TWICE UPON A MARIGOLD

Lightning doesn’t strike twice, but this follow-up to the delicious romantic comedy Once Upon A Marigold (2002) goes down as easily as one of the yummy dishes crafted by anagrammatically named chef/toymaker/jolly-old-elf Stan Lucasa. At the end of the previous episode Prince Christian and Princess Marigold were united at last, while evil stepmother Queen Olympia took a header into the river. Now Olympia is back, having spent a year as an amnesiac in the distant village of Granolah, and in no time she has husband King Swithbert and two of his cronies headed for the gallows: “A fine kettle of hen’s teeth,” as malapropism-prone mini-troll Edric puts it. Though a tad preachy about the pitfalls of meeting violence with violence and other ethical issues, Ferris compensates with clever additions to the already-colorful cast, ushers Marigold and Christian through a rough domestic patch back to lovey-doveydom and steers the plot to a resolution that leaves everyone, even Olympia, set for a happily-ever-after. For full appreciation, readers should start with the opener. (Fantasy. 11-13)