I loved the rabbits. Otherwise, this wasn't that great. The stars are for the rabbits. ( )

Vol 2 of Marazano’s The Dream of the Butterfly continues the tale of Tutu in the spirit village she found herself lost in. With the help of her bumbling rabbit spy/guards, Tutu continues looking into the special butterfly the Emperor wants. A visit to the local library yields an unexpected find- a book all about this butterfly and why it's so special. The Emperor gets his clutches on the butterfly and sets a terrible plan in motion. It is said that this reality is actually the dream of the butterfly, and the Emperor wants to control the dream. However, Tutu is having none of this. Despite reticence from the locals, she manages to put together a remarkable resistance. Can they stop the Emperor from taking over their reality?

I enjoyed this volume much more than the first. The rabbits are soooo adorable! I love the one with spectacles. They may work for the Emperor, but the are kind at heart, and somewhat gullible. This gives them a soft spot for Tutu, and makes them rather inept at their jobs. Their idea of torture is tickling with a giant feather. Tutu is still a little brat, but she seems to slowly be getting into synch with this reality, and she has developed a very real sense of protectiveness towards it. She's charismatic enough here to get several disparate groups working together for the resistance. In my review for the previous volume, I noted Tutu’s ever present red splat across her face, usually indicating sickness or extreme cold, and her reddened hands, also indicative of cold. I speculated she was still at home and sick, or possibly that she'd really gone out, and was hypothermic. One of these is true, so I'm rather pleased with my deductive reasoning! Or is it inductive… I can never remember. Anyway, I thought that subtle art detail was great foreshadowing, especially having to always remember to draw her that way. The story very much reminds me of Miyazaki's brilliant Spirited Away. If you love his stories, I strongly recommend picking up this duology!

Read my review for Vol 1! https://wp.me/p6C2DX-1rp

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Diamond Books/ Lion Forge for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )

If at all possible, have both volumes on hand to read at once. The story makes more sense that way. Much of this series is the reader going “what the heck is happening”, and picking up in volume 2 isn’t much better. But this volume flows much easier and you get an answer to all the questions from volume one. I can’t say much without giving the story away. What I can say, if you look behind the upfront story of a girl in a land of bunny spies, bird landlords, and robot kings, you will find a sad story, that almost gets glossed over. Speed read, and you’ll miss it. An interesting read for sure. ( )