Perchance to Dream, by Lisa Mantchev

Picking up where the enchanting Eyes Like Stars left off, we rejoin Beatrice Shakespeare on the journey of a lifetime, to free a pirate from a sea witch. The outside world is nothing Bertie expected though; despite her steadfast friends, nothing goes as she imagined.

No one sees every twist and turn to a story, least of all Bertie. She knows that freeing Nate from the sea witch won’t be an easy thing, but surely doesn’t expect her own father to complicate the mission. Her heart proves another complication, for Nate and Ariel both tug at it. Nate’s love for Bertie may prove a good defense against his prison, but Ariel is at Bertie’s side every day, drawing her ever close.

Magic and wonder abounds in this second volume; not only is our amusing cast traveling around in what seems a gypsy’s wagon, they encounter a delightful circus which can’t help but woo the reader. While it would have been easy to have the story follow predictable lines, Mantchev strengthens Bertie in this one and has her wondering who she is–beyond the young men she loves.

Peaseblossom, Mustardseed, Cobweb, and Moth are, of course, back for more adventure and sweets–the opening paragraph of this book may well be one of my all-time favorites. Mantchev stays true to the world she created in Eyes Like Stars, yet gives us an ever-widening look at it, as we finally move beyond the walls of the Theater.

Brava, brava! Act 3, So Silver Bright, is due this fall.

(And the cover art? Get out! Jason Chan is amazing, and really captures the feel of the characters and Mantchev’s world here. Just beautiful.)