The second book in the Child of the Moon series picks up exactly where book one left off in both story and quality. The reality of war and its consequences weighs heavily on our young protagonists but there is a spark of light flickering through all the darkness they face. Morgan’s magical powers are growing faster, and she has made it her business to put them to good use.

One of the things I liked about this story was the inclusion of magic in this world and its ties into the war that rages around young Morgan. She is a very mature girl—which seemed somewhat odd for her age in the first book—but it seemed like her childish nature came through a lot more in this story than the last. She wasn’t suddenly reduced to a mindless kindergartener, but as an adult reader I could pick up her naivety and her elementary sense of justice very well. You could see her struggling to make decisions which opened room for growth as a character and as a simple young girl in this gigantic world.

Since the second installment in the series picks up where the first book left off, it left little room for new readers to hop in but there was enough detail to catch up returning readers. My complaint with the last book centered on Morgan’s age as well as the age of her companions. While Morgan definitely seemed more like the child that she is in this book, I was a bit disappointed to see that not much time had passed from the first book to the second. I’d been hoping to see Morgan a few years older BUT, considering the events of the story and the direction it was taking, I won’t hold her age against her this time.

Much like the first book, the world building was good, and the writing was easy for readers of all ages to hop in and enjoy in this installment. I think this book took a more serious turn and had a darker tone to it, but I liked it very much. If I had to describe this piece versus its predecessor, I’d say that book one was sunny with rainclouds in the evening while book two began in the storm. That being said, I greatly enjoyed the second part to this trilogy and I am looking forward to reading its close.

I would recommend this book to middle-grade readers and their parents too! If you have a heart for fantasy, magic, and adventure then you will love this regardless of your age.