Okay, we need to talk about Graywytch's entire character and inclusion. I think Nomi and Amanita from the Netflix show Sense8 are the only other example I can think of I can't think of any in YA lit. They are still cute, and I have to admit, it was awesome to see Danny get a gf. I really wanted the tension to be drawn out in a better way, even with just one more angsty scene before they got together, because their getting together was so anticlimactic and boring. One minute they're fighting, next they're together. While they made for a shippable dynamic in book one, I found their romantic buildup here so instantaneous. No one is more shocked than I am, but I found Sara and Danny weirdly underwhelming here. The only “new” thing in this book was the romantic arc. The entire arc is sort of new, but it all feels like a bit of a rehash. Here, it's as if she barely developed in book one.

Yes, there were a few loose threads after book one, but Danny had a great character arc and got some good friends. Pointless sequels are honestly an epidemic that needs to stop. I liked book one a lot, but I think this one feels like the same thing repeated and I'm not into superhero novels enough to really care. While the ending was worth it, this is definitely a drop in quality. No one is sadder than I am about the fact that this sequel does not quite live up to book one.

Sovereign by April Daniels