"Reuben Walrus was too restless to sit down at first."

I've just finished reading the second book in Tim Dayvs' Mollisan Quartet and it couldn't have been more different than the first. While Amberville was a dark crime novel, Lanceheim is a story about faith, religion and loss.

If you have forgotten my first review, I'll remind you that Mollisan Town is a place populated by living, breathing stuffed animals. Alternating between two narratives that intersect only at the very end, we follow Reuben Walrus, a conductor and composer who is quickly becoming deaf, and Wolf Diaz, the "recorder" and companion for an unusual creature who may be the savior of Mollisan Town. Reuben's story follows his search for this healer, hoping for a miracle to give him his hearing back. Wolf's story is the history of the mysterious Maximilian, who is in the world but not of it.

This is a sad pair of stories but they are also very thought-provoking. It was a much more mature novel than Amberville and seemed more like an allegorical tale than the first.  Now I'm even more curious to see what the themes and tone are in the third novel, Tourquai (which is being released next week). I don't believe that there is a necessary order in which to read these novels so if you see one, pick it up. You'll take a very unique journey through a bizarre but familiar world.

Contemplating faith, hope and love,

K

Support our site and buy Lanceheim on Amazon or find it at your local library. We received an uncorrected proof from the publisher for review.