The Secrets of the Wild Wood

De brief voor de koning #2

by Tonke Dragt

'There's no place you can lose your way as quickly as in the Wild Wood...'

One of the King's knights has gone missing. Sent to explore the mysterious Wild Wood, which no-one dares visit and some say are enchanted, he has vanished in the snow. Tiuri - now Sir Tiuri after carrying out his last perilous mission - has to find him. With his best friend and squire, Piak, he must journey into the heart of a terrifying, secret forest realm, where danger is all around and every path leads you astray. It is a place of lost, overgrown cities and ancient curses; of robbers, princesses and strange Men in Green; of old friends and treacherous new enemies - and a secret plot that threatens to bring down the entire kingdom.

This gripping, spellbinding sequel to The Letter for the King sees a hero facing his greatest test, surrounded by darkness in a world where good and evil wear the same face, and the wrong move could cost his life - but where help comes from the unlikeliest of places.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Classics

479 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Tonke Dragt werd in 1930 geboren in Nederlands-Indië, en heeft daar het grootste deel van haar jeugd doorgebracht. In 1942 kwam ze met haar moeder en twee zusjes terecht in een Jappenkamp, en daar heeft ze ontdekt dat ze ze kon ‘ontsnappen’ door verhalen te verzinnen. Ze schreef en tekende in eerder gebruikte uitgegumde schriftjes en zelfs op wc-papier, want er was bijna niets. Samen met een vriendinnetje maakte ze het ‘boek’ De jacht op de Touwkleurige.

Na de oorlog kwam het gezin naar Nederland. Tonke deed hier haar eindexamen van de middelbare school en ging naar de academie voor beeldende kunsten. Ze werd tekenlerares. Als de orde in haar klas verstoord dreigde te raken, begon ze altijd een verhaal te vertellen. En dan werd het muisstil. Ze organiseerde op school ook een spookverhalenschrijversclub, waar de meest griezelige dingen gebeurden!

In 1956 werd voor het eerst een verhaal van Tonke gepubliceerd, en daarna werden er steeds meer gevraagd. Ze kreeg het druk: overdag lesgeven en ’s avonds en vooral ’s nachts schrijven. In 1961 verscheen haar eerste boek: Verhalen van de tweelingbroers.

Een jaar later kwam De brief voor de koning, dat werd bekroond met de prijs voor het beste kinderboek van het jaar, een voorloper van de Gouden Griffel. Het kreeg ook een vervolg: Geheimen van het Wilde Woud.

De meeste kinderboekenschrijvers schreven in die tijd realistische verhalen, maar Tonke creëerde haar eigen werelden, zoals de Rijken van Dagonaut en Unauwen.

Het thema ‘tijd’ speelt vaak een rol in haar boeken. De hoofdpersoon van De torens van februari kan eens in de vier jaar, op schrikkeldag, naar een andere wereld reizen, en Torenhoog en mijlen breed speelt zich af in de toekomst. Het geheim van de klokkenmaker gaat over een tijdmachine – en vooral over de vraag wat er gebeurt als je daar niet heel voorzichtig mee omgaat…

Tonke houdt van poezen. Die geven haar de mogelijkheid een tijger te aaien. En tijgers intrigeren haar: Ogen van tijgers is niet voor niets geschreven!

Al haar poezen (en ze heeft er vele gehad) zijn op een bijzondere manier bij haar gekomen: aanloopkatten, eenzame katten als het baasje was overleden… Ze krijgen allemaal een naam die met een W begint. Wapperstaart, Woesti en Wicci de Winterpoes zijn de meest recente.

Reviews

[Annet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book of Tonke Dragt! Have to read again soon!

[Priss · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5. Gooooood. I did think the first book was better.

[Floor tussendeboeken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik vond het verhaal ietwat aan de lange kant, maar verder was het wel weer leuk om een nieuw avontuur te beleven met Tiuri en Piak.

[Marcella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ken je dat gevoel van een brok in je keel als je de laatste bladzijde van een boek leest en het boek dan al een beetje mist? Dat had ik met Geheimen van het Wilde Woud. Wat een fantastisch boek.

[Zarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://www.pagetostagereviews.com/201...

One of my all-time favourite Dutch children's books is De brief aan de koning by Tonke Dragt, and I was thrilled when decades after the original release this much-treasured classic finally received its much-deserved English language debut with The Letter for the King in 2014, thanks to Pushkin Press in the UK and a beautiful translation by Laura Watkinson. So you can imagine my excitement when the sequel, Secrets of the Wild Wood (originally Geheimen van het Wilde Woud) received an English release this year as well (also translated by Watkinson). Dark and more mature than its precedent, this book continues to capture the magic and adventurous spirit I've come to know and love from Tonke Dragt's imaginative world.

The first novel is a fairly straight-forward story of squire Tuiri's mission to deliver an important letter to the King of Unauwen on the other side of the Great Mountains and the trials and tribulations that are waiting for him on his dangerous journey – not in the least the Red Riders who have killed the previous messenger; The Black Knight With the White Shield. It's a fantastical adventure that thrills on every page and set in a fictional medieval land it's the perfect classic to dream away with.

In its sequel, we return to the world of Tiuri who is now a knight himself with his loyal friend Piak by his side as his squire. Was the King of Eviellan and the rivalry between the two twin princes of Unauwen merely a whisper behind the pages of The Letter for the King, in The Secrets of the Wild Wood unrest has been brewing for far longer and with one of the knights from the first book having gone missing in the ominous Wild Wood, Tiuri and Piak set out on a mission to discover what trouble is laying ahead for the Kingdoms of Unauwen and Dagonaut.

Unlike Tuiri and Piak's first adventure, the people they meet on this perilous journey aren't easily categorised as good or bad guys, and their world is no longer black or white. Friends can become foes and villains temporary allies, but amid the heat and confusion of a looming war, the two friends have each other to rely on as they discover the truth about the evil king of Eviellan – and they combine forces with new characters to try to stop a full-blown war from erupting between the Kingdoms.

Despite my love for The Letter for the King, for some peculiar reason I had never read its sequel before (even though it was released well before I was born so I have had plenty of time to pick it up!) and I am so glad that the English release finally made me read it, because it's another fast-paced and gripping classic that will stay with me for a long time.

The biggest difference between the two books is that with Tiuri becoming a knight, the story has also grown up to become more mature and complicated. Rather than a straight-forward children's tale of good versus evil, there are many shades of grey along the way and this makes The Secrets of the Wild Wood a far more intense and complicated novel. Added to that there are the first signs of love blossoming between Tiuri and a princess he meets on his travels, a plethora of intense fight scenes and a lot of horrific deaths accompanying the looming war, all of which add to the feeling of maturity that cuts through the otherwise still heavily adventurous fantasy read.

That isn't to say there weren't moments of sheer wonder running throughout both for Tiuri and the reader as a new part of Tiuri's exciting world is uncovered and an almost whimsical feeling of delight at exploring the corners of The Wild Wood, but interspersed with deaths of much-loved characters and a confusing cat-and-mouse game with The King of Eviellan, this was a far darker novel to read than its precedent. And one I took my time to finish, as it was a hefty one too.

What I loved most in The Letter for the King was Tiuri and Piak's growing friendship and despite having their own journeys in The Secrets of the Wild Wood, and their own missions to accomplish, the incredible connection between the two best friends was always there. Even when things got really tough for them, just knowing that the other person was out there working towards a similar goal made a huge difference and let them see through the darkness surrounding the wicked plans of Eviellan.

The Secrets of the Wild Wood is another epic adventure that feels similar to fantastical tale The Lord of the Rings, yet has its own distinctive voice and imaginative world-building to create a truly unique fantasy classic that I am thrilled will now reach a whole new audience with its excellent English translation. Tiuri and Piak may not have pointy ears and hairy feet, but they are such heroic and compelling fantasy characters that they could very well go down in literary history alongside Frodo and Bilbo.

