Sir Kelton, Squire, and Shadow are escorting Cade to wizard school, but they keep returning to the same marked cairn. They encounter Sir Reynholm the Bold of Upper Claxtonbury, but the group is separated when a swarm of giant mosquitoes attack. Squire relies on his wits, survival skills, and flashback memories of a conversation with Queen Marley about his duties to Sir Kelton, but he is captured by gnolls, large, doglike monsters that intend to eat him and Cade. Fortunately, the gnolls are lost in the forest as well, giving Shadow a chance to rescue them. Back at the cairn, Squire nearly gives up, but memories of Queen Marley and support from Cade revive him, and he realizes what they’ve missed all along: The cairn hides a lodestone that will help them find the castle. The palette consists of earthy greens and browns, and the action is easy to follow, with no more than six panels per page; the flashbacks are in a washed-out version of the same colors. While in the first tale, Squire was the obvious hero, this one sees him humbled when being right isn’t enough. Sir Kelton is, once more, filled with cheerful bravado. A victory against the gnolls and a humorous twist ending will satisfy readers, who may hope for a third installment. Sir Kelton, Squire, and Queen Marley are light-skinned.
English (US) ·