Tochi Onyebuchi

"Taj has escaped Kos, but Queen Karima will go to any means necessary--including using the most deadly magic--to track him down"--

Crown of Thunder

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Razorbill/Penguin. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Rating: 4/5

Publication Date: October 16th, 2018

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, romance, slight mature scenes, sins, and slight gore)

Pages: 336

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Synopsis: Taj is headed west, but the consequences of leaving Kos behind confront him at every turn. Innocent civilians flee to refugee camps as Karima's dark magic continues to descend on the city. Taj must return, but first he needs a plan.

With Arzu's help, Taj and Aliya make it to the village of her ancestors, home of the tastahlik—sin-eaters with Taj's same ability to both battle and call forth sins. As Taj comes to terms with his new magic, he realizes there are two very different groups of tastahlik—one using their powers for good, the other for more selfish ends.

Aliya is struggling with her own unique capabilities. She's immersed in her work to uncover the secret to Karima's magic, but her health begins to mysteriously deteriorate. With the help of a local western mage, Aliya uncovers her true destiny—a future she's not sure she wants.

As Taj and Aliya explore their feelings for each other and Arzu connects with her homeland, the local westerners begin to question Taj's true identity. Karima is on his heels, sending dark warnings to the little village where he's hiding. Taj will have to go back and face her before she sends her mostly deadly weapon—Taj's former best friend, Bo.

I felt like for a sequel this book was well done. The writing was still as strong as it was in the first book and the plot was so interesting. I liked the relationships that were explored in this book and I liked how the characters are more developed in this book. I feel that this was a solid book and I would love to see more of this series.

However, I do feel that the ending was very rushed and it felt that there were things that were left unsaid. Some of the parts of this book could have used a bit more fleshing out. I also feel that this book had some continuality issues. It felt that there were some parts of this book that didn’t seem to line up with the first book. 

Verdict: Overall, I think this is a solid read and the series is fantastic despite my nitpicking. Definitely pick up book 1 and 2 this Halloween season!

Crown of Thunder

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