Helpful Score: 1
Frost's lively sequel to Hounding the Moon (2006) finds Tess Noncoiré, fantasy writer and Warrior of the Celestial Blade, literally haunted by the ghost of her dead husband, Dill, and on the run from the vengeful widow of a Windago demon. Tess doesn't need more trouble, but she gets it anyway when WindScribe, a member of her aunt MoonFeather's coven, reappearsunaged, naked and hounded by garden gnomes with teethafter vanishing 28 years before. The gnomes, actually demonic Orculli trolls, are guards bent on returning WindScribe to a pandimensional prison for unspecified crimes. Meanwhile, Tess's mom has fallen in love with Darren Estevez, Damiri demon and stepfather of Tess's mysterious love interest, Donovan. Frost juggles several plot lines and occasionally drops a few, but the ever-changing mix of mundane and supernatural elements keeps the story interesting. Fans of Anne McCaffrey and Marion Zimmer Bradley are most likely to enjoy this slightly screwball fantasy adventure leavened with touches of soap opera.
