The Very Ugly Duckling

Bookworm #2

by Christopher G. Nuttall

Not every ugly duckling becomes a swan ...
In the wake of the disastrous attack on the Golden City, Lady Light Spinner has become Grand Sorceress and Elaine, the Bookworm, has been settling into her positions as Head Librarian and Privy Councillor. But any hope of vanishing into her books is negated when a new magician of staggering power appears in the city, one whose abilities seem to defy the known laws of magic.
Johan is a Powerless, a person born to a magical family yet lacking powers of his own. His dreams of a better life are curbed by his family, who see him as a cripple at best and a burden at worst. But when a political protest goes horrifically wrong, Johan discovers that his true powers have merely been buried, waiting for their chance to explode into the world. As he comes to grips with his newfound talents, he discovers that he finally has a chance to realise his ambitions ...
... But for the Golden City, reeling after the devastation of six months earlier, he may be the greatest threat the city has ever seen. Elaine must unlock the mystery behind his powers before the political factions can kill him ... or use him to unleash a nightmare.

Returning to well-loved characters from Christopher Nuttall’s bestselling Bookworm and introducing new ones, Bookworm The Very Ugly Duckling explores power – and the effect it has on the human mind.

Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Fiction, Young Adult, Audiobook, High Fantasy, Witches

409 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 2, 2014

Reviews

[Rick Stuckwisch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this very much, and I was especially glad that this second book in the Bookworm series did not include the bits of graphic, gratuitous material that dampened my enthusiasm for the first book. Great characters, interesting story line, and thought-provoking scenarios. Ready for book three!

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this story. Eileen, who was introduced in the first book of the series, grew into a more interesting character and we got to see more of her powers. Johan is another interesting character and the story that brings the two of them together is riveting. Looking forward to the further adventures of these two.

[Summers · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review of book 1 was a 2/5. But I decided to give this one a chance, glad I did. Much was improved upon, specifically the repetitive thoughts about "the knowledge in her head" but not completely.

Yohan is the new characters, a person with no magic born to a magical family. He is basically tortured through "pranks". while other mundanes only have to deal with magical cruelty randomly his may sibling attacked him without mercy. He has been turned into objects and animals for up to a week at a time, forgotten about, his body puppeted, etc. He was treated this way even by his smallest sibling, with an uncaring mother and father. The on sibling he is close is only less bad than the others; its sad to see him defending her,Charity, never stood up to him and was part of the problem. This is consistent with what we know of people who are abused and bullied, they grab on to any kindness even if its condensation. Because he lives with these people and can't leave is house without permission or runaway do to a spell, he never gets a break.
He does not whine about it, but he is angry, he does not seek revenge but he wants justice to be done. He restrains himself all the to the end until they go too far and he snaps, its satisfying to see because only like other books characters power does not turn him to a raging jerk.

Worldbuilding is done better as well, we see other Noble Houses, intrigue, the tension between Mundanes and Magicians, and other cities. We even get the point of view of Yohans father, its frustrating and sad; his father just does not get what he did wrong even as he acknowledges is failures. In his attempt to path things up, his greed and arrogance just make it worse and does not understand why.

Big things are going on, magical terror attacks, and Mundanes rightfully questioning their service to people who hate them. A plus of this book is that if feels grounded; as in its not the usually roller coaster adventure, these characters have lives they want to live and dreams other than slaying the big bad; who by the way is in hiding. Sadly because of their dangerous powers they are restrained.

You will feel angry at the power structure of this world, that seems to allow such acts to take place, but its not grimdark, and that makes it more realistic people are not going on raping and killing while the world shrugs but if they were to do it, they could get away with it. Only reason it became a problem is because they did at such a scale.
I will read the next book but i hope to see more books like this, actually dealing with the cultural and societly injustices instead of just running of to slay a dragon or something.

Too many books go like such;crappy world, sad kid gets power, punches a bully, maybe make friends with that bully and be BFF cause abuse is rewarded, get the formally uninterested lover, run off somewhere making badass friends, kill the baddy, be a ruler by virtue of being kickass; all problems solved because heroes took power, or not.

[Seregil of Rhiminee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published at Risingshadow.

Christopher Nuttall's The Very Ugly Duckling is the second part of the Bookworm fantasy series. It's an entertaining and well written sequel to Bookworm.

