2022-11-24
In this third installment of a middle-grade series, two cousins want to protect the balance between their magical realm and the ordinary world.
Young Wil Wychwood and his cousin Sophie Isidor are starting their second year at an academy for magic. The tweens are used to witnessing amazing abilities in their “magical city” of MiddleGate and have even confronted a formidable villain. But lately, they’re seeing fish everywhere, from stone fish to a smelly book about fish that Peeping Peerslie, the library’s resident ghost, saved for Wil over the summer. This takes on a deeper meaning when a strange woman calling herself Catfysh appears before the cousins with a cryptic warning—the Serpent’s Chain somehow threatens the magical and nonmagical worlds alike. That’s an ancient secret society that Wil knows all too well, as the group, for whatever reason, craves the black medallion his grandmother left him. Wil and Sophie want to help even if they aren’t sure what exactly Catfysh wishes them to do. Solving a riddle may lead them to the subaqueous “Fyshly Realm,” where they hope to find answers. Bridgman’s measured tale puts vibrant and relatable characters in a supernatural city. For example, Wil’s Aunt Violet excitedly works toward opening her fortunetelling store, and conversation at a friends’ home that the cousins visit revolves around magic and what time dinner starts. These interactions take precedence over a discernible baddie and the young heroes’ feelings of urgency. Fish-related elements, meanwhile, are deliberately murky along with largely mysterious carry-overs from earlier books, including the Serpent’s Chain, the black medallion, and Wil’s inherited gold ring. While clarification is minimal, the final act spins off into Wil and Sophie’s otherworldly experience with the Fysh. Throughout the novel, Bridgman describes aquatic creatures in beautiful detail, from multihued bodies and spiny fins to a bevy of “whiskers” (barbels). This engaging volume ends with an unmistakable setup for the next installment.
A sublime cast headlines this leisurely but engrossing supernatural tale.
