who until now have pretty much been just plain kids exercising their imaginations. But the power of the dream can't be discounted, and the talking message bird sent by Quinton is there and real-- and the sudden appearance of a somewhat different-looking Soracia (for it must be she) confirms that actual magic's afoot. I found it interesting that Soracia not only reveals that Heath is a witch (indicating that's an inborn trait), but thanks her for identifying herself as The (not "a") Sorceress. She also mentions "We weren't certain," leading one to wonder who "we" are. Is she in with the Magistrate on this? It would seem so, she refers to Quinton as "the Dutchy" as well. Or is there a third force at work here?
As ever, lots of unanswered but intriguing questions, but I'm a little concerned that M'Oak is starting to leave too many danglers to keep track of at once. Especially when he throws in the "Desmond the Daring" story, where Our Hero Desmond keeps "experiencing residual memories from some insignificant parallel existence" (where he's Rubel). M'Oak refers to this story fragment as "3 pages to kill some time," but I think I would have preferred something more self-contained that had no apparent bearing on the characters in T&K.
Only one mostly-text-with-illo page this time around, and the hand-drawn lettering is more than offset by balloon placement and plot. The art and layout continue to be very pleasing, with a great sense of perspective.
- Elayne
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This review is copyright 1996 Elayne Wechsler-Chaput
Reprinted here by permission