The White City

Philip K. Dick Award–winner Morden returns to Down in this enjoyable sequel to Down Station. It’s been weeks since Mary and Dalip went through a portal to escape a burning London, only to find themselves in a land of magic and mayhem. Now they seek the famed White City in hopes of learning the truth about Down and its magic. Mary (who can transform into a falcon) and Dalip, along with their companions, possess maps that will hopefully get them home, but some people are willing to kill for those maps, which may reveal dangerous truths about Down, and getting to the White City won’t be easy, especially since trusting one another is so hard. There’s action aplenty—a highlight is their encounter with a band of pirates—and Mary and Dalip are charmingly flawed heroes. Dalip must align his Sikh upbringing with what the journey demands of him, and Mary’s streetwise, all-for-herself mentality is put to the test by her friendship with Dalip. The truth about the portals is creepy but not earthshaking; the real fun is in the quest. A truly imaginative conclusion leaves open the possibility of further adventures. (June)