Shadow Weaver #2

Comet Rising by MarcyKate Connelly

Middle grade

Publication Date: January 1, 2019

Summary from NetGalley:

Emmeline and Lucas are safe from the evil Lady Aisling and her soldiers for the time being. The only thing that mars their peaceful life is Emmeline’s imprisoned former shadow, Dar. 

Then one night the Cerelia Comet, the reason for their magical abilities, returns… but it’s twelve years too early. The return of the comet can only mean one thing: Lady Aisling has a Sky Shaker under her control and is hoping for a new batch of talented children to add to her collection. 

Emmeline and Lucas decide to journey to find other magical children to help in the fight against Lady Aisling. But when Dar escapes, and the two friends realize many of the children they seek have already been taken, they know they are in for the fight of their lives. 

ARC provided by Sourcebooks via NetGalley for an honest review. 

Confession:

I reviewed the first book in this series, Shadow Weaver, last year.  I was excited to pick this one up and spend some more time with Emmeline and Lucas. Plus I really like that cover,  it goes with the first one so nicely!

Emmeline is a much stronger character in this book.  She has grown a lot and understands more about herself and others with talent.  She still has a bit of a weak spot when it comes to Dar, but I understood why.  She is helpful to the other kids she meets with special abilities and is willing to help them learn how to use their gifts to the best of their abilities.  She carries a lot of guilt though for some of her acts in the first book, but she comes to accept that she can’t change things, but she can make amends.  I love the special friendship she has with Lucas and was glad to see them still together in this book.  Their journey together is a good one.

Dar is an interesting character, and one you never quite trust.  I really think she wanted to help Emmaline and Lucas, but just went about it wrongly.  But when they do start to trust her a bit, she comes around and really helps them out. Her shape-shifting is a amazing at times too. 

We meet some new kids in this book with some very interesting abilities.  There is also talk about some other abilities which would make for some interesting stories. There is one friend with no abilities that is worth mentioning, Cary.  She is slightly older than Emmeline, but she is fierce in her determination to destroy Lady Aisling and get her brother and parents back.  She is a strong ally and a pretty good strategist, but not always the coolest head in the group.   

We see a lot more of Lady Aisling in this book, and she is a pretty evil villain.  She is even willing to destroy the world as long as she is the most powerful being in the end.  I really hate the way she manipulates the parents into giving up their kids and what she does with them gives me the shivers.  How the kids end up dealing her was smart even though I wasn’t sure it was going to work.

Overall a very solid ending to this story.  I really like the world that the author has created here.  I hope to see more stories from this world.