I am going to start by saying what an honor it was to read this book. The first book in the series, The Undiscovered Descendent, was one of the first ARCs I ever received, so the series has a special place in my heart. And that place is well earned because this is a lovely novel.
Usually I would drop a synopsis at this point, but that would spoil the first book as well. Instead, please check out my review of The Undiscovered Descendent on my blog!
The Gray Fortress is a wonderful second book in the series. It adds so much depth to already established characters, and starts the journey into discovering more about the lore and culture of the different Clans that hail back to the Nordic days of old. I loved seeing my favorite characters, Elin and Aedan one again in situations that really tested their magical abilities and demonstrated how much they have both grown since the first scenes of them on Auor Island.
In addition to the old characters that I got to see more of, I was thrilled at the addition of new characters that really added to the overall plot line. The expanded cast didn’t surprise me, but the manner in which they appeared was interesting and helped to drive the story forward. I cannot wait to see where these new characters help to take the story next.
I am a sucker for a good setting, I love being able to picture myself in far off places and immerse myself in a new place for a while. The settings in this book checked all my boxes for settings. They were well detailed and beautifully described. I also really enjoy the weaving of magic into the real world setting. It can be refreshing to not have to learn a new world sometimes!
While beautifully written, The Gray Fortress is slower moving than some YA fantasy. It really takes its time introducing each scene and following the three main POVs. However, these scenes are absolutely necessary because they really help build the suspense for the climax of the book and prepare the story for the next book in the series.
This is a wonderful choice for anyone looking for a clean, YA fantasy that will leave you waiting patiently (or maybe not so patiently in my case) for the next surprise.
Thank you to Jo Visuri and Netgalley for copies of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions
4.5/5 Stars
The Novel Llama 