The Devil's Paintbox

The Witching Legacy #2

by Robin Jarvis

Legend of supernatural fantasy Robin Jarvis is back with his spellbinding sequel to The Power of Dark . Lil and Verne may think they have quelled the Dark forces that tried to destroy Whitby, but they have no idea that the powers they’ve been meddling with are about to turn on them. Despite Lil’s crucial role in saving her home from destruction, she notices that the townsfolk have become wary of her – even fear her. More than ever she needs the support of best friend Verne and the witch Cherry Cerise, but they are preoccupied by their attempts to uncover more secrets of the golden Nimius. When Lil finds an antique box of watercolour paints she welcomes the diversion, little realising that every time she uses it something nasty escapes. But it is while they are distracted an old enemy finds a path to their door … Robin Jarvis started writing in 1988 and quickly became a bestselling author of children's books with his Deptford Mice and Whitby Witches series. The Devil's Paintbox is the second of a hauntingly good new series set in the atmospheric North Yorkshire coastal town of Whitby. You can find out more at www.robinjarvis.com or follow him on Twitter @robinjarvis1963

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal

320 pages, Paperback

Published May 4, 2017

About the author

Robin Jarvis (born May 8, 1963) is a British children's novelist, who writes fantasy novels, often about anthropomorphic rodents and small mammals—especially mice—and Tudor times. A lot of his works are based in London, in and around Deptford and Greenwich where he used to live, or in Whitby.

His first novel—The Dark Portal, featuring the popular Deptford Mice—was the runner up for the Smarties book prize in 1989.

Reviews

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Legend of supernatural fantasy Robin Jarvis is back with his spellbinding sequel to The Power of Dark.

Lil and Verne may think they have quelled the Dark forces that tried to destroy Whitby, but they have no idea that the powers they’ve been meddling with are about to turn on them. Despite Lil’s crucial role in saving her home from destruction, she notices that the townsfolk have become wary of her – even fear her. More than ever she needs the support of best friend Verne and the witch Cherry Cerise, but they are preoccupied by their attempts to uncover more secrets of the golden Nimius.

When Lil finds an antique box of watercolour paints she welcomes the diversion, little realising that every time she uses it something nasty escapes. But it is while they are distracted an old enemy finds a path to their door . . ."

Despite only realising this book was part of a trilogy 91% of the way through, I really enjoyed it and will definitely be picking up the others.

After reading this, I am now a huge fan of Jarvis' writing style. I loved the eeriness and horror aspects of this book and have read this is akin to a lot of his other work too.

The plot was engaging, fast-paced and action packed from the get go which made this a very quick and enjoyable read. There is a lot of emotional complexity to his characters and their relationships which I also appreciated. I am now eagerly awaiting the last installment because I am hooked. Will be picking up more from Jarvis because I am annoyed about having to wait for the last installment.

4.5/5*

[Kirsty ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is delightfully viscous and evil. A young adult book with plagues, death, witches and creatures of the dark. My younger self would have loved it.

Lil finds a paintbox hidden in the fireplace of the local witch. Trying some art work she discovers that each slab of paint in the box comes with it's own evil from plagues to death by sand dune. It's then up to them plus best friend Verne to defeat the dark forces and save Whitby.

It's rolls along at a cracking pace. I had the whole book read in a day. It's fun and delightful and I don;t think it matters actually what age you are. It's just a really good book.

[J.A. Ironside · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review


Arrrgggghhhh! That ending...

Ok now I've got that out of my system... I've been a fan of Robin Jarvis for a couple of decades now and The Whitby Witches is an old favourite. I am really enjoying this new trilogy set in Whitby with a brand new cast of characters. The Devil's Paintbox continues the story of Verne, Lil and Cherry Cerise (psychedelic colour witch extraordinaire) after the events of The Power of Dark. Lil is growing in confidence in her new power, Verne is trying to get his head around being master of the Nimius and Cherry - who has been somewhat of a loner - is now regarded by the town with wary respect and enjoys having the pair as friends and protegees. Of course nothing is that simple and because it's Jarvis something terrible is about the happen...

This is as good as the first book in this new trilogy and in some ways better. There is a lot more emotional complexity - especially in the child-parent relationships. Jarvis is adroit at showing that adults don't stop making mistakes or being prey to petty fears and desires simply because they're adults. (I did enjoy the reappearance of Mrs Gregson too - who I cannot help feeling sorry for despite the fact that she is by and large a horrid old woman.) All call backs to the original trilogy are greatly appreciated by yours truly.

The horror - or Dark Fantasy if that's what we have to call it since horror isn't in fashion - is suitably disturbing. I miss some of the low key chill of Jarvis' early works but there really is only so many times you can have the world almost end on one small town's doorstep without at least some of the inhabitants thinking 'Whitby baint lyke t'other places' afterall. Especially in these days of smart phones and social media - Jarvis has sensibly moved with the times, and he has done so with wry humour and a bit of a sting in the tail for the sheer ridiculousness of the said times.

