THE GOLDEN IMAGINARIUM

A cryptic note on her apartment door leads middle school angel-in-training Nell Batista back to the magical alternate world of Nigh for a second try at rescuing her kidnapped little brother.

In a slapdash follow-up to Hither & Nigh (2022), Nell, along with fellow trainees Crud and Annika, goes from being pitched into a disastrous pass/fail Initiation Trial for the Angelic Order of Alchemy in the Hither (which is this world, sort of) to reunions in the Nigh with her crush, Tom the Imp, and the big, memorable mama angel of New York’s Bethesda Fountain. Encounters in both worlds with creatures ranging from really big dogs to a terrifying tiny Creeping Yeuk that bestows unreachable itches on its victims—plus battles with deadly monsters and evil, child-stealing Magicians—ensue on the way to a resolution and wrap-up so rushed that it’s unclear whether the author plans further developments. But her comic—and comically romantic—timing remains sharp, her three young leads develop gratifyingly tight bonds notwithstanding very different temperaments and backgrounds, and the story arc does bend toward what appears to be a happy ending. A bountiful creature cast and some learning-curve spellcasting will keep readers amused, too. The human (and angelic) cast largely reads white.

A rough patchwork of lightweight chills and thrills.