Catholic Review of: The Harrowing Escape

The Harrowing Escape is aptly named.  Dan and his friends reached the castle by the end of the last book and had decended into the bowels of the horrid palace by means of a dumbwaiter to escape the strange creatures that were preparing meals in the castle's kitchen.  Upon landing in the dungeon they were befriended by a Satyr named Salvus.  Salvus had sought refuge here many years ago to get away from the dangers of Eldritch forest.  He served the Reclaimers with his music.  Other than this they basically ignored the wretched creature.  With his help Dan and his friends were able to locate William.  

The Reclaimers were a band of fifty sorcerers who were so powerful they were cast out of Hell and forced to live for eternity tortured by looking into their demonic souls every time they looked into a mirror.  These Hellish creatures were neither dead nor living and absorbed the non biological soul and memories of their victims on the moment of death.  In this moment they would entrap the soul of the person and become more powerful for a time.  These creatures lure the sick and the weak by promising a permanent cure for their ailments.  They kept their victims alive by means of magic in a trance like state.  William and eleven others were trapped in the tower when Dan and his friends got there.

Salvus and his friend, a half man half crayfish looking creature named Marcus aided the group in rescuing William and escaping from the castle.  Salvus on many occasions risked life and limb to aid his friends all the while wishing they would stay to ease his lonliness.  The group begs him to come with them.  He decides there is nothing for it and joins his new friends in their dash to freedom.

Persued by predators and Reclaimers the entire journey the group's faith begins to grow.  After many trials and a run in with pygmies that nearly does them in, the group finally makes it to the tree.  Dan finds out the source of the "warm touch" that guided him on his right paths and also witnesses the powerful wrath of God inflicted on the Reclaimers and the world they corrupted.

Once home the teenagers and Sam head straight for the church.  Upon entering Dan scrapes his boots and cuts himself on a large wood sliver.  Mud, blood and sliver are cast onto the ground outside the church and the group enters to find the church  empty.  They pray together and witness a miracle while Fr. James enters to see it as well. 

The next full moon brings the shock of an oak growing out of the ground overnight, right by the church.  The story continues when a technician disappears and Sam decides to enter the portal the next full moon....

T. J. Smith does it again with this second part of the Quest of Dan Clay.  I couldn't put it down.  Many times throughout the book he touches on things we witness going horribly awry in our world.  In his allegorical style the heroes of his story confront them one by one and discover more about themselves and their need for God.  T.J. Smith writes a fantasy adventure to rival Harry Potter putting into it's proper place the evils of sorcery and selfishness.  I highly recommend it.  I can't wait for the third installment!