oscarwildein 's review for:

In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce

3.5

adventurous hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I feel similarly to how I felt about the first one, but since is the second book in the series, I still had a lot of fun reading this and really enjoyed it, but some of the parts I disliked about the first book, that I glossed over in the first book, are wearing on me a little. 

This book still has that nostalgic feeling, it still has fun characters who are easy to attach to, it still has a certain kind of whimsy, making itself feel cozy while the stakes still feel high enough to matter. I enjoyed a lot about this book. I just wish there were more. There were many scenes and moments that I would have enjoyed reading about but weren't shown on page and were just dropped into the book with a single passing comment. I wish the prose were dressed up a little bit, embellish things and make them sound like a place I want to be. 

I'm hoping that in the latter to books of the series, the fact that Alanna isn't in 'Knight school' anymore and can go out on her own adventures, a more over-arching plot will be introduced, and we'll see more places than the palace walls. I'm still very excited to read the next book despite the flaws I found in this one, I can't wait till my copy comes in from the library!!!