REVIEW: THE CRIMES OF ROOKER FLYNN (LOCKE INSTITUTE TRILOGY #1)

Obey your betters...


THE LEGEND OF BLACK JACK was a book I had a ton of fun with even if it wasn't the perfect 5-star read for me that it was for so many. When the author announced this trilogy that follows up on the original standalone, I was quite excited to see what would happen next in the magical land of Keymark.

HOW I RATED IT 
4/5 Although THE CRIMES OF ROOKER FLYNN proved to be quite different from Witham's standalone debut, THE LEGEND OF BLACK JACK, in some key ways, but I ultimately found myself having just a good a time with it as I did the original story. This adventure set in Keymark is well worth going on for both returning fans of the author and newcomers alike. 

CHARACTERS 
The story starts off by quickly reintroducing its two main characters: the notorious pirate, Rooker Flynn, and the young Jack Swift who has returned home to Chicago after his stint in the magical land of Keymark. Aside from brief mentions, these are really the only two characters making a return from THE LEGEND OF BLACK JACK. Having so many fresh faces may disappoint those hoping to see more of certain side characters from the original novel, which is fair, but I think the new cast helps distinguish this book as a story that is entirely distinct from its predecessor. I will also say that I think the secondary personalities in this story felt a lot stronger and more distinct. While I was certainly a fan of certain side characters in BLACK JACK, there were just as many that didn't really leave an impression on me at all. This time around, I felt as though every single character, no matter how small their role, was fascinating and memorable in their own way. I had no trouble at all believing that each of them were criminals with colorful pasts and I think that vibrancy in their personalities really made the story come alive in a big way. The precarious and persnickety, Patch Picaroon, conniving narcissist, Cant Naysayer, and girlishly wicked, Gerba Whipmarples, were particular standouts for me, but they're really just the tip of the iceberg. The dynamics between Rooker and Jack were also super interesting. Both of their characters develop in some compelling ways and I loved getting to learn more about Rooker’s backstory since that shed a lot of insights into his motivations. 

PLOT/TONE
It's worth mentioning that this is a much different type of story than fans of THE LEGEND OF BLACK JACK might be expecting. Not only does it set itself apart by resetting its supporting cast, but it also shifts to a much darker tone. I was always of the opinion that BLACK JACK leaned more heavily into the adult side of things with its brief moments of graphic violence and just had a sort of nostalgic feeling to it that made it reminiscent of classic YA adventure stories. THE CRIMES OF ROOKER FLYNN sort of ends the age rating debate pretty early on. From the brutal prologue, to the violent capture of Rooker and Jack, things start off with a bang. Throw in the creepy “school” setting that quickly turns into more of a prison story and some truly sadistic stuff done by both the inmates and their jailers and you get something that is unquestionably for adult audiences. Those that only remember the adventure and whimsy of Witham's debut might be really thrown off by this, but I think it was a fairly natural progression. It's worth a trigger warning though that you probably should not read this book if you have an intense case of arachnophobia. Even as someone who does not have that, I still found certain parts to be pretty disturbing. I was a little surprised by some of the gore contained in this as well, though I think Witham did a good job of never crossing the line of it being too gratuitous or having it be there simply for shock value. He also towed a thin line for me when it came to the way tension/distrust is built between Jack and Rooker with a variant of the miscommunication trope in which they are manipulated by a third party. Normally this along with the shocking cliffhanger ending would really annoy me as a reader, but I think the way that these elements tied in thematically with the overall story made me appreciate how they were handled. I do wish that we got some sense of resolution or catharsis before the story's end with at least one of the points of conflict, but I understand why that wouldn't have worked and will await the second book in this trilogy with a begrudging enthusiasm. 

As one final note on the story, I would absolutely agree that this can be read without having first picked up THE LEGEND OF BLACK JACK. There is one very minor detail regarding something that haunts Jack which might be slightly confusing, but I think there are enough context clues to piece things together. Now that said, I think the original story is absolutely worth reading, so I'd still encourage people to pick it up, even after reading this book, especially if Jack's past adventures (which are mentioned at points) sound at all interesting. 

SETTING/WORLD
The third way in which this new trilogy sets it apart from Witham's debut is that it takes us to a dangerous new corner of Kemark. Our heroes find themselves in a sort of tropical island prison situation where following the three rules of their Headmistress is essential to their very survival. If you really liked the sort of globe-trotting adventure vibe of BLACK JACK, then you may find it slightly off-putting that this story is largely set in one location. Personally, I don't really mind when characters stay close to one place since it allows the setting itself to take on a little more character and also keeps the main characters in closer communication with their supporting cast. I rather like settings that feel like a sort of microcosm and I liked the mystery-lite elements of the island's secrets being unveiled one at a time as our heroes get acclimated to it and then desperately seek out a means of escape. Thematically, there's also some great tension that being bound to this apparently inescapable prison builds up. I really felt the sense of danger, isolation, and captivity that the characters in this story felt and developed a delightful hatred for Gerba as she ruthlessly manipulated her “students” in order to ensure their continued captivity and suffering. The exposure to so many criminals also provided some insight into the criminal underbelly of Keymark, adding a bit of color to it's broader lore. There are seeds of something bigger being planted here, so I suspect the scope of the sequels will broaden quite a bit, but I am also excited to see what becomes of this island and it's inhabitants next. 

THE PAPERBACK
Even though Witham was very generously giving out eBook ARCs on his Discord in the weeks leading up to the release window, I really wanted to read this physically, especially because I already owned his other books in print, so I decided to pick this up in the paperback edition as well after that became available. I quite like the color scheme of this one and it looks like that might carry across the trilogy as well which would be quite nice. If you own copies of THE LEGEND OF BLACK JACK and THE TALE OF THE BORDER KNIGHT, then you will be pleased to know that this book is the same size as those (which have a great feel to them). I really appreciate how all of Witham's books have a unified sort of style to them, yet are also distinct from one another, particularly in color scheme. This makes it so that they all sit nicely together on a shelf, but don't create the false impression that they are one continuous series. There's no interior illustrations here like there were in BLACK JACK, but the chapter art and section dividers are really beautifully done. I also enjoyed the map of the island that is included at the start of the book and found myself referring back to it as I became more familiar with the landmarks it depicts. I personally think that the Amazon's printing/publishing program produces some high quality paperbacks and this title is no exception, though a large part of what makes it so nice is definitely the interior formatting and eye-catching cover art. If you prefer eBooks, then you're likely not missing out on anything, but if you're like me and appreciate the more tactile feel of a paper book, then you should absolutely pick this up in that format. Witham always includes rather wholesome Author's notes at the end of his books which is another nice touch. 

CONCLUSION
If you have already taken some adventures with Witham in the magical land of Keymark, then I think it is absolutely worth it to return for this one. If you are brand new to this world, then I think this is a perfectly fine place to start, though giving the original story a read at some point is still highly encouraged.

(+) Jack and Rooker were both developed in some very interesting ways
(+) Gerba Whipmarples is a delightfully hate-able villain
(+) We get to see a strange new corner of the land of Keymark
(+) Expertly handled cast of minor characters
(+) Additional insight into Rooker's backstory and his motivations as a character
(+) A crazy (and somewhat frusrtating), but thematically fitting cliffhanger ending that makes me eager for the second book in this trilogy.
( ) If BLACK JACK was more adult-leaning, I would say that this book steers firmly into the Adult Fantasy side of things 
( ) I do not have any kind of arachnophobia, but if you do, you may not want to pick this one up
(-) I was hoping for a little more resolution in terms of some of the character tensions/relationships (though this might have been an absurd expectation for a story about a bunch of criminals in an elaborate prison)

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