Way back in January, I read and reviewed the first book in this series, Island of Exiles. It's set in a really unique and diverse world, and I was really excited to dive back in! This sequel picks up right where book one left off, and I will be keeping this spoiler-free for both books!
What I Liked:
- So. Much. Diversity. Like I said in my review of book one, this world is so full of diverse characters. It is, to our main characters, something to be celebrated. Not only is differing appearance, culture, and sexual identity/preference the norm here, but our main character Khya is clearly eager to learn about the cultures and mores of others she encounters. It's refreshing that she actively seeks to learn the way others outside her group do things, and she tries incredibly hard to honor their differences and embrace them.
- Sex has always been portrayed in this series as a good, positive, normal part of life. In Khya's world, no one is judged by who they are, who they love, or who they don't love if applicable. There are three genders, and each is treated with the same dignity and respect. Khya and her group does encounter some people who don't feel the same, and I like that this was addressed, since in our own world, this is unfortunately the case. Khya's group, especially those of the ebet gender, are forced to face some discrimination, but also use their experience to help others.
- This world continues to be impressively unique. The author has basically made up an entire society, full of culture, language, and traditions. In book one, we're introduced to Khya's home, but this book ventures out a bit more and the world is profoundly expanded. Therefore, the author has created an even more spectacular, bigger set of unique elements. It's certainly like nothing I have encountered before!
- There's a lot of moral gray area while Khya and her team try to do the "right thing". There isn't always a "good" choice; often there is just a choice that the group deems less awful than another. It definitely makes for some quality tense moments as the story progresses. They also often have to choice between personal desires and what is best for the group at large, something that most people will face in their lives. Again, makes for provocative storytelling.
What I Didn't:
- The biggest hardship for me while reading was trying to remember/figure out all the elements of this world. It's not an easy series to read. There are a lot of words that have to be translated, and a lot of magical terminology that I needed to try to remember. A lot of "oh crap, what the hell is that again?", which did take me out of the story a bit.
- Similarly, the deluge of characters made me feel a bit disconnected. As there were of course new characters added into this sequel, there were plenty of leftover characters from book one to be accounted for. Sometimes, when the characters were injured or facing death, I had a hard time remembering if I was supposed to care about them, so that was a bit of a bummer.
Will I Read the Next Book: Certainly! I definitely am excited to find out how it ends!
Bottom Line: This is a solid follow up set in an incredibly unique and diverse world!