The Magician of Tiger Castle

The Magician of Tiger Castle, Louis Sachar, 2025 fantasy novel. Sachar is best known for Holes*, famously tight and well-constructed, so I kept reading this one (his first book for adults) in hopes that it would all suddenly come together into something satisfying. Spoilers: it did not.

*although I know him best for Sideways Stories From Wayside School, which I reread many times as a kid

(And I remember basically nothing else about the Holes sequel but I do sometimes still think about the scene where the popstar sings Janis Joplin.)