Sunderworld, Vol. 2: The Unfortunate Responsibilities of Leopold Berry

Sunderworld #2

by Ransom Riggs

The second installment in the instant NYT bestselling new fantasy series from Ransom Riggs, author of the #1 global phenomenon Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series.

Sunderworld isn't finished with Leopold Berry—not by a long shot. In the aftermath of the incredible cliffhanger that ended Vol. 1, Leopold, Emmet, and Isabel will begin to unravel the mysteries of Sunder and the secret history of Leopold's family. Vol. 1 left readers breathless, and Vol. 2 promises even more magic and suspense.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction

480 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication October 13, 2026

About the author

Hi, I'm Ransom, and I like to tell stories. Sometimes I tell them with words, sometimes with pictures, often with both. I grew up on a farm on the Eastern shore of Maryland and also in a little house by the beach in Englewood, Florida where I got very tan and swam every day until I became half fish. I started writing stories when I was young, on an old typewriter that jammed and longhand on legal pads. When I was a little older I got a camera for Christmas and became obsessed with photography, and when I was a little older still my friends and I came into possession of a half-broken video camera and began to make our own movies, starring ourselves, using our bedrooms and backyards for sets. I have loved writing stories and taking photographs and making movies ever since, and have endeavored to do all three.

Reviews

[Rimon]

I'm glad it's taking so long to write. The first one felt kinda rushed but was otherwise great, so I'm pretty hyped for this one.

[Darya]

So thrilled for this to be scheduled for publication later this year — and for having been approved for an ARC. The first installment of the duology was one of the best YA (urban) fantasy titles I have read over the past few years. I will gladly start my way into the second volume by rereading that one. Actual review to come closer to the publication date in October.

[donutdot · Rating 5 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc!!

i was so excited to start this after book 1 and i gotta say i would be more than happy if this series expanded as big as miss peregrine's. this world just gets bigger and bigger and i don't think i could tire of leopold and gang's adventures.

i feel like this one really goes a lot deeper into his arc, his relationships with his friends and surprisingly with his family too. i really enjoyed their tight knit trio of found family which has grown stronger since the first book. there wasn't a focus on the romance between leopold and isabel and i liked the slow burn friends to lovers going on. and of course emmet and leopold's friendship is always a treat. and of course norm. norm is great.

"whenever his frustration with the suits reached a boiling point, or their search for answers hit another dead end, or the extremes of their new reality threatened to unhinge him, being able to glance over and see then a few feet away always pulled him back to centre. convinced all of this strangeness was survivable. reminded him he wasn't alone."

and of course for his bestie: "twisting around to look at him, leopold felt a rush of affection for his friend. how could he ever repay emmet for all he'd done, all he'd risked? he couldn't."

the central mystery of the object and the noxum really raised the stakes, and the action which i was pleasantly surprised by. (spoilers from here on!!) never did i expect that they would keep a noxum for a pet now but orville is absolutely adorable like a magic big dog. and now with a baby noxum picked up too!! the whole plot that it was the noxum and their blood that powered the magic is insane and i would love to see the fallout of when this news hits sunder.

and of course richter berry (kilroy). we all hated him in book 1. it is no small feat to redeem such a horrible character in a single volume but ransom riggs did!!! to me, at least. i mean i did suspect that richter had some magic ties, like monica but i did not expect him to be a channeler and for the object to have his powers?? honestly it broke my heart when i read the letters between him and monica, to know his memories were changed and it changed him into the horrible person in book 1.

it's honestly devastating, because they loved each other. they tracked each other on the thomas guide so they would never lose each other. ('i can live without magic. i cannot live without you' ended me) and the implications for leopold too.

in fact the whole arc of acceptance and forgiveness leopold goes through for his dad in this volume is done so well. chef's kiss. perfect. no notes.

and of course hal. who knew hal could be so cool with all this magic stuff?

honestly i'm so happy with the ending of this volume? hillstrom (director of sunderworld and murderer of both isabel's parents and monica berry) is dead as shit and richter with his memories and magic again, the whole crew literally speeding away in bessie (!!). can't wait to see what other adventures they get up to next.

[Amanda Favor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been looking forward to reading this for sooo long, especially after the year delay so I was determined to enjoy this! I turned off the progress meters on my Kindle so I wouldn’t feel the need to rush and forced myself to relax and enjoy the book. I highly recommend doing this, I felt immersed in this Sunderworld sequel and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Both Sunderworld books are just fantastical, other worldly adventures. Vol. 2 was just as action packed as the first, bringing new mysteries to light, answering questions from the first book and neatly wrapping everything up with a bow at the end. I wish so badly there were going to be more of these books, I hate that it’s a duology.

I want to know what happens next!!

Leopold really grows into himself this book and I love to see his character progression throughout the whole book. The world of Sunder and its history really expands in this volume as well and it’s great to have answers this go round.

