A Reading Vocation

I didn't like this book as much as I liked the first in the series -- it was definitely heavier on plot, with there being no question about exactly WHY the little girl in question needed rescuing -- but it was lighter on character development, which was what really set the first book apart for me. There was more humor as a slew of semi-competent mice abandoned Bianca in the diamond palace at the first sign of trouble, then congratulated themselves anyway, but less of the charming interactions. The reunion of Bianca and Bernard, anticipated throughout all their adventures in this volume, was lackluster to say the least.

Still, this book does gain points for its creepy undertones -- mechanical "ladies in waiting", an aged duchess who employs only people who have committed great crimes so that they are beholden to her not to make such crimes known, and a little girl whose fingers ache and freeze from being forced to polish silver every day.

Still, this book was lacking that special "shine." After the first, I hoped to love it. Whereas that one pleasantly surprised me, this one unpleasantly disappointed.