DESTINY CALLING

Jake and Cora return to save the world one more time.

Jake Green has defeated the evil Fenris and his minions twice now, most recently with the help of his friend Cora, a ghost, and Sab, his human best friend. But there’s no rest for the decent: A new secret mission has been given to Jake, involving a traitor in the Embassy of the Dead’s midst. Jake, Cora, and Sab need to figure out where this traitor is, and it should be no sweat considering Jake wears a tooth he discovered in the Eternal Void, a fabled tool he picked up during his last adventure in the Afterworld. But Jake is starting to wonder if he’s got the stomach to keep fighting spooks and monsters for the rest of his days or if maybe there’s another path he could take. Jake’s characterization as a hesitant hero isn’t new to the series, but this time the author wrangles it into something dramatically interesting. Coupling this motif with the series’ humor and scratchy black-and-white illustrations makes this the strongest entry yet, building on its predecessors with effective ease. The laughs are sharp, the pacing is strong, the horror is effective, and the characters continue to impress and evolve.

A stirring entry in a series that’s come into its own.