book review: Sunderworld V-02 - The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry by Ransom Riggs

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 5/5

Thank you Dutton Books for Young Readers for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

I was so excited to get an early reader copy of the second volume of the Sunderworld duology. After finishing the first book, I was dying to know what would happen next. If you are just as curious as I was, Volume 2 is out today!

Ransom Riggs does a great job of weaving the history from the first book into the opening chapters of the second. This helped refresh my memory, but also made it easy for someone new to the story to read this as a standalone and follow along.

In this second installment, Leopold, Emmett, and Isabel are still on the hunt for the truth behind Leopold's mom's history of magic. However, the scope of the investigation broadens when they uncover an unexpected secret involving another member of Leopold's family. During all of this, Leopold is fending off government agents and mystical creatures trying to get their hands on the ring, all while battling internal doubts about what he owes to Sunder and whether he has the confidence to save it. As the story progresses, we get more peeks into the neighboring spaces of the slack world and the magical one.

This was a phenomenal follow-up to volume one. I was elated to find out that Riggs has publicly stated that he is "excited to return to Sunderworld in the future." I can't wait to see what's next for this trio, and whatever new characters join the mix!

book review: Blightfall by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  4/5

Thank you Random House Children's Books for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

I was first introduced to Brandon Sanderson through his writing lectures at Brigham Young University, but Blightfall -- a collaboration with Janci Patterson and Book 1 of the Riftwake series -- is my very first venture into reading his work. 

While Blightfall is classified as Young Adult (ages 12+), I found it thoroughly compelling as an adult. Its accessible world-building and streamlined plot depth actually made it the perfect, welcoming entry point to Sanderson's universe.

The story follows a diverse cast of humans from the Defiant Defense Force alongside aliens, Kitsen, and slugs. Tasked with escorting diplomats to a distant human settlement to re-establish contact after decades of alien oppression, what should be an easy mission quickly goes awry. Upon discovering a debris field and hostile forces surrounding the planet, the team must explore the surface to uncover its secrets and find a way home, taking the reader along on a mysterious, high-stakes adventure.

The fast pace and imaginative world-building made this a page-turner! The narrative strikes a perfect balance: it is accessible enough to enjoy as a light space romp, yet detailed enough to satisfy science enthusiasts who want to pause and ponder. I loved exploring what life would look like when interacting with alien species across the galaxy. The characters are diverse, and important themes -- like navigating relationships, effective communication, teamwork, compassion, and acceptance -- are woven naturally into the plot.

My only minor gripe was the overuse of slang like "star" and scud." While I appreciated the creative sci-fi profanity, these words were peppered so frequently throughout the narrative that they became a bit distracting. They would have carried much more impact if used sparingly.

I will definitely be continuing this series as new books are released! I highly recommend this to sci-fi veterans and general fiction readers alike. If you enjoyed the Bobiverse series, you will love this as well.