Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War by Clive Barker

"I dreamed I spoke in another's language,
I dreamed I lived in another's skin,
I dreamed I was my own beloved,
I dreamed I was a tiger's kin.

I dreamed that Eden lived inside me,
And when I breathed a garden came,
I dreamed I knew all of Creation,
I dreamed I knew the Creator's name.

I dreamed--and this dream was the finest--
That all I dreamed was real and true,
And we would live in joy forever,
You in me, and me in you."
— Clive Barker (Abarat, Book 2: Days of Magic, Nights of War)

So begins the journey of Candy Quackenbush in Abarat, Book 2: Days of Magic, Nights of War. The beginning is has a slow build-up. I almost am inclined to think that Barker wasn't sure if this was going to be the last book in the Abarat series or not when he began writing this story. Once things get rolling, it's a hard book to set down. The reader delves deeper into Candy's history and lineage, uncovering secrets and connections hidden in the first book. Also, the reader becomes better acquainted with Abarat and the twenty-five islands of The Hours. A must read for any fan of the series or anyone looking to get lost in a magical world where anything is possible.

Abarat: Book One by Clive Barker

"I dreamed a limitless book,
A book unbound,
It's leaves scattered in fantastic abundance.

On every line there was a new horizon drawn,
New heavens supposed;
New states, new souls.

One of those souls,
Dozing through some imagined afternoon,
Dreamed these words.
And needing a hand to set them down, Made mine. "
-Clive Barker, Abarat: Book One

Thus begins your journey into Abarat, a world unlike any other. Candy is an average girl living in an average town, known as Chickentown, Minnesota. Her father is a drunk, known to beat her in midst of his alcoholic rages and her mother is a quiet, passive woman who works to bring home the family income and keep the family together the best she can. Needless, to say, there is nothing holding Candy to her home. In an angry fit, Candy walks until she no longer can see any part of Chickentown, however, she does see an old abandoned lighthouse. It is the very remains of this lighthouse that take Candy away to the world known as Abarat. Once in Abarat, Candy journeys on one adventure after another, all the while meeting vivid characters and dodging (extremely) evil counterparts. This is story that you don't want to miss.

I have not been so enthralled in a story since I read Harry Potter. A must-read for those who like fantasy, adventure, and the timeless tale of good-over-evil. The book itself contains over 100 oil paintings done by Clive Barker himself, which add a rich context to the story.