Because I enjoyed reading Bookworm, I was eager to read The Very Ugly Duckling. I liked this novel very much, because it was good escapism and the author had come up with an interesting story. The story captured my attention immediately when I began to read it and I found myself reading it as fast as possible, because the story flowed effortlessly from start to finish.

Just like Bookworm, this novel is a combination of adult fantasy, young adult fantasy, traditonal fantasy and modern fantasy. This combination works well, because all the different elements complement each other and the story is good. I think it's good to mention that although there are a few young adult elements in this novel, it's mostly an adult novel, because there are politics and certain sexual references in it.

In Bookworm the author concentrated mostly on writing about Elaine and what had happened to her. In this novel he writes more about Elaine, but also concentrates on writing about Johan and his problems. He also writes about politics and how the Golden City is trying to recover from the devastating events that took place six months earlier. All these things add quite a lot of depth to the story.

Here's information about the story:

Elaine has become the Head Librarian and a Privy Councillor. She has settled well to her position as the Head Librarian. Johan Conidian is a Powerless and can't use magic. He's the shame of his family and his father keeps him mostly locked up in the house. During a political protest Johan suddenly creates a magical pulse and faints. When he wakes up, he meets Elaine who is trying to figure out what kind of a magic user he is, because it's unheard of a mundane to suddenly develop magical powers. His magical powers seem to defy normal laws of magic. Elaine begins to help him and teaches him to use his powers...

The two main characters, Elaine and Johan, are both well created characters. In the previous novel the author wrote fascinatingly about Elaine and her life, and now he continues to deepen her character (Elaine has become the Head Librarian and she has several responsibilities). Johan is an interesting character, because he differs greatly from all other magicians and doesn't want to be controlled by his father (Johan's powers developed late and he rejects his family).

Christopher Nuttall writes well about the difficult relationships between the characters. I enjoyed reading about how bad a relationship Johan had with his family, because he's been treated badly by all members of his family for not having any magical powers. His bad experiences thoroughly estranged him from his family. It was fascinating to read how Johan felt about his father, Duncan, and his brother, Jamal, because he didn't think nicely of them. He had to endure bad - and even dangerous - treatment from them and he didn't like it all. He had a bit nicer relationship with his sister, Charity, but they also had a few problems.

Writing about all things magical seems to be easy for Christopher Nuttall. He's one of those authors who write fluently about magic and how it is used in different ways. His descriptions of magic and magical abilities are entertaining and also amusing.

It was nice to read how eager Elaine was to do research in order to find out how Johan's magic works. Johan's magic and his magical abilities were so different from normal magical abilities that his magic seemed very odd and strange to Elaine. Because Johan couldn't do certain things, but some things were easy for him, Elaine tried to help and teach him.

It was captivating to read how Johan reacted to his new powers. He was both afraid of his powers and fascinated by what he was able to do. Because he had always been bullied, he suddenly had a chance to defend himself and it made him feel good.

In my opinion Christopher Nuttall explores power and what kind of an effect it has on the characters in an interesting way. The author writes about how magic users have plenty of power and how they use it to their advantage. He also writes surprisingly fluently about the addictive power of magic and what it can do to careless users who let themselves be seduced by it.

It's great that the author concentrares on writing about Elaine and Johan's powers, because they're different kind of characters who have different powers. It's interesting that both of them could be a serious threat to the society and the whole world. Johan's magical abilities are so great and odd that they may be a threat to others. Elaine differs from Johan, because she has all the knowledge (including dangerous knowledge) of the library in her head and that makes her a very dangerous person if somebody would be able to use her knowledge for evil purposes.

Christopher Nuttall writes fascinatingly about rivalry and pranks among family members and students. Rivalry is common among those who have magical powers and so are pranks. Pranks help children and students to develop their powers, so nobody pays much attention to them.

There are interesting mystery elements in this novel. The source of Johan's powers is a great mystery to everybody. Because Johan has suddenly achieved great powers, Elaine, Dread and Lady Light Spinner are afraid that the Witch-King may be the source of his powers. The possible threat of the Witch-King adds a nice element of danger to the storyline.

There are many interesting scenes and happenings in this novel. For example, the scene in which Johan confronts his family after he has gained magical powers is a great and unforgettable scene. Because Johan is tired of being controlled by his father and hasn't forgiven him what he had to endure when he didn't have magic, he isn't as easily controlled as he used to be. He refuses to be told what to do and isn't afraid to show how he feels about his family.

