City of All Seasons

Two cousins communicate between weather-beaten parallel worlds in this strange and multifaceted fantasy from Langmead (Calypso) and Whiteley (Skein Island). Eight years ago, a weatherbomb struck the island city of Fairharbour and, unbeknownst to its inhabitants, split it into two alternate dimensions, one stuck in blistering cold and the other in blazing heat. In the wintry version, tinkerer Jamie Pike creates a kaleidoscope that enables him to see his city bathed in sunshine. The shocking vision reminds him of a pear tree that he now suspects marks a portal to a warmer world, and he places the kaleidoscope at its base in hopes someone from the other side might find it. Indeed, in an unrelenting summer, his long-lost cousin Esther Pike discovers the kaleidoscope. From their respective climates, the two embark on quests to learn about the real cause of Fairharbour’s split, a mystery that leads back to their own enigmatic grandmother and feuding fathers. While providing a steady stream of clues that coalesce into a dark and twisty backstory, Langmead and Whiteley also pack this turbulent tale with surreal flourishes including a magical fix-it man, mirrors that show more than just reflections, and a deep-sea diving mayor. The result is as lovely as it is bizarre. (Apr.)