The Hidden Land, Secret #2 by Pamela Dean
This was an incredibly anticipated book for me, 'The Secret Country' had been one of the great lost favorites of my childhood and I was finally going to be able to finish the story.
The big flaw with this book is its repetition, apparently 'The Hidden Land' and 'The Secret Country' were intended as a single book, but were separated for unclear reasons (trilogy marketability?).
It would have worked much better combined, it would have saved a lot of unnecessary exposition and retreading that slowed things down. Take all of the extra bits away and it would have made a good 100 pages to add to 'The Secret Country'.
Dean's characters and setting are still captivating but I couldn't get as absorbed into it as I should have.
The Secret Trilogy
Next: 'The Whim of the Dragon'
Previous: 'The Secret Country'