It was nice to read how Elaine and Johan travelled away from the city. Their trip together was written well, because Johan enjoyed being elsewhere. The author wrote fantastically about Elaine's feelings about certain things at the cabin, because the cabin was primitive in almost every sense of the word.

I also enjoyed reading about the Leveller movement, because many magicians thought that it was a serious threat to their way of life. The author wrote surprisingly well about the politics and power play involving this movement, because magicians thought that the Leveller movement could be dangerous to them.

Johan and Elaine's conversations about dating and sex were interesting. Although Johan has powerful magic, he's still an inexperienced teenage boy and doesn't have any kind of personal knowledge about dating and sex. He's interested in girls, but hasn't had a chance to date anybody because his father didn't allow him to leave the house, so he doesn't know much about things related to dating.

Everybody who likes the Bookworm series will be pleased to know that there will be a third part. The third part is called The Best Laid Plans and it will published later this year. I look forward to reading it, because it'll be fun to see how the story continues, because the ending of this novel is fantastic and suggests that several things will be explored further in the third part.

Christopher Nuttall is one of those rare individuals who have an ability to write good entertainment. I like his novels, because they offer fantastic escapism to readers who are interested in entertaining fantasy stories. The Very Ugly Duckling is an excellent example of Christopher Nuttall's ability to write interesting entertainment.

I can recommend The Very Ugly Duckling to readers who enjoy reading entertaining fantasy novels. It's pure light-hearted escapism from start to finish and the characters are interesting, so it'll be of interest to readers who enjoy reading well written fantasy entertainment.

My final words are: This novel is good and interesting entertainment!

[Wortmagie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christopher Nuttall war beinahe von Geburt an ein begeisterter Leser. Er berichtet, dass seine Kindheit in den 80er Jahren mehr von Büchern als vom Fernsehen geprägt war. Und wie das eben so ist mit leidenschaftlichen Bücherwürmern, wollte er sein Hobby zum Beruf machen. Er studierte Bibliothekswesen.

Während seines Studiums entdeckte er sein historisches Interesse und begann, ein Onlinemagazin für alternative Geschichte namens „Changing the Times“ herauszugeben. Die Idee war, literarisch zu untersuchen, wie sich historische Ereignisse entwickelt hätten, wäre nur ein kleines Detail anders verlaufen. Beide Aspekte seiner Vergangenheit nützten Nuttall später in seiner Karriere als Schriftsteller. Ohne diese Erfahrungen wäre „The Very Ugly Duckling“, der zweite Band seiner „Bookworm“-Reihe, so wahrscheinlich nicht erschienen.

Magie ist Macht. Sie ist ein Geburtsrecht. Sie kann weder gegeben noch erworben werden. Johan Conidian sind diese unumstößlichen Gesetze schmerzlich bewusst. Seine einflussreiche Familie lässt ihn nie vergessen, dass seine bloße Existenz eine peinliche Schande ist. Johan ist Machtlos. Er besitzt keinerlei magisches Talent. Eines Tages hält Johan ihre Demütigungen nicht mehr aus. Heimlich schleicht er aus dem Haus, um die Goldene Stadt auf eigene Faust zu erkunden. Sein Ausflug hat horrende Folgen. Versehentlich gerät er in einen politischen Protest vor dem Palast der Erzmagierin. Die Lage eskaliert; er wird ohnmächtig.

Als er wieder erwacht, hat sich alles verändert. Plötzlich verfügt Johan über magische Kräfte. Kräfte, die eigentlich unmöglich sein sollten. Die Erzmagierin erkennt sofort, welche Gefahr von Johan ausgeht und übergibt ihn in die Obhut der einzigen Person, die ähnliches erlebte: Elaine. Mit dem Wissen der Großen Bibliothek soll sie herausfinden, was mit Johan geschehen ist. Denn der Zeitpunkt wirkt verdächtig. Sechs Monate nach dem Angriff des Hexenkönigs ist die Goldene Stadt noch immer geschwächt. Könnte Johan mehr als ein Unfall sein? Ist er eine Waffe?

Ich habe mich wahnsinnig auf diese Rezension gefreut. Ich habe eine Menge über „The Very Ugly Duckling“ von Christopher Nuttall zu sagen, weil dieses Buch so viel mehr als ein unterhaltsamer High Fantasy – Roman ist. Die Lektüre war eine echte Überraschung, mit der ich nach meinem etwas seichten und belanglosen Einstieg in die „Bookworm“-Reihe niemals gerechnet hätte. Mittlerweile ist mir klar, dass der erste Band Die Wissende keineswegs exemplarisch für Christopher Nuttalls Schriftstellerei steht. Nein, die Messlatte positioniert er erst mit „The Very Ugly Duckling“.

