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plumpaperbacks's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Shatter the Sky was one of my favorite reads of 2020 and is still one of my favorite books, so I was looking very forward to Storm the Earth. Although a reading slump did hit when I started this book, said slump had more to do with life in general than the book itself, which I loved.
The story did drag ever so slightly in the middle, and there was something in the first book that was missing in this one I can’t quite pinpoint. Despite that, and the fact that reading this took me about two weeks, I enjoyed this sequel. Wells’ second novel is as fierce and fun as its predecessor, and not only does it showcase Maren’s phenomenal character development, it also has more dragons.
One other thing I liked that I haven’t seen in many other YA novels was the exploration of whether or not Maren and Kaia were still romantically compatible. Nine times out of ten, the protagonist falls in love with someone and the two stay together through it all, so it was refreshing to see a protagonist unsure of whether her first love or new crush was better for the person she had become. Does that make sense? I’m trying to explain myself without spoiling anything.
All in all, I found this sequel to be very enjoyable, and a satisfying conclusion to the duology. These books are undoubtedly hidden gems in YA fantasy. I plan to recommend them to as many people as possible, and I eagerly await Wells’ next book.
Representation
The story did drag ever so slightly in the middle, and there was something in the first book that was missing in this one I can’t quite pinpoint. Despite that, and the fact that reading this took me about two weeks, I enjoyed this sequel. Wells’ second novel is as fierce and fun as its predecessor, and not only does it showcase Maren’s phenomenal character development, it also has more dragons.
One other thing I liked that I haven’t seen in many other YA novels was the exploration of whether or not Maren and Kaia were still romantically compatible. Nine times out of ten, the protagonist falls in love with someone and the two stay together through it all, so it was refreshing to see a protagonist unsure of whether her first love or new crush was better for the person she had become. Does that make sense? I’m trying to explain myself without spoiling anything.
All in all, I found this sequel to be very enjoyable, and a satisfying conclusion to the duology. These books are undoubtedly hidden gems in YA fantasy. I plan to recommend them to as many people as possible, and I eagerly await Wells’ next book.
Representation
- bisexual protagonist of color
- sapphic love interest of color
- established sapphic romance (f/f)
- side characters of color
- side character that uses they/them pronouns
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Violence, Torture, and Death
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