Reviews with content warning for Gore - Storm of Locusts

I greatly enjoyed this book, more so than the first actually. I'm glad that Rissa and the other Goodacre's got more focus in this book, and I enjoyed Ben's inclusion in the cast. I really feel like the cast and the themes of being better than your past self really came to fruition, and I appreciated the fact that by the end of the book Maggie is no longer mostly isolated and alone but has friends and family that she trusts to watch her back even if they don't always get along. I also found the conflict with the White Locust compelling, it made the story feel more cohesive than the first book did in my opinion. If a third book ever comes out in the series, I'll be sure to read it.

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queer_bookwyrm's review

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

4 ⭐ CW: violence, torture, death/murder, descriptions of blood and gore, swarming insects, body horror, trauma, death of parents, slavery mention, sexual assault mention, gun violence

Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse is book two in The Sixth World series. I am loving Roanhorse's style of writing. It's very straightforward and to the point without feeling rushed. I of course love her continued use of Diné mythology in her stories.

We pick up with Maggie after the events of book one (slight spoilers for book one ahead). Tah now lives with Maggie, meaning that we have a grumpy/grumpy situation 😆. When Maggie is recruited by the Thirsty Boys to find a new cult leader called the White Locust, she finds herself suddenly responsible for a 16 year old girl named Ben. Ben is firey and sassy and funny as hell. I loved her story in this book, heartbreaking though it was. Her growth was also great throughout the book. Maggie's growth in particular was satisfying. We got to know Rissa Goodacre a bit more this book, giving us a found family girl gang that I am here for. The badass ladies in formal wear with big guns on the cover? That's them. I wish we had gotten more of Mósí, she's the best. "I'm better than a god. I am a cat."

We get a lot of themes about loving someone for who they are, trauma, scars, and all. We also get an examination on what true freedom means. For the White Locust, freedom is having no sentimentality, no one to love or care for, which explains his plans for Dinétah. Maggie finds herself unwilling to have this true freedom, she wants someone to have her back, and isn't ashamed to need other people.

Excited for the third book to come out and for this story to come full circle!

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strange's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This book definitely had a bit of middle book syndrome, but I enjoyed it nonetheless, growing an even stronger attachment to the characters than before and I'm very excited for the rest of the series. I love this world.

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kiandrareadsbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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amandaquotidianbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I missed Kai’s presence in much of this story. It felt very episodic for most of the novel. I was relieved that though the world building was dark, there wasn’t an increase in the trauma on the page. I think I’ll enjoy this more upon rereading. The theme of found family is the main one, and I was distracted by Kai’s absence too much to appreciate it.

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christalbotheindl's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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aubreyvaughn's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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