The Cracks in the Kingdom by Jaclyn Moriarty (review)

Book Two of the Colors of Madeleine series (following A Corner of White, BCCB 5/13) opens with the revelation of the whereabouts of the lost members of the royal family of Cello; each is leading a quietly despairing life in a separate city, utterly unaware of their real identity and past life. Back in the realm of Cello, Princess Ko has assembled a small group of young Cellians, including Elliot Baranski, protagonist of the previous book, to help her recover her family from the World, a project she must carry out in secret since congress between the worlds is a capital offense. Elliot, meanwhile, is hopeful when a pair of whip-smart agents has been assigned to rescue his father from the Hostiles, but less hopeful that he can complete his assigned task of stretching the tiny crack between the worlds he uses to communicate with Madeleine, his Cambridge-dwelling contact. While the first book focused more on developing the delightfully eccentric world of Cello, this book is more plot-driven, with the fascinating color storms only coming in at the most suspenseful times. Though this outing isn’t quite as stylish as the first book, Moriarty still provides more frissons of delight than many other authors, and the different parts of the Cellian Kingdom take on a kind of exaggerated, offset resemblance to England’s varied landscapes, from the fields and green spaces of the Farms, to the high-tech wonderland of Jagged Edge, to the curiously old-fashioned landscapes of Olde Quainte. Alarming plot twists and welcome surprises greet readers at every turn, and enough ends are left dangling to engender anticipation for the next installment.