Die Fortsetzung der Tetralogie ist mit Haut und Haaren einem faszinierenden Gedankenexperiment gewidmet, in dem Nuttall eine zentrale Hypothese erforscht: Wie sähe eine Gesellschaft aus, in der Magie das Maß aller Dinge ist?

Vielleicht fragt ihr euch jetzt, was daran so besonders sein soll. Schließlich behandeln viele Fantasy-Romane ähnliche Ansätze. Aber ich habe bisher nur sehr wenige Bücher gelesen, in denen die Autor_innen mit derselben Ernsthaftigkeit und Konsequenz vorgehen wie Christopher Nuttall. „The Very Ugly Duckling“ sieht aus wie Unterhaltungsliteratur – in Wahrheit handelt es sich um eine höchst kritische und realistische Studie einer alternativen Gesellschaftsordnung.

Das Imperium, dessen Hauptstadt und Regierungssitz die Goldene Stadt ist, basiert auf Magie. Es ist abhängig von Magie. Alle sozialen Strukturen orientieren sich an der Macht, die Magie einer Person verschafft. Es herrscht ein rigides, strikt hierarchisches Ständesystem vor, das brutal diejenigen bevorzugt, die mit magischem Talent geboren werden. Kein anderer Faktor – weder Geld noch Beziehungen oder Aufopferungsbereitschaft – ist ähnlich entscheidend für gesellschaftlichen Erfolg und Aufstieg.

In „The Very Ugly Duckling“ fordert Christopher Nuttall dieses ungerechte System, das keinen Anspruch erhebt, die Schwachen zu schützen und aus heutiger Sicht archaisch wirkt, heraus. Der Protagonist Johan erschüttert dessen Grundfesten, weil er unbeabsichtigt gegen das Axiom verstößt, dass magische Fähigkeiten einerseits ausschließlich angeboren und andererseits unveränderlichen Regeln unterworfen sind.

Ähnlich wie Elaine stellt er damit selbstverständlich eine Gefahr für alles dar, was die uneingeschränkte Herrschaft von Magier_innen jahrhundertelang zementierte. Im Gegensatz zu ihm ist Elaine allerdings ein kalkulierbares Risiko, das durch ihren Nutzen für die Erzmagierin aufgewogen wird. Johan hingegen personifiziert den Albtraum jeder Elite: Jemand ohne Macht erhält sie plötzlich.

Intellektuell hatte ich immense Freude an diesem Gedankenexperiment. Auf der theoretischen, gesellschaftsphilosophischen Ebene ist „The Very Ugly Duckling“ äußerst fesselnd. Leider schwächelt die Fortsetzung jedoch bezüglich der Geschichte. Der Spannungsbogen bleibt vergleichsweise flach; durch lange ereignisarme Strecken zwischen den wenigen actionreichen Szenen kommt die Handlung nie richtig in Fahrt. Mit dieser Unausgeglichenheit stellt sich Christopher Nuttall selbst ein Bein: Es gelingt ihm nicht, seine anregenden Überlegungen massentauglich zu transportieren.

Ich fürchte, dass „The Very Ugly Duckling“ für viele Leser_innen zu verkopft ist. Auch ich fand es nicht immer leicht, mich mit der akademischen Ausrichtung der Fortsetzung der „Bookworm“-Reihe anzufreunden. Obwohl Christopher Nuttall mit seiner wirklichkeitsnahen Untersuchung der Implikationen von Magie für eine Gesellschaft seinen intelligenten Geist demonstriert, enttäuscht die konkret inhaltliche Ebene eher.

Dennoch möchte ich die Tetralogie weiterverfolgen, denn ich bin sehr neugierig, in welche Richtung sie sich entwickelt. Die ersten beiden Bände sind hinsichtlich ihrer Herangehensweise beinahe entgegengesetzt – ich bin gespannt, ob Christopher Nuttall einen Mittelweg findet.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slightly better than the first, although I wasn't a big fan of the several POV stuff.

Missing some showdowns though, Elaine definitely needs to boost her power somehow to a level that isn't "cast 5 spells and fall asleep". She loses all the time and just faints afterwards. After the 5th time or so the damsel in distress stuff is getting predictable and "boring".

