So remember how I am rather nostalgic for the Stilton books? Well, I am, however for the Kingdom of Fantasy series in particular I never actually read past book one. So let's do that now, spoilers ahead!
Geronimo once again winds up in the Kingdom of Fantasy, and this time he's sent on a quest by the Fairy Queen to find Paradise, whatever that may entail. He forms a newer incarnation of the his old friend club in the last book and goes on this quest.
Overall a neat book, though I don't consider it quite as good at the last one. I still like it a lot, don't get me wrong, it's just that I prefer the first book a bit more. Plus, I do have nostalgia for that book, which I don't have for this one.
Another thing the first book had going for it was a lot more stakes, this book is just mostly Stilton and his friends going on a quest because the Fairy Queen tells him to. It's definitely an important quest, but it's not quite as impactful as last book's "save the Queen". There's definitely a few precarious situations Stilton and the gang end up in here, but the stakes just overall felt lower.
I also just didn't find the worlds to be as interesting here. Last book's worlds felt more like they belong in a stereotypical fairy tale/fantasy story, with worlds such as the world of witches, dragons, gnomes, etc. In this book there's still a few of them, but there's also stuff like the world of toys and world of sweets? Which just felt less classic fantastical and more like a world just based on a type of object. Not saying this is a bad decision or anything, but it's just not really the types of worlds I was looking forward to seeing in future books.
What I do think this book does more effectively, however, it's how it uses Geronimo's club of friends. In the first book, he gathers a ton of friends across the story, but only a few end up actively contributing to the plot. Here, however the team is formed mostly within the first few chapters rather than across the journey, and the characters get more to do and more dialogue. So they don't feel like random additions to the cast like in last book: they serve an actual purpose. My favorite out of the new cast was Oscar, a clever cockroach who speaks sign language. Not just because I think it's neat to have a positive portrayal of a species that's notably very hated, but also because he's just a very genuine guy and I really liked how he added to the story. But the other cast, old and new, was fun as well.
The book also has many morals spread throughout (sometimes literally spelled out in separate sections), which to an older reader like me can come across as a bit on-the-nose, but for the younger readers this book is intended for these are actually good morals to teach. I just thought that the books were conveyed better and much more subtly in the previous installment.
So overall this is still a good book, I just think that the lower stakes and the worlds feeling a little less fantastical sometimes just doesn't make it as strong at the first. Still pretty neat if you're in for a wholesome fantasy adventure, though!
Rating: 3.5/5
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