All in all this is Jarvis at his finest. I only knocked off half a star because it's just not the Whitby Witches as I fondly remember - which says far more about me than the book. (I am actually now going to dig out my Whitby Witches books and reread them, that's how much this book affected me...)

I really need the third instalment now. I know I am not in the least patient when waiting for books but c'mon, this galley ended with 'Coming soon...' and then no word of what was coming soon! Seriously!

Highly recommend all of Jarvis' work for fans of fantasy, dark fantasy and horror, young or old, and this series in particular for those just discovering his work. (Save the Dancing Jax trilogy until you know what you're getting into...)

4.5* well deserved stars

[Book Gannet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this was a wild ride. Right from the start, this latest Whitby adventure steps onto its dark and dangerous path and doesn’t step off it until the (rather abrupt) end. I had a few reservations about how things turned out in the last book, but not so this time. This is dark and ghoulish and clever and fantastical, full of action and mystery and foreboding, and I enjoyed every page.

Normally, I’m a character person. I love good characters and will happily follow them through some terrible plots. But this book has a cracking plot that carries me through some less interesting characters. Lil is a little quiet here. I felt like she only had a couple of really good, spirited moments, while most of the book she’s struggling to keep up with events and getting overshadowed by the others. Verne comes out the stronger this time around, but even he isn’t much compared to Cherry.

Cherry Cherise completely stole this book for me – well, her and Jack Potts. I love Cherry and her clever colour magic, but also her feisty spirit and refusal to let anyone walk all over her. She’s so much fun, but she’s also powerful and smart in this book and I loved how she does everything she can to protect the town.

By contrast, Lil was little more than a tool used by the paintbox to bring everything crashing down on top of them. I would have expected her to have been a bit smarter at the start and a bit more spirited through the troubles, but she does have a rather large weight on her shoulders throughout, so I can’t complain too much.

The plot, though, oh my, that plot. So much happens, and although there’s a heavy inevitability about it all, it still has the ability to surprise. Some of the paints were ingenious in their power. I didn’t even try to guess beyond the first one what everything would bring. And although Mister Dark is lurking in the shadows, somehow he feels like an afterthought because nothing he does is nearly so dangerous. He’s still awful and cruel and twisted in ordinary, nasty ways, and he definitely stirs up trouble, but the paints are everything in this book.

So if you’re a fan of dark fantasy, enjoy clever, powerful magic and the kind of curses that leave everyone struggling to find a cure, then you will probably enjoy this. Poor Whitby doesn’t fare well, but there’s magic and spirit and determination on the side of good and people to cheer for amidst the darkness. The only thing I didn’t like was how quick the ending was, leaving me feeling a bit cut off, but everything up to then was a wild, frantic, amazing ride and I cannot wait to see how everything turns out next.

(ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.)

[Roz Radmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in this fantastic series
Lil and Verne think that the threat to the town of Whitby is over . They have no idea that what had just happened was only the beginning .
Lil as a new and untried witch will need all her power for what is coming .Verne tries to use the old artefact the Nimius again with limited success .When a mysterious paintbox arrives from the past , addressed to Lil she is eager to test it . The seven cakes of water colours have really strange names , no burnt sienna or crimson lake here .
The children find to their horror that the box unleashes unspeakable things when water is added . Rather like the seven plagues of Egypt appalling things are happening in the Yorkshire town . It looks as though Mister Dark will have his revenge after all . Unless someone can make the ultimate sacrifice
Fabulously scary !

[Snarhooked · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5* rounded up to 3.

There were some great moments of horror in this book, such as the result of using the white paint. However I found it difficult to enjoy the book because of Cherry's awful American accent and the overdone trope of girls and women all being turned into dribbling idiots by a handsome face. At least in The Whitby Witches there was almost parity when characters fell under the spell of Rowena Cooper.

[Edward Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty decent follow-up, in many ways actually stronger than the first because we now know the characters better. Jarvis still continues to deliver great children's books even after almost thirty years of writing.

[V.S. Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantasitc book! I’m so glad that, as an adult, I can still enjoy one of my favourite childhood authors.

[Elizabeth Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the end, still more to come UGH!

[Barbara Band · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the sequel to The Power of Dark. The story continues with Cherry Cerise (the Whitby Witch), Lil and Verne ... battling good against the evil Mister Dark. Oh ... and a paintbox that unleashes a curse every time a colour is used. Loved the first book and loved this one too. But be warned, it ends in a cliff-hanging that will leave you feeling frustrated.

[Jemima · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Spoilers)I liked the idea of the paintbox and each time it was used a new antagonist was introduced, and also like the cliff hanger ending which will lead onto the 3rd book.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a while since I read the first part of Robin Jarvis' return to Whitby, his 'Witching Legacy' trilogy. I've come to expect trilogies now, (which makes the bitter sting of Deathscent resurge once more, but miracles have happened — Hagwood returned after an unusual start, after all) so I'm glad to see we're fully on track with The Devil's Paintbox, hot on the heels of The Power of Dark. Prematurely, I'd like to welcome part three.