4.5 stars

[Crowinator · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book and its prior book, The Letter for the King, will be lovely for the right reader, but they aren't my jam. Both were originally written in Dutch in the 1960s and just now translated to English. They are classic Arthurian stories of knights and quests, centered around kind, honorable Tiuri, who is a squire in the first book and a young, but already well-liked, knight in the second. Tiuri embodies all of the classic knightly qualities of chivalry, honor, bravery, and humility; even better, he is compassionate and kind. Yet for young readers, he's still relatable in his doubts and fears.

I find both books deadly dull because they are slow, old-fashioned, and straightfoward. There isn't enough story or character development for me to connect with. The characters wander in and out of woods and castles and battlefields, and endlessly ride their horses from one destination to another. This is a journey of a story and when all is said and done, not all that much happens, even if the fate of whole kingdoms' rests on Tiuri's shoulders. There is one female character who I like (Tirui's sweetheart) and who gets to exhibit a little bit of agency, but otherwise, girls and women are relegated to existing somewhere off-page doing lady things.

Yet I can't discount the appeal these books will have for the right young people - they are cozy and quiet and decent, and that's kind of nice right now, when everything is big and scary. They are written and translated beautifully in simple, unadorned language. These books are old-fashioned and traditional and would be a good entry point into knightly fantasy for some young readers (although no magic here), and a feel-good nostalgia bomb for some older and adult readers to curl up with.

Also, I LOVE the covers.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since when is the sequel twice as good as the original book? Maybe my tastes have changed, but I did not enjoy the writing style of the first book in this series, The Letter for the King and the plot seemed so bland. But I enjoyed the unique writing style of this book, the plot kept my attention, and the characters are believable. I definitely want to read more of Tonke Dragt's books if I can find any others that have been translated. Or maybe I should use this as a good excuse to learn Dutch.🤔

[shannon✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ook dit deel was weer erg avontuurlijk. Er gebeurde veel en was op geen enkel moment saai. Maar buitenom dat is het gewoon niet mijn soort boek.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the first book, I decided to read the second right after and I am not disappointed.

Finally Tiuri is officially a knight. He is invited to come to knight Ristridin's castle in spring. However, when he arrives, he is informed that knight Ristridin has not returned yet from the Wild Wood. Concerns grow and Tiuri and his friends are determined to solve the mystery and find their lost friend.

When I opened the book I was pleasantly surprised to once again see a map. This was a close up from the previous map(which can be also found at the end). It showed the Wild Wood and little around that area. I really like that. This way you can really follow the journey and the paths they take.

Like the Letter for the King, this book also has a simple writing style. I do however see the differences between this book and books that are recently written(as this book is from 1963). The pace is quite fast, and I liked the story. I actually found more thrill here than in the previous one, but the story was also again a predictable. But this is a children’s book, so I don’t really mind. I think children maybe have a different experience regarding the book being predictable and a little dull sometimes.

In my review for the Letter for the King, I said that I thought the characters were a little bland. They definitely improved in this book. I loved how the friendship between Tiuri and Piak progressed and developed. The characters came across a little more mature than the previous book. I read a little bit about love, some fight scenes and even death. This book just was a little more complex and less childlike(although it obviously still is a children’s book). Which was a joy for me to read.

I think Tonke really did a great job, describing and developing this world even further.

[Psyche Ready · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is outstanding. It's more complex, and more mysterious, than the first book, and I enjoyed parts of this book more. It was such an exciting read--I never knew how the book would end and couldn't put it down. It was honestly heartbreaking to finish! I'll be reading both books again many times, I sure!

[Lauras Books (and Bakes) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dat was fijn =)

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 sterren - Nederlandse hardcover

Een uitstekend vervolg op brief voor de koning. Spannend verrassend en mysterieus ! voorgelezen aan onze kinderen die het ook erg konden waarderen. Zij zijn inmiddels volwassen en lezen het straks hun kinderen weer voor!
Daarnaast een keer een speurtocht net vragen en opdrachten aangaande het verhaal uitgezet voor de buurt kinderen met burendag was een grote hit.

[Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* An old-fashioned fantasy that manages to be different from the usual. I'm excited about this author, because she's Dutch, and I find translations interesting. There's a whole world of kid's and Y/A books that I am not privy to because I only read English. I mean, what are the French fantasy classics? What about Yugoslavia? The Russians had a beautiful golden age of children's illustration - it may not have ended, who knows? Not me. Because I only read English. So thanks to all the translators out there who make it possible for my ignorant self to enjoy writers like Tonke Dragt.

[Karis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three years ago now, I picked up a copy of this book’s sequel The Letter for the King, which had only just recently been translated into English. I loved it and shortly after bought its sequel, only to have had it sit on my bookshelf all this time with my excuse being that I wanted to re-read the first before starting this one. Well, that never happened, and finally the other day I picked it and plunged myself again into the kingdoms of Unauwen and Dagonaut, craftfully created through the pen of Tonke Dragt.

I was delightfully reminded of the reason I had enjoyed the first so much. The beautiful world building and medieval-like setting, young Tiuri and his faithful guide and friend Paik, the highly amusing comments from the knights, Tirillo (I squealed when he showed up again in book two)—and just the epic journeys and high stakes that have made up this series. Add to that in this second installment: romance, a highly mysterious Master of the Wild Woods, missing knights, secrets and betrayals, and Forgotten Cities, and, yes, wow! It certainly has a King Arthurian-feel.

The writing itself is unique, probably due to some to the fact that it was written in another language where the sentence structure is much different than English’s, but it only adds to the tale. I’m not one to write or underline things in my books, but I was so tempted in parts when I’d suddenly burst out laughing at a dry or humorous remark or read a scene that had me holding my breath.

Tiuri, the young hero from book one, is now a knight and finding it not be as thrilling as he once thought especially as he compares his now-peaceful life with the adventure he had the year before. Travelling to meet as pre-arranged with other knights at a friend’s castle, they become concerned when the friend in question never shows up and the last heard of him was that he was in the Wild Woods, an overgrown and abandoned place, supposedly haunted by Men in Green. Finding him is not as straightforward as it seems, and to quote the back cover:

“As the darkness surrounds him and reports grow of plots and ruthless enemies, Tiuri finds himself alone and fighting for survival—caught in a world where good and evil wear the same face, and the wrong move could cost him everything…”

[Dianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent end to the series but I definitely thought this book wandered a bit.

**Warning: Spoilers Ahead**

The bit with the Fool getting re-introduced was kinda random, and the only purpose he served was to act as a guide for Tiuri and Piak in the woods. His story is never quite resolved either, and we don't find out whether he was able to make it back home. It felt like the author needed a way for Tiuri and Piak to not get lost, and the Fool was her choice, but it didn't really make much sense. It's not like he's a resident of these woods, but was just dragged here by force to work, so how would he remember the paths he stumbled upon only once months before?

The bit with Isadoro is also very random. The way the author writes it, it's like she put a spell on Tiuri, but that's not the case. One moment he's thinking about Lavinia, but the moment he meets Isadoro, all thoughts of Lavinia fly out of his head. I get that she's conflicted about her father's choice to betray his country, but her behavior was quite odd. Her story is also not quite resolved; it seems like the author left open the possibility of Ristridin courting her, but then Isadoro says she has someone who's her ideal man in mind but we never find out who. So I'm confused lol

Another character who acts oddly but whose behavior is never really explained is Lord Islan. The decision to side with the Eviellans and actively hold a well respected knight from his own kingdom captive is not one to be made lightly, but there was zero explanation for his actions.

Overall I enjoyed the first book more. That felt like more of an adventure. This was just a series of random events occurring that happened to advance the plot and bring us closer to the inevitable war between Eviellan and Unauwen.

