Into The Desert Wilds by Jim Galford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Freedom has its own confines, but you need to find them within yourself.

Estin and his family have survived the war in Altis, having been transported by the mists more than a thousand miles to the desert surrounding Corraith. Just when they thought they could start their lives over, disaster once again strikes the wildling family.

Continuing where In Wilder Lands ended, readers are treated not only to the returned narration of Estin, but also the fresh voice of Oria. Trying to find her place in this world where there is no pack and thus no need for a leader of one, Oria struggles to give meaning in her life.

The desert is a stark contrast to the wildling’s lush homeland, and as they struggle to adapt, they meet a variety of people and wildlings that alter the path they would have traveled. Most notably is Phaesys, a fennec fox wildling that captures and captivates Oria. The relationship between the two young wildlings grows throughout the book and is just as complicated as Estin and Feanne’s relationship.

The fierce protective nature and the need to fight to prove yourself that readers saw in Feanne is passed on to Oria, helping to shape the adult she will become. Estin’s knack for finding trouble is also present, and Oria seems to have inherited that as well. As the wildlings prepare once again to fight the Turessian intent on seeing Estin and his family destroyed, it will take all of these skill and more to put a stop to him and save their new home.

Just as in the first novel, here is no lack of humor, love, or confrontation in this sequel. Or tears, at least at the end. Blended into the struggle to survive and adapt is a complex story with many themes: growing up, learning to love, thinking for yourself instead of blindly doing what you’re told is right, and fighting for your beliefs, freedom, and most importantly, your family.

Galford’s has done it again, creating a beautiful, magical land different from Altis yet still filled with so many vivid details and complex personalities that the reader can’t help but follow in the character’s dusty footprints. Anyone looking for an epic fantasy should not pass this book by.

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Chain Reaction by T. C. Archer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Before I filed the report, I had a call to make to Dunning Asylum for the mentally insane and tell them to reserve a room for me.

Detective Jordan Pierce, former Chicago PD, hasn’t felt the same since he was attacked in an alley months ago. No longer able to stay awake in the daylight, he has strange abilities that he can’t explain. While trying to balance finding his attacker and his job as a security officer at the University of Chicago, he gets caught up in a murder investigation and finds out he’s not the only one able to do strange things.

Set during the Manhattan Project time of WW2, the book is full of tidbits of history incorporated into the paranormal story. Pierce’s “powers” and nature are slowly learned, though fairly easy to guess, as if the reader is learning about this side of the world with Pierce. The suspense/detective angle was done well, keeping readers on the edge of their seat for what would happen next. The side characters help solidify the world, revealing themselves through Pierce’s interaction with them.

There were several pieces of the story, though minor, that were not resolved, such as Andy’s role in all of this. Also, as this was the introduction to the Phantom League, there was a lot of hinting about other people with other powers that didn’t necessarily show up in the book, leaving readers to wonder about the “others” alongside Pierce.

Full of action, thrills, and potential, Chain Reaction drags readers into a world and time they only thought they knew.

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Orlind by Charlotte E. English
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

‘You can change them,’ he said in reply. ‘But you can also change yourself.’

War has come to the Seven Realms, yet almost as suddenly as the draykon force appears, it vanishes. Convinced this is somehow the work of Krays, Eva sets off to infiltrate Krays’s library, leaving Llandry (and the other draykon on their side) to defend her home.

Picking up where Lokant left off, with the war still raging and secrets still being discovered. Llandry and her draykon friends must find a way to battle the draykoni force. Meanwhile, Eva and Tren find what seems to be the root of the war between the libraries – Orlind.

The characters, wonderfully developed throughout the entire trilogy, continue to grow and change as they learn more about themselves, their past, and their abilities. The scenery is once again well described, and the romance in this book has increased as both Tren and Pensould pursue their respective ladies, and though subtle most of the time, it is quite entertaining at points.

A wonderful conclusion to the Draykon series, Orlind ties up loose ends while leaving the world of the Seven Realms open for exploration, which hopefully will spawn more books in this world.

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