Harper Collins, Sept 2004, 24.95, 512 pp.
ISBN 0060291702
Beyond the realm of Earth lies the archipelago of Abarat where every island is a different time of day. Candy Quackenbush, originally from the Midwestern town of Chickentown is brought for reasons she doesn't quite understand to this new world where magic works. What she does know is that Christopher Carrion, the Lord of Midnight, wants her brought to his home in Gorgossium, a place where monsters obey their lords' bidding and night never ends. He sends his minion the Criss-Cross man to bring her to him but he dies trying.
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Carrion and his grandmother Mater Motley plan to bring war to Abarat so that darkness will reign forever over the land and the champions of light will be defeated. They fear that Candy and her allies will stop them but Carrion has another reason to capture Candy, one that he doesn't understand himself until he recognizes who she really is. While evading Carrion's minions, she has plenty of hair raising adventures on the various islands but always she is forced to move on or be caught in her enemy's web.
This book contains 125 illustrations. Candy Quackenbush's adventures can be compared to a magical version of The Perils of Pauline. Candy doesn't know her purpose for being in Arabat is to avert a war but she does her best to help people who are victimized and manages to find a little time to have some fun.
Harriet Klausner
The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner