I thought this was a strong follow up novel. I really still liked both POV that we got and thought it was unexpected twists and turns this novel took. I really liked how the world was expanded and how much more information we got about the world. I also liked the new villain the rose and also getting into that characters head was so fascinating. I grew to love the crew so much in this novel and loved how so many dynamics changed int his novel. I still enjoy the romance a lot and loved all the various twists and turns that occurred. This was a super fast read and I look forward to more books in this series ( )

I thought this was a strong follow up novel. I really still liked both POV that we got and thought it was unexpected twists and turns this novel took. I really liked how the world was expanded and how much more information we got about the world. I also liked the new villain the rose and also getting into that characters head was so fascinating. I grew to love the crew so much in this novel and loved how so many dynamics changed int his novel. I still enjoy the romance a lot and loved all the various twists and turns that occurred. This was a super fast read and I look forward to more books in this series ( )

Literary Merit: Good
Characterization: Good
Recommended: Recommended
Level: High School

Shadow Call, the sequel to Shadow Run, greatly improves upon the world built in book one, taking the characters we’ve already come to know and throwing them almost immediately into a political war full of action, adventure, betrayal, and love.

I am a huge fan of YA space operas; they’re most definitely my favorite genre to read, so when I saw this title at my review group for work, I snatched it up, already having had previous intentions of starting the series. Book one ended up being a bit of a drag, and while book two was a vast improvement, it still wasn’t my favorite of all the space adventures I’ve read.

Beginning not long after book one ends, Shadow Call opens with Nev, Qole, and their band of misfits faced with an accusation of murder and a new villain that they once thought of as an ally. The pacing felt a bit faster than book one, which is one of the improvements. There were fewer areas that felt dense or like they dragged on forever. I enjoyed the back and forth between all the characters, especially Telu. I adored her ability to sass people even in the heat of battle. Eton continues to be a wildcard, not trusting Nev, and going against his captain’s orders, which gets a little annoying from time to time. However, it is further explained where he came from, and some things from his past he endured which make his intentions a little more clear.

Basra continues to be wonderful, but needs so much more development. I enjoy Nev and Qole, but they get a little tedious after a while, going back and forth on why they can’t be together. I’d much rather have been given more information on Basra and his back story and how he came to be so powerful , rather than another repetitious scene of Nev and Qole once again rehashing the doomed future of their relationship.

Nev’s sister Solara is a bigger power player this time around, showing her true colors and thirst for villainy. Her plan was somewhat masterful and centered around her avoiding marriage and becoming sole ruler of basically the whole galaxy, but of course our heroes are not so in to letting that happen. The final battle at the end felt a little rushed to me, and it seemed as though Solara gave up way too quickly. She started strong, but in the end, she wasn’t the greatest villain. I feel like she had more layers that could have been unpacked to add to the story, and while there were some chapters from her point of view, I don’t know if they were enough.

Overall, this is a pretty solid series so far, and will definitely find love amongst readers, but it just didn’t stand out to me among some of the other YA Sci-Fi space operas out there. ( )