Recently I got on an Ursula Vernon reading kick. I was amazed that I had known about her, but never read anything. And then when I learned they were T. Kingfisher, too, I was intrigued. After all, when one uses two names as a writer, what does that say about the writing style? And when one writes many titles under one name, how similar are they? Castle Hangnail by Ursula Vernon probably is a good example of both of Vernon’s names and styles coming into one novel. Yet, in this case the Vernon persona takes the lead.
When in Vernon Mode, we tend to have a silly, fun book about something funny and sweet. We have silly dragons, talkative hamsters and a little magic. With Castle Hangnail we have a medium voice and a smidgen “edge” but it is not overly dark. This edge comes out when talking about the experiments of previous mad scientists and magicians on Majordomo, and some of the magic settings, and sure people get frozen in ice, or have a shadow creature want to drag them to the shadow world, but it’s all in good fun. So, Kingfisher’s edge and Vernon’s lightheartedness are on full display. 
The concept is, well, fun. We have a Good Twin and a Bad Twin. Molly is the Bad Twin who also is a Wicked Witch (not an Evil Witch, because that would be evil and not wicked). In a “case of mistaken identity” Molly takes an invitation meant for someone else to become Master of Castle Hangnail. A castle with half a moat, a vampire lord dead in the cellar, falling down staircases, and a goldfish convinced she has fin rot, and more. But how can you not love the minions and their love of their home? The passion, the care, the shoestring budget? And so what if the real owner of the invite shows up? One fights for one’s home and friends, even if a little wickedly. Many mishaps, lots of friendships made and a few magic spells that one should not try at home, later, we have a delightful silly story that is good for ages 10 and up.
This story is pure Friendship: a bad friendship, the slow to get together friendship and the friendship of people one would never expect to be friends with. It is just a friendly kind of Paranormal, Bad-Guys (and gals and monitors, and witches, and sorcerers, and ….)
cbr18bingo Friend