I do understand that there is probably a message intended, but seriously every once in a while she should be allowed to surprise those little pricks who think they can do whatever they want :P

[Bear Field · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Child Shall Lead Them...

When a group of magicians attacks a crowd of mundanes, killing 19 of them, a political crisis threatens the Golden City and the empire it rules. But an even greater threat may be the underage, powerless scion of a magical family who suddenly gains an entirely new form of magic during that attack. The Head Librarian of the Great Library takes the youngster under her wing and begins the process of trying to train him while simultaneously trying to understand his new-found abilities. Will the world survive the upheaval?

[Ronny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one better than the first (even if they changed some names and what the bookworm incident actually meant, though the last could've been "discovered" between the books).
I still see a lot he re-used in the schooled books, but this one also has stuff that's not included there at all, and some interesting (and some cliched) characters.

[Ruby Ridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely an improvement on #1 bye still a way to go before it meets the high standards o fZero 'Enigma' and 'Schooled' series.
Johan is a bit of a weak character who could do with some backbone fortifying potions and even Elaine could use a little more power. In this one the inquisitors have dropped in level from Boogeymen to policemen.
Let's see where # takes us

[Sam Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well Paced And Enjoyable

As always, with Christopher Nuttall's books, the plot is solid, the characters likeable (except for the hateful ones), and the pace is entertainingly fast. He quickly draws your sympathy for his heroes and heroines, with enough flaws that they remain believable and interesting. A thoroughly enjoyable read, pushing me quickly to the third in the series.

[Chocomeiske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this too. I like the idea of Johan being something totally unheard of and being able to use his magic without all the fuss of wands and spells, just willing it to be.
I also like the whole morality theme which runs throughout and how one deals with power.

[Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and many twists

It is a book that use magic in a non-traditional way, and in a very interesting background of those that have and those who don't. With a threat to all each side but none but a few can see.

[Dayne Edmondson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent entry

I love all of this authors magical books. The way he captured both magic portrayal and the societies is admirable and makes all of his fantasy books a treat. I eagerly read this book.

[questionable_context · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

The bookworm series continues and this book was better then the first. Very well paced and leaves me wanting more. Already bought the third book.

[Billie · Rating 3 out of 5]

unsatisfying ending imo

[Tinker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Liz White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elaine takes on an apprentice whos power is completely different to her own or anyone elses.

Loved it. look forward to the next book :)

[Per Gunnar · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the title implies, this is a sequel to Bookworm by Christopher Nuttall. The book continues fairly seamlessly from Bookworm picking up about 6 months from the final events in that book. Even though it follows straight from the first book this book is somewhat different from Bookworm.

The book is a bit less of the traditional good versus evil with evil in the form of the Witch King, although he is mentioned, and dives much more into the politics of the magical world Mr. Nuttall have created. Well, I and politics do not go too well together so I find this a bit sad. The Golden City is also a much gloomier place with a lot of it destroyed, the inquisitors decimated and struggling to keep law and order and spoiled magician brats from the big magic houses running rampage and behaving like old aristocrats believing they are the gift of god. Personally I liked the more straightforward good versus the evil Witch King story of the first book better.

Despite the political parts this is still a very good book though. As in the previous book Elain is the main character and this time she has to deal with a teenage magician of seemingly limitless power but who also have just discovered that he has any powers at all. A lot of the book is dedicated to Elaine trying to figure out why he have any magic powers at all (he was thought powerless) and how it works. At the same time she has to navigate the difficult waters of managing a teenager as well as the murky waters of politics.

The book is as well written as the other books I have read from this author which makes it a quite enjoyable reading, even the political parts. Although there is somewhat of a climax in the book it does end in what one have to call a cliffhanger. I guess this particular cliffhanger succeeded in it’s purpose though since I certainly would not want to miss out on the next book.

