Review of "Castle Waiting: Volume II," by Linda Medley

 Review of

Castle Waiting: Volume II, by Linda Medley ISBN 9781606994054

Five out of five stars

Diversity is the background in a medieval setting

 This is one of the most engaging graphic novels that I have ever read. It is set in a mammoth castle with all the cliché accoutrements. There are hidden and secret passages to be found, privies that are holes in the floor with no bottom but the ground. Massive rooms, long hallways and walls made of large, carved stones.

 One of the main characters has the body of a man, yet the head of a bird with a very long beak. He wears spectacles and is considered to be wise. Another has the body of an extremely muscular man, but the head of a horse. He is also sentient. A couple of giants and a couple of dwarfs are also present, with the bulk of the others rather normal humans, at least for the medieval times.

 While there is a bit of magic, specifically a small trunk that can somehow produce finished clothing, it does not overwhelm. All from the fanciest of women’s attire to solid work clothing are produced. Other than that, the people lead rather ordinary lives. For reasons that are not explained until some time into the book, the doctor wears a mask.

 I very much enjoyed this book, there is a great deal of originality injected into what is in many ways a standard medieval castle community.