The Vanished Kingdom: The War of the Maps
An extremely timely story set in a fantasy world that is eerily similar to the timeline in which we are living, the third book in The Vanished Kingdom series by Jonathan Auxier, The War of the Maps finishes the tale of Peter Nimble and Sir Tode.
Peter Nimble and Sophie Quire have been travelling the world in search of the League of Maps, a task that was put to them by Professor Cake. They are sidetracked by a note from Hazelport with a request that Peter misinterprets setting in motion a clash between the magical world and a world of reason and setting Peter and Sophie off in two different directions to discover exactly what the answers should be.
Jonathan Auxier’s fantasy world wrestles with many of the questions we are wrestling with today. Age old questions that feel like they demand answers where no answers can be given. The dichotomy between magic and realism and how they can exist in the world together when it feels like all the magic is being drained from the world. Although, this is a fantasy story, the subject matter is very relevant today as we wrestle with big questions of our own.
I LOVE how this story brings readers back to the beginning of time with Peter and Sophie and also adds in many of the characters from Jonathan Auxier’s early middle grade stories, the Fabled Stables. I cheered when I once again met Auggie, the caretaker of the stables, and the wonderful characters that makes that series so special. The War of the Worlds puts a perfect bow on this fantasy world and is an incredibly satisfying read.
The story diverges into three different directions with three different factions all searching for answers. There are the Rooks who are seeking revenge, the League of Maps searching for the truth and Professor Cake who is seeking answers and the way forward. So many questions that cause readers pause to search for their own truths.
The characters are each grappling with different sides of the war and the feelings of being left behind and not enough advancement are sides we are seeing play out in real life right now. Ironically, I finished this story the weekend of the No Kings protests. You’ll understand when you finish the story. It was bittersweet to be leaving the world of Peter Nimble and Sophie Quire but a very satisfying beginning to a new chapter.