Once again, Robin takes on the spirit of the times, populating his altered Whitby with a ghastly mixture of 80s body horror (never over the top, but... well, close...), Saharan landscapes and the thoroughly technical interconnected nature of the world in which we now live. His characters are as distinguishable and varied as ever, and the return of Jack Potts, corny to the last, is most welcome: what a player, and ever up for the gamble.

The plot is a tightly-woven as you’d expect from Robin, and has a bountiful mixture of the chilling and the emotional, with a healthy dose of action and adventure, although a mysterious request to recreate a particular artifact seems unfulfilled by the end of the book, and since the book ends on one of Robin's biggest cliffhangers since the transition from Wyrd Museum book two to book three, I guess we'll just have to wait. On a further note, copious and lovingly-rendered illustrations litter the book, and are as appreciated as ever.

Mourners of the two deceased hamsters, Eggs and Bacon, will be distressed to note that a further tinge of muricide enters the tale in its final throes. At least the little chap remains unpeeled… if not exactly unscathed.

A worthy successor to The Power Of Dark, and an absolutely cracking read.

[Matthew Hodge · Rating 4 out of 5]

And re-read again as part of the Robin Jarvis #greatgrandreread

Normally, Mr Jarvis waits till the final book of his trilogies to unleash mass apocalyptic destruction. But here we are, only the second book in to a four-book series, and the little coastal town of Whitby has copped what can only be described as an absolute hammering.

In the last book, we had a supernatural showdown that was a nice nod to the real-life friendly rivalry between the Goths and Steampunks in Whitby.

By contrast, The Devil's Paintbox seems to have turned to the Ten Plagues of Exodus for its inspiration. The paintbox of the title - a seemingly harmless box of watercolours - unleashes a series of diabolical disasters on the town, one per colour, and each one worse than the last. Our young heroes, Verne and Lil, and the town witch, Cherry Cerise, have to use all manner of resourcefulness to put a stop to the evil.

I really don't want to say much more than that, for fear of spoiling this book or the previous one. But I will say that if you are a Jarvis fan, you will absolutely get the required dose of big screen creepiness, dark magic, and action. And Myth and Sacrifice, of course.

While being on par for darkness with his other books, it's not quite as philosophically bleak as his Dancing Jax series. In fact, there's a subtle sense of humour running through this book that I quite appreciated. (The moment with Cherry, resident DJ Jack Potts and Hot Chocolate - given where it is positioned in the story - was absolute gold.)

The epilogue has a quite distinct nod to a certain film trilogy starring Michael J. Fox as well, so I'm quite hanging out for the third book now.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been in love with Robin Jarvis's books ever since I was a child and adored his writing style from my first reading of the Whitby Witches series. This new series is just as good. His stories have a way of grabbing you and getting under your skin and his accompanying illustrations really make the plot come alive. The text has a horror element to it that is probably quite upsetting for younger readers but for me it just draws me further into the story with the characters. Jarvis's pacing is exceptional and always makes for a quick and thrilling read. His way of developing characters and their relationships is also incredible and I am so glad I have the next book in this new series ready and waiting for me to read.

Normally I would never give a Jarvis book less than 5 stars but unfortunately I found a few typos in my copy that meant I couldn't quite in good conscience give it the full rating. On page 184 it says that '..the resonant voice of Queller declared by the door of visitor centre', on page 202 'it was if all the goodness had been siphoned off' and on page 298 it said 'his heavy-lidded eyes glinted back her'. In my edition there was also a printing error on page 137 where the illustration cuts part of a sentence off (it occurs halfway through a word so I think it the way the image has been inserted by the publishers).

[Paul Allard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witchery in Whitby – lots of menace and death ensue

This latest novel by Robin Jarvis takes place in his favourite Whitby and continues the story of Lil, Vern and Cherry Cerise after the events of “The Power of Dark” (which I haven't read). There is a lot of action emanating from the titular paintbox. Lil and Vern do their best to help the people of Whitby but the book ends on a cliffhanger so there is more to come in this series.

It's difficult to know if this is aimed at the Young Adult fantasy lover as there is a lot of death and destruction. It is however engaging, interesting and well-written. Recommended to all followers of Robin Jarvis's work. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a review copy of this book and had not read the first in the series. However, it did not take too long to get my bearings - I imagine it would have been quite enjoyable for anyone who had read the first book. I do like a lot of YA books, even though I am somewhat past that age, but I think this is much more of a book aimed at children than YA - which is exactly as it is classified. If I was buying it for a child, though, I would probably read it first as I know my children would have found it a bit scary.
However, it was well written and quite interesting.

[Lisa Friel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first book, The Power of Dark, so was not sure how this would compare but it's even better! Lots of danger, adventures and twists and turns, and all carried out with a lovely wry sense of tongue-in-cheek humour. BUT ....... the ending? Can't wait for the next instalment now!

[Patricia Moren · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was great fun, witches, magic, a Dark Lord, a robot, mythical creature and Lords of the deep. Fast moving story with some great characters. A very imaginative story set in a small town in Canada and a fast read.