Diving Deep: A Whirlwind Review of City of Thirst! (The Map to Everywhere, 2)

Hey fellow adventurers and book enthusiasts! There’s nothing quite like returning to a beloved fantastical world, especially when it’s overflowing with wit, wonder, and a healthy dose of peril. Today, I'm absolutely thrilled to pull back the curtain on City of Thirst, the highly anticipated second installment in the Map to Everywhere series by the dynamic duo, Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis. If you're a fan of whimsical journeys, impossible landscapes, and characters who stick with you long after the last page, then buckle up – you're in for an exhilarating ride!

A Desperate Quest, a Forgotten Friend, and a City That Won't Stay Still!

Our story plunges us right back into the boundless, magical chaos of the Pirate Stream, a place where anything can happen. Marrill, our intrepid heroine, finds her ordinary world suddenly facing an extraordinary threat: the very waters of the Pirate Stream are flooding it, threatening to consume everything she knows and loves. The only hope? To return to the Stream's swirling currents and somehow locate the source of a mysterious, destructive phenomenon known as the Iron Tide.

But that's just the beginning of the adventure! Marrill is quickly reunited with her best friend, Fin, who, true to the quirky nature of the Pirate Stream, has been completely forgotten all over again. Joining them on this perilous journey are Marrill's utterly disbelieving babysitter and the unforgettable crew of the Enterprising Kraken. Their mission: to make a treacherous trek to the towering, sliding, and utterly impossible world of Monerva. Here, they hope to uncover the secrets of its long-lost wish machine, a legendary device that holds the key to everything they've ever desired.

For Fin, the wish is profoundly personal: to finally be remembered, to escape the cruel cycle of being forgotten. For Marrill, the stakes are even higher: she wishes to save her entire world and all the people she cherishes. However, the path to getting everything they’ve ever wanted is fraught with danger, forcing Marrill and Fin to confront a truly heartbreaking possibility: they may have to sacrifice the most important thing they already possess – their invaluable friendship. The emotional core of this adventure is surprisingly poignant amidst all the fantastical chaos.

My Journey Through the Whirlwind of City of Thirst

I must admit, I initially struggled to get past the change of narrators on this one for the audio version. Although the story itself maintains its humorous and fun spirit, the stakes have definitely been raised here, and the conflict isn't confined to external forces; it's also within the team, which adds a compelling layer of tension. I'm hopeful that the next book will offer even more development for some of the delightful side characters.

Speaking of characters, Marrill struggles quite a bit in this book with truly heavy problems, and it’s sometimes easy to forget that, beyond her very ill mother and her father, she doesn't have much more experience with deep friendship than Fin does. She truly grapples with working with Fin rather than trying to handle everything alone. Fin, on the other hand, struggles with knowing how to make decisions that are truly right, not just what's right for him. Some of his choices should be "no-brainers" to an outside observer, but for someone who has been on his own for most of his life, that's a difficult path. The Naysayer continues to be a personal favorite, and I really enjoyed the addition of Remy; she's genuinely funny. We even learned a tiny smidgen more about Coll and his fascinating migrating tattoo.

The worldbuilding in this installment is as inventive as ever. The majority of the book unfolds within a fascinating city that is constantly sinking, its inhabitants perpetually working to rescue sinking parts and move them back to the top – a truly unique concept! Before arriving there, our team visits an intriguing archipelago where gravity itself is more than a bit wonky.

The plot kicks off with a piece of corrected homework in which Marrill provides some backstory. While it was cute in the text version, I found it didn't quite translate as effectively in the audio presentation. Interestingly, I actually agree with Finn that Ardent doesn't automatically own the Map & Key just because he's the "leader," even though I am entirely opposed to stealing and playing with dangerous artifacts in general. The book again concludes with a satisfying resolution to the immediate adventure, but true to its series nature, leaves the larger overarching problems delightfully unresolved, leaving us eager for more.

A highlight for me was Remy's quote: "The kids in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe didn't have to deal with this stuff. Why couldn't you find a nice wardrobe to walk through, huh?" Also, I appreciated that Finn, a male character, cries, and it's not presented as a big deal. Marrill's new little friend is also a charming addition.

Regarding the narration for the audio version, this is the type of dual narration where each narrator performs entire chapters, leading to different voices for the same characters. I'm personally not fond of this approach. I genuinely loved the narrator of the first book and felt he captured the verbally playful nature of the story perfectly, which made reviewing these two a bit difficult for me. It was especially challenging because both narrators missed important puns. Even setting aside the missed puns, there were several mispronunciations, the most glaring being "brazier" (a small container for fire) pronounced as "brassiere" (a woman's undergarment). Everything else, however, was generally fine.

Despite my specific audio narration preferences, the critical praise for City of Thirst speaks volumes:

"The setting and the large supporting cast are of the 'anything goes' sort, and again the authors have concocted both with an adroit mixture of humor and wonder.... A fiery climax and a hard choice set Marrill on course for further adventures on the Pirate Stream. Avast!"―Kirkus Reviews

"Ryan and Davis spin a dizzying fantasy world full of bizarre creatures, twisted time lines, and a fascinating geography.... Readers who haven't read The Map to Everywhere should have no trouble starting with book two."―Booklist

And let's not forget the initial acclaim for The Map to Everywhere:

• "Ryan and Davis' swashbuckling quest features fantastic world building, gnarly creatures, and a villain who is both spooky and formidable.... The unique details, expert plotting, charming characters, and comic interludes combine in a tantalizing read."―Booklist, starred review

Meet the Dynamic Duo: Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis

The brilliant minds behind this enchanting series are the husband and wife team, Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis. Their shared love for writing (and for each other!) began over a decade ago in law school. Carrie is already a New York Times bestselling author, celebrated for her critically acclaimed and multi-award-winning Forest of Hands and Teeth series, a world they both originally created together. She's also penned Daughter of Deep Silence and Infinity Ring: Divide and Conquer, and edited Foretold: 14 Tales of Prophecy and Prediction. John Parke Davis is no stranger to the literary world either, serving as the First Assistant Federal Defender for the Western District of North Carolina, and a published author of short fiction. While they've been integral to each other's writing for years, The Map to Everywhere series marks their very first full collaboration, and what a fantastic one it is! They live in Charlotte, North Carolina, and warmly invite you to explore their fantastical world further.

So, if you're ready for a book that will whisk you away to an impossible world filled with unforgettable characters, humor, heart, and a sinking city, then City of Thirst is your next great read. Just be prepared to hold on tight – the Pirate Stream always has a few surprises up its sleeve!