When I was young I devoured books like Mallory Towers and The Naughtiest Schoolgirl by Enid Blyton. Though I had no desire to go there myself, I loved reading about kids at boarding school. The freedom, the midnight snacks, the labyrinthine hallways and hidden rooms. As an adult this is something that appealed to me about the recent work of Rebecca Yarros, that and the dragons. In The Labyrinth of Souls by Leslie Vedder, our heroine Ix Tatterfall is propelled into such a school against her will but to the wonder of mine.
The Candle Corps are an elite group that protect the Kingdom of Spinar from Nightmares, mystical beasts that no one can see. No one that is, except Ix. Ix has been able to see these beasts for as long as she can remember, and while some Nightmares are in fact the things of nightmares, some are just mischievous. Her relationship with them is far more complex than the people around her, and fraternising with Nightmares is in fact illegal. The way people view Nightmares has a strong resemblance to some of our own current political vibes, and Vedder here gives a really good access point to have some difficult conversations with your kids about what they are hearing and seeing lately.
Ix can also cross unaided into the Labyrinth of Souls, home to the powerful Sorrows. The Sorrows are above the Nightmares, the most dangerous beings in the world, and creatures entirely of such things as despair, sorrow, and death. The Sorrows fascinate me and terrify me. They feel like something from the nonsensical world of Edward Lear has had a brush with something from a Neil Gaiman novel. They are fantastic creations.
Never count your griefs without counting your blessings alongside them, so that the Sorrows cannot make a home inside of you.
When Ix is brought to Candle Corps Academy she doesn’t know what to expect. She knows no one, does not make friends easily, and everything that the other cadets seem to know and exude, work at complete opposites in Ix. She has also spent the last ten years hiding from people like this, ever since her father was mysteriously taken from her. But here she may find answers she has been looking for, answers about the mother she never knew, what happened to her father, and just why she can come and go from the Labyrinth of Souls at will. She also starts to hear voices that no one else can here, and that is perhaps one of my favorite storylines that Vedder pursues. Foe becomes friend, and friend becomes foe, as Ix learns to navigate this new world, and discovers many things about the world she thought she already knew.
The Labyrinth of Souls felt like a breath of fresh air, accompanied by strange magics and mystical creatures that is. The last time I really invested myself in a magical school became first too enmeshed with the movie versions that distanced me from the books I loved, and then problematic by the actions of the author. This school has magical rooms, magical artefacts, secrets and staircases, classes in magic that doesn’t behave itself, and an elite group that fights against darkness. It all felt so fresh and new, and thoroughly exciting. Familiar tropes were employed to great effect, and new magics were introduced to my great joy. The workings of the labyrinth, the existence of the Sorrows, these things were entirely captivating.
Giving a Nightmare your name gave them power over you. Weak Nightmares might only be able to learn your deepest hidden desires or follow you back from the Labyrinth to whisper in your ear. But the strongest Nightmares, like any of the Sorrow, could use your name to bend you to their will.
There is such a wide variety of characters in this book, and Vedder sets all of them up delightfully, leading me to want to know more about each group. There are normal people living in this world that we barely see anything of before Ix is taken off to school, I would be in that group most likely. Then there is Candle Corps Academy itself, but what happens to students that don’t remain in the Corps, and the people who work there normally, who makes the food and cuts the grass? The teachers clearly have more backstory that we need to know. We are given a glimpse into the life of Captain Kel and his husband, but I want more. The creatures that stem from the Sorrows, the Sorrows themselves, the Nightmares, the Souls, and Jack, the mysterious being plaguing the labyrinth and bringing mischief and mayhem in his wake. And we still know very little about the Kingdom at large, and there is a whole royal family somewhere! There is so much here to explore that the story kept propelling itself forward and remained entertaining. And of course, the school atmosphere makes everything feel more familiar, as no matter what the subject, be the school magical or public, some things are shared experiences.
They’d reached the dining hall. It was already full to bursting, students laughing and talking excitedly as they filled their trays with sumptuous stews and stuffed pies and flaky pastries. Ix’s stomach growled. But even that wasn’t enough to make her go in.
The cafeteria. The bane of outcasts everywhere.
Underneath the magic, at its heart, The Labyrinth of Souls is a story of lost and found family. Discovering more about Ix’s parents and the families of her friends was wonderful, but so was seeing the past of Captain Kel and the other teachers. We can love our family and have confusing feelings about them. Parents who sacrifice for you can be just as problematic as parents who lose sight of you. Friends that are enemies can become just as dear as friends who you recognized on sight.
For fans of Nevermoor, which is about to conclude this year, this is a must read, and as it’s a school based book, I look forward to many years before graduation. I would also posit that this gives off the vibes of my beloved Suriel from the Maasverse, much less Fae romance of course, but creature wise it brings a lot to the game.
GeekMom received a copy of this book for review purposes
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