[Nicole Gozdek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nachdem ich gerade "Die Wissende - Die Bibliothek der Schwarzen Magie 1" verschlungen hatte, konnte ich absolut nicht auf die Übersetzung des nächsten Bandes warten. Was also tun? "The Very Ugly Duckling - Bookworm 2" musste natürlich auf Englisch her! ;-)

Und der 2. Band geht zum Glück genauso spannend weiter, wie der erste aufgehört hat. Nachdem die einfache Bibliothekarin durch einen finsteren Plan ihres Vaters, einer Marionette des untoten Hexerkönigs, zum Bücherwurm wurde und sie nun die gesamte magische Bibliothek in ihrem Kopf hat, kämpfen sie als neue Oberste Bibliothekarin und Lady Lichtspinner als neue Erzmagierin immer noch mit den Folgen, die die finsteren Pläne des Hexerkönigs verursacht haben. Tausende Menschen starben bei Kanes Kampf gegen Lady Lichtspinner und Elaine und die Bewohner der Goldenen Stadt sind unzufrieden mit dem Mangel an Antworten zum Vorfall. Immer mehr lehnt sich die nicht-magische Bevölkerung gegen die herrschen Magier auf. Es kommt zu ersten Unruhen und genau zu dieser Zeit entwickelt der 16-jährige Johan, der einzige Magielose aus einer Familie voller starker Magie, eine beunruhigende neue Form der Magie. Ist das wieder ein neuer Plan des Hexerkönigs? Ist Johan eine Gefahr für seine Familie, die ihn misshandelt hat, und die Magier insgesamt? Elaine ermittelt, während die Goldene Stadt am Rand eines Bürgerkriegs steht.

Tolle Charaktere, eine Bibliothek voller magischer Bücher, Tagebüchern von Magiern und Bücher mit Zaubersprüchen (I like!) sowie ein spannender Plot machen diesen Roman zum Lesevergnügen für Heroic Fantasy-Fans.

[Henry Lazarus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very impressed with Christopher Nuttall and the first book about Elaine, a woman with weak magical power who is somehow impressed with the knowledge of all the books in the library and then has to somehow use that knowledge to save her city. In the new book we meet Johan an heir to a noble family who was born without magical powers. His brothers and sisters torment him. so it's natural that he would be at a protest against the misuse of magical powers. Then his brother and friends attack the protest, turning people into weird things. Something snaps and Johan has powers that evoke naturally without needing the spells that all other magic users have. Elaine is forced into training him, trying to figure out how his powers work. Then he takes magical powers away from a magician, doing evil things, and all political hell breaks loose. This doesn't have a solid ending, but the final book is scheduled and worth waiting for.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best middle volumes i've read in a long time. A new sort of magic worker whose powers are much stronger than any other magician's appears in the person of Johan---a teenager who suffered for years at the hands of his magician sibs but nonetheless has grown into a naive, slightly unstable but fundamentally decent human being. His often uncontrolled ability to overcome any magical attack or spell comes with weaknesses, but sets all of magic society into a tizzy. He does, however, fall in with a true friend in Elaine, the titular Bookworm, and together they survive some harrowing challenges. A solid "A" and I can't wait for the next episode.

[Kristy Halseth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book added a lot of depth to the world. Every time I thought the writer was about to write himself into a corner with only one way out, he surprised me and pulled it out of the fire in a way that didn't leave him with only the option I could see and didn't like. Despite the fact that the 23 year old main character seems more like a teen than an adult, the over-all series feel more adult than the other series. The author's writing skills seem to improve with every book I read. I find myself really looking forward to each new book. This book really added depth to the world and is a very good read.

[Stuart Macmartin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another solid read from Nuttall. I expected from the description that this might not be as good as the original, with a split viewpoint. Shouldn't have worried. Better writing except for the tendency to repeat things too often - is that editing issues, or do you truly expect us to forget that quickly? Almost sounds like padding. On to the next!

[Wilson E. Stevens Sr. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is more like I expected from the series. I would have rated this book at least a 4* if he hadn't started the first book out so badly. His references back to the sex acts in the first book is the reason for rating this book a 2*. Other than that I is at least a 4. A good read and well worth the $4.00 kindle version I paid for.

[M.L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not really sure if I enjoyed this book as well as the first installment. It contains a lot more angst and emotional upheaval, and I think a bit of the worldbuilding that I enjoyed in the first book is a little missing here.

[Boneist · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this better than the first book in the series. It has some of the same problems as the first book, plus it's more set-things-up-for-the-next-book than anything, yet there was intrigue and a hint of more complex machinations going on.

[Morandia · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVED this book. The first one was good, but I honestly enjoyed this one even more!

[Kurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite a few cracks here and there, I still enjoyed the book and will proceed to number three!

[Rodger Nelson]

Man Elaine sure keeps a low profile everyone thinks she has some malicious or dastardly plan when she only wants to teach. Poor Johan... Anger leads to the dare kids it does...