Published By: Orion Children’s Book
Pages: 304
Released On: 29/08/2024
Unlock a magic that could change the world … or destroy it.
Ysolda is on the run, travelling with a rebellious princess to the wilds of the Drakken Peak – on the back of a huge sea wolf.
With her faithful sea hawk Nara by her side, her quest to find the fabled magic of the Geomancer is just beginning …
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Orion Children’s Books for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I’ve never been quiet about my love for Kiran’s books, adult or child. I would read anything she wrote, even her shopping list if she let me. In fact, I either own, or have read, every single one of her published books. A fact I’m quite proud of!
I really enjoyed the first in this series, In the Shadow of a Wolf Queen, and was upset when I finished it because I knew I’d have to wait so long for the sequel, but the day has arrived.
I read the first one in September 2023, and I thought I’d written a review for it then, but after searching through everything, it turns out I didn’t. Which was annoying as I was trying to refresh my memory as to how it ended, seeing as it’s been almost a year. And so it did take me a little while to get bac into, but that’s because of my terrible memory. But it does start well, straight into the action.
If I’d re-read the first one, or at least the ending, I may have got more out of this one, but having said that, I think it’s just as enjoyable whether you read it as a series or a standalone.
It’s a story led, for the most part, by three children. Okay, not young children, but children all the same. And it’s a big book for them to head but it was interesting. And I think younger readers will appreciate that the heroes are relatable in that sense.
I’d say it is definitely a book aimed at older children or young adults, but this 31-year-old is thoroughly enjoying it and am looking forward to reading the third – and I assume last – in the series.
It’s not as action filled as I thought it would be. What I can remember from the first one was there was a bit more action, whereas this one felt more conversational and character heavy and plotting, ready for what I assume is going to be a full-on third part.
There are some very difficult topics, including abandonment, death, grief, desperation, loneliness, injury, and war, but it’s also about friendship and family and love and trust. It is a fun and thrilling adventure with more than a little danger, peril, and heart.
Kiran is such a master at world building, everything feels so vivid and real, no matter how fantastical it is. She’s got an unorthodox group of individuals – human and animal and even legendary – and has created such a powerful story for them to lead.
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