Metamorphosis is the second book in Ivy Logan’s Breach Chronicles young adult fantasy series., The novel is an exciting, compelling read. This comes from someone who normally avoids both YA and fantasy. But I enjoyed Broken, the first book in Logan’s series, so I already knew her work and her knack for pulling the reader into the middle of the story and never letting go.
The story of Amelia Diaz’s struggle to survive her “gilded cage” environment and to make a difference in the lives of the people of Peradora, the fictitious South American country over which her uncle, Liam, rules with an iron fist and a cold heart. The plot is complex, as it merges fantasy, adventure, mystery, thriller, and romance in this coming-of-age tale of a beautiful young girl who struggles to understand the reality of her world and to find her true self along the way. Neither is an easy quest.
Metamorphosis is set in a kind of parallel universe to the one we’re used to. We experience magic, mysticism, and fantasy, which are clearly not of our world, but it all takes place in the 21st Century, with its obsession with media overload and celebrity worship. This is not a combination that lends itself easily to an entertaining novel, but Logan makes it all work seamlessly.
As Logan’s readers have come to expect, Metamorphosis is full of memorable characters. Amelia is a highly believable young woman, prone to mistakes, misinterpretations, emotional turmoil, angst, and anger. Her uncle, Liam, is more shallow and a lot more dangerous than she realizes. But both of Amelia’s love interests, Adrian and Noah, are just as full of surprises and secrets as she is. We get to know the key characters because Logan gives each of them several point-of-view chapters. This technique works on several levels. On the one hand, we get to see feelings and concerns that aren’t revealed to the other characters. These POV shifts also put us more squarely in the action of the novel.
I highly recommend Metamorphosis, even for readers who eschew fantasy tales. Ivy Logan will change your mind.