[Aike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tonke Dragt is mijn favoriete Nederlandse schrijver en ik was huiverig dit boek na jaren te herlezen
De eerste keer dat ik het las was ik hevig onder de indruk van de 'volwassen' thema's die aangesneden werden: het doden van een ander mens, het volwassen worden van de jongen waar ik tijdens Brief voor de koning van was gaan houden, de oorlogsstrategie die ook in het schaken telkens terug bleef keren. Nu komt het allemaal hopeloos simpel op mij over, maar ik denk dat juist dat de kracht van dit boek is: zware onderwerpen die dankzij de ongelofelijk fijne schrijfstijl van Tonke Dragt makkelijk te lezen zijn wanneer je jong bent.
Mijn herinnering aan het boek was langzaam maar zeker versoberd tot er enkel nog de flarden overbleven zoals je ze herinnert van een niet zo levendige droom die al uit je vingers begint te glippen. Ik kende het plot niet meer en werd opnieuw gegrepen door het mysterie dat zich langzaam ontvouwde tijdens het lezen. De manier waarop het gebeurde vond ik fantastisch, alle snippers informatie werden op precies de juiste plekken in de tekst verstopt. Dat het dit keer stiekem een beetje voorspelbaar was, veranderde niets aan de tamelijk geheimzinnige sfeer die tussen regels door gecreëerd werd. Een sfeer die ik me nog wel levendig herinnerde, en die ik er ook nu weer in vond.
Verhalen van de tweelingbroers was het eerste boek van Tonke Dragt dat ik opnieuw en opnieuw en opnieuw gelezen heb en ik kan nu niet wachten er nogmaals in te beginnen.

[Renee van Eijk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stiekem ben ik wel blij dat ik de boeken van Tonke Dragt nu pas heb ontdekt. Ik heb namelijk nog zoveel mooie verhalen te gaan daardoor!

In dit verhaal gaan we weer mee met, inmiddels ridder, Tiuri. Samen met zijn trouwe vriend Piak gaat hij richting het Wilde Woud, dat meer gevaren herbergt dan ze hadden gewild.

Een mooi verhaal, spannend ook! En wat ik ook zo goed vind is dat niet alles altijd maar goed komt. Er is ook ruimte voor verdriet en twijfel.

[Jovi Ene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chiar acum un an (https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=3...) terminam primul volum din seria lui Tonke Dragt, „Scrisoarea pentru rege”, o carte recomandată adolescenților și ecranizată și pe Netflix (destul de slab, transformând total lumea scriitoarei olandeze într-o fabulă foarte corectă politic, fără substanță). „Tainele Codrului Sălbatic” continuă aventurile lui Tiuri într-o aventură cumva mai întunecată și mai plină de suspans: prima lui misiune, una de explorare și de curaj, se transformă aici într-o incursiune într-o lume imprevizibilă, plină de personaje contrastante și greu de analizat și de înțeles, în Codrul Sălbatic în care nimeni n-are curajul să intre. Urmează o bătălie ca-n filmele bune ale ultimilor ani, dar contează mai mult drumul până acolo și felul în care fiecare acțiune are o cauză, dar și efecte nebănuite.
Cum spuneam, cărți excelente semnate de Tonke Dragt, care merită redescoperite; mult mai bune decât multe alte cărți fantastice ale zilelor noastre (volumul de față a apărut inițial în 1965), populate de personaje neapărat corect politice și de magie care n-au nimic comun cu realitatea. Aici e altceva, e lumea basmului autentic...

[Pieter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Net als bij "De brief voor de koning" zijn deze 5 sterren voornamelijk nostalgisch. Hoewel dit een van mijn favoriete kinder/ jeugdboeken is, vallen sommige dingen toch wel op, als je dit boek herleest als volwassene.

Het taalgebruik is oubollig, maar het boek is uit 1956 dus dat mag eigenlijk geen verwijt zijn. En het taalgebruik is minder oubollig dan in De Brief voor de Koning.
De karakters zijn beter uitgewerkt dan in het voorgaande boek. Het goed/kwaad thema wordt een klein beetje genuanceerd, maar blijft alsnog redelijk zwart/wit. Dit is wel begrijpelijk voor een kinderboek.

Mocht ik het boek voor het eerst lezen dan zou ik het met 4 sterren waarderen. Deel twee is beter geslaagd dan zijn voorganger.

Tenslotte: Tonke Dragt heeft in twee boeken een wereld neergezet waarvan je als lezer best meer zou willen weten. Ze heeft nooit vervolgboeken of spin-offs gepubliceerd maar Tiuri's wereld leent zich er uitstekend voor. Dit is een kwaliteit op zich. Daarom alleen al een diepe buiging.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a wonderful book.

