A review by tasharobinson
Castle Waiting, Vol. 2 by Linda Medley

5.0

Loved the second volume just as much as the first, though I should note that I read the first edition, which has 60 fewer pages than the later expanded edition, so I don't yet know what I'm missing. What I actually got, though, was more fabulous slice-of-life hangout stories in a fantasy world full of chatty demons, mythical creatures, casual animal-men, helpful nuns, complicated dwarves, and an Everywoman in the middle of all of it, trying to raise her green dog-faced baby. The nature of the baby's father finally starts to come up in this book, but it's unfortunately never resolved, though we do get to know the protagonist better, and get to see a more assertive and personal side of her. But really, it's the broad cast of characters and the complications of their ongoing interactions that make this such an appealing book for me. Again, no huge conflicts, just the household chaos of new discoveries, new attempts to deal with personal problems, new character clashes, and a whole storyline about a game of ninepins that gets surprisingly emotional. I love these characters and this world. It's like a mild-mannered, friendly, fantasy version of The Wire: a rich world packed with highly individual characters who become so distinctive that it's worth checking in just to spend time with them, even during sedate and lazy days.