I recommend this for anyone looking for a unique magic system, full of suspense, not TOO much violence (there’s a bit, don’t get me wrong), nothing too creepy (it’s not Stephen King) but with some dark moments, lovable lead characters you can root for, animals (some nice, some naughty), and plenty of shocking secrets.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the opportunity to read this ARC. My review is voluntary and my thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunderworld, Vol. 2 is everything I wanted in a sequel and more. Ransom Riggs expands this world in all the best ways, with imaginative, immersive world-building that makes every discovery feel exciting. The magic system continues to evolve naturally, revealing new layers while still maintaining a sense of mystery.

The story is fast-paced and packed with action, but it never loses sight of its characters. Leopold's journey feels authentic, and the friendships, emotional stakes, and character growth add real heart to the adventure. Every twist kept me invested, and the balance between humor, suspense, and darker moments was handled beautifully.

The creativity on display is incredible, from the strange magical creatures to the hidden corners of Sunder, making this a world I never wanted to leave. The ending delivers on the buildup while leaving me eager for more.

I sincerely hope this is only the second installment in a long-running series. This is a world I'd happily return to again and again, and I can't wait to see where the story goes next.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the Advance Review Copy!

This is a sequel to Sunderworld Volume 1, so if you haven't picked that one up yet, I recommend you start there. It's a great book, and covers what you need to know to start Volume 2.

Leopold has a lot going for him. He's got some great friends, access to a magic world, and even a bit of magic power himself. He's also a laughing stock and in trouble with the magic law, and his father is relatively cruel.

Picking up shortly after the first book, Leopold is left questioning the realities of the magical world, how his family connects to magic, and what can be expected of him - and what he can possibly do about magical government agents constantly tailing him and sending him fruit baskets.

Expect lots of twists and turns and secrets uncovered. Sometimes the past is not what we believe it is. And sometimes people can surprise us.

I recommend this book for young adult readers who enjoy urban fantasy, a good bit of chaos, magical creatures, and hijinks while digging deeper to uncover secrets.

[Alanna Metz · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's rare for a second book in the series to be better than the first, but this is one of those books! A bit of a cliffhanger at the end, just like the first one. In this book we learn more about Sunder and Leopold's connections to it. I loved seeing his friendship with Emmet and Isabel deepen. Norm is one of my favorite characters and he shows up a few times in the book. You get to see Leopold's relationships with his family evolve, which is a bit bittersweet. It's such a fun and action packed book. I kept telling myself I'd put it down after one more chapter and then found myself halfway through the book. I'm really excited to see where the story goes in the rest of the series, hopefully the third book comes out soon!

I was given an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Natasha Gunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume two is so much fun, I couldn't put it down!

Being a HUGE fan of the first book, I was incredibly excited to see how Leopolds story wrapped up. Ransom Riggs covers a lot of ground in this one. It's about twice the size of volume one and does a great job of building on it. It also has its surprises, as I did not expect this to go where it did with the storyline.

If you enjoyed volume one, it really is a must to grab this and finish the duology. My only disappointment is that it's over for now! I can only hope that we see more of this world in the future. It's wacky and weird. Truthfully, who doesn't wish there was a magical world living just within our own?

I received an advance copy of this novel from the author/publisher.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My only complaint is that I want more!

Vol 2 jumps back in quite nicely. I think it would be fine to start with this book but I went back to reread the first one to refresh my memory. The first book ended on a substantial cliffhanger, so if anyone was hesitant to pick it up before, now is the time to start this amazing duology.

I love how more details about their magical world are slowly revealed throughout the book. This was very fast paced and enjoyable.

I’d highly recommend these books for YA readers who enjoy urban fantasy. I found this series by looking for books that featured lost media and I do think that fits.

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 2 of Sunderworld has similar beats, mystery, and twists to Volume 1. Ends all tie up, perhaps a little too neatly, and the final climax pretty much resolves itself in a rather anticlimactic way. None of the twists really shocked me. But I really enjoyed Hal as a new character, Orville, and Emmet's relationship with the Lyceum. The humor and strong friendships of the first volume carry into this one, and overall it's a fun, page-turning read.

[Tayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for an e-arc of this book!

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I didn’t disappoint. I loved seeing Leo, Emmett and Isobel again and the plot line following the Noxums and Leopald’s parents had me hooked from page one. I know Ransom Riggs said this will be a duology but I feel like this book ended in a way that it could be picked back up later on.
When this releases, I’ll be sure to grab a copy & read the final book!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes! Another thriller from Ransom Riggs! An excellent continuation of Leopold's story and the world of Sunder. Old friends and new work together to investigate what's going on with Sunder and what truly happened in the past. No details - don't want to spoil anything! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Reneé Lasswell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this second installment of Sunderworld. We're back with Leopold Berry and friends as they continue to explore the not so hidden magical world that overlaps our own. They spend most of the time digging deeper into the mystery of Leopold's mother and how she could have ever connected with his problematic father.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a riveting conclusion to Sunderworld! Of all of the ways I thought the series might wrap up, this one never occurred to me, but it was absolutely perfect.

I love the action, humor, and cast of characters. It was great watching Leopold and his family all grow into better people as they saved themselves and the entire magical world.

[tori]

just requested on netgalley and praying to all that is holy that I get accepted.