Nick Bantock: Alexandria

By MARGIE THOMSON

Weird and wonderful, this is the second book of Bantock's second trilogy of Griffin and Sabine stories, new-age fairy stories for adults.

The true subject is the human soul in all its mystery, and the cast has extended to four characters, each with supernatural connections to the others.

Filled with a sense of its own portentousness, which can be a little irritating, the format - a series of postcards and letters, each one an artwork in its own right - is so intriguingly beautiful, and the genuine sense of mystery so strong, that they are an experience worth having, regardless of whether it means anything.

In this one, Matthew Sedon is on an archeological dig in Alexandria when strange things start to happen, things involving dark, mythic forces that Sabine and Griffin are equipped to guide him through, and Isabella expresses her great love for Matthew.

Chronicle Books

$49.95