First things first, this is such a beautiful book. When I first opened it there was a map on the inside and when you took of the dust cover there was a beautiful imprint on the book, just wow at the design on the whole book.

I am a big fan of fantasy books and this one is at the top for me. From the first page I was pulled into this fantasy world surrounded by all the wonderful characters.

I really love the world building in this book. I love how Tanke has built her own fantasy world. The story and characters where very engaging.

Also, Laura Watkinson has done a wonderful job in translating this book!

The story is very intriguing filled with, journeys, sword fights and friendship. We meet a lot characters we already know from the previous book and get to meet a handful of interesting characters as well.

This was a fantastic fantasy story that will have you gripped from the very first page. It will transport you into the book and you feel like you are apart of this brilliant story.

Cannot recommend this story enough to everyone!

[Barbara Henderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book, I really did! As much as 'The Letter...', the previous instalment of Tiuri's adventures - but I just didn't. I found the pace slower, the characterisation a little thinner (although I did love the deepened friendship with Piak), the structure more episodic and the tension less convincing. Saying all this, it's far, far from a bad book. It draws the reader into the world of Dagonaut and its medieval-style society, with fantasy elements that are subtler than dragons and wizards, but nonetheless appealing. The final chapters do up the game, with a thrilling Hamlet-esque duel, but the fact that I dipped in and out of this novel over a month rather than devouring it in days like 'The Letter...' probably speaks for itself.

[Smitha Murthy · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a dampener of a sequel. I loved loved the first book, Letter For The King. This started well, but it really meandered, and I just couldn’t make any sense after some time. Was unnecessarily convoluted, and most of the book can be summarized thus: People went walking into the woods. Some came back. Some played chess. Some fought. And then people went into the woods. Fought. Got lost. Came back. And some died. There is a sweet horse. And some sort of love interest.

I think I want to go for a long walk today after reading about all this walking and riding.

I get why people loved this book. Just that this wasn't for me.

[Christa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Laura Watkinson has done a brilliant job translating Tonke Dragt's novel. Having now read it in the original language (multiple times) and this translation, I can say the translation stays very true to the original and the spirit of the book has remained the same.

On another note: I am so in love with the colouring of the maps that Neil Gower did! They're still a lot like the original, but more details have been added and the colours are stunning!

[Linn J · Rating 5 out of 5]

En stark och spännande uppföljare med riddaren Tiuri och sin väpnade och vän Piak. De har nyligen anlänt på hemmaplan och tänker återförenas med sina ridderliga vänner för att förberedda sig för den framtida kampen. Men ack så har riddaren Ristridin försvunnit, och det verkar finnas något dolt i den Vilda skogen.

Spänning, äventyr och nya platser som upptäcks. Några gamla karaktärer återkommer men också många nya. Lite kvinnliga karaktärer som visar upp sitt mod också.

[James Koppert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Letter for the King was incredible. The second adventure is on a par. I feel there is a little snobbery. If this was a British or American author then these would be enormous with Hollywood movies being released and hundreds of boys being called Tuiri. Just go read it, young and old alike will love these adventures.

[Marije · Rating 5 out of 5]

2020:
⬇️What she said, behalve dan dat ik er nu wel 5 sterren van maak.

2015:
More like 4.5 stars. Niet in het rijtje van mijn allerbestgelezen boeken, maar erg, erg dichtbij. Beter nog dan Brief voor de Koning, vooral omdat ik vaak niet wist wat er zou gebeuren. Aanrader!

[Sanja_Sanjalica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love the series so much, it was beautiful, suspenseful, thrilling and endearing. Just love Tiuri and Piak and the whole world Dragt created, life lessons I've learned and all the sites I visited in this world. Such a great series.

[Merelish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geschreven voor kinderen, maar ook als volwassene blijf ik hem herlezen. Beter dan het voorgaande deel. Mijn absolute favoriet.

[Anneke · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favourite children's book that I read over and over when I was younger. It's filled with adventure and friendship and is different enough to stay with you.

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable but a bit long and convoluted compared to the focus and drive of its predecessor.