Matthew's gotten abruptly sucked into someone else's problem again, much to his annoyance. Some people need his help. Some people help him -- and get turned into paint. Some people will kill to stop him -- eventually, but not now while he's still useful. We run into some of the characters from the previous book and meet some notable new ones, including an entire magical bureaucracy that really doesn't appreciate Matthew being foisted onto them. There are trash monsters, hip-hop ghosts, and more inventions that Matthew handles with as much creative problem-solving ability as magic. Then there is the dragon, and Matthew chatting with his former (dead) self, and of course that absolutely mission-critical hat.
It takes a while to settle into the author's style and humor, but once I got there I liked this one even more than the first. Can't wait for the third installment!
It takes a while to settle into the author's style and humor, but once I got there I liked this one even more than the first. Can't wait for the third installment!
