About the Book
-
Author:
- Elayne Audrey Becker
Cover Story: Back Back Back Again
BFF Charm: Yay x 2
Talky Talk: Dancing to the Same Song
Bonus Factor: New Animal Form
Anti-Bonus Factor: Half Sibling Stress
Relationship Status: My Precious
Content Warning: This book contains torture of animals and people; violent deaths; and graphic description of injuries related to war.
Cover Story: Back Back Back Again
There’s still a lot going on but I am used to it. The first book and this one go together nicely when they are side by side, which I very much appreciate. With the dust jacket off, there’s a silver Goshawk on a royal blue cover! Also that elk is going to haunt me for a while. The eyes are piercing and not in a good way.
The Deal
At the end of the first book, Rora, Helos, and Weslyn have escaped the Western Vale. The stardust they’d gathered is now gone, leaving no hope of rescuing Finley or the rest of the people sick with the Fallow Thores. When they return to the city of Roanin, they find it empty save for a note from the Eradain King, Joel, and a beheaded King Gerar (I told you, major spoilers!). The only sensible thing to do is split up.
The Deal
At the end of the first book, Rora, Helos, and Weslyn have escaped the Western Vale. The stardust they’d gathered is now gone, leaving no hope of rescuing Finley or the rest of the people sick with the Fallow Thores. When they return to the city of Roanin, they find it empty save for a note from the Eradain King, Joel, and a beheaded King Gerar (I told you, major spoilers!). The only sensible thing to do is split up.
Wesleyan and Helos take off to find Finley and their sister, now Queen Violet. They make it to the keep, and Helos is in full on healer mode, helping with the injured and working in the makeshift hospital, while balancing seeing Finely as much as he can.
Rora ventures back to the Western Vale to try and awaken the land with magic, in hopes that the magical sickness of the Fallow Throes will leave the bodies of non magical humans alone. Her mission is not to get more stardust, but to destroy the prison that was discovered while the group was leaving the Western Vale – a prison that King Joel created to rid the land of magical beings. Rora will need help though, from the magical creatures she once feared, as well as those that call the Vale home.
Can Helos and Rora protect the ones they love from the threat of war and the Fallow Throes?
BFF Charm: Yay x 2
I’m still best friends with Rora, and now that Helos is narrating half the book, I am best friends with him as well, albeit a bit reluctantly! When I realized he was narrating the second book, I was a little annoyed. (No, I did not read the synopsis because I like to be surprised.) It was like hanging out with your best friend (Rora, obvi) who complains to you about how much her brother’s been hurting her emotionally, and then being forced to hang out with him while she’s gallivanting with her other friends. I still enjoyed Rora’s chapters the most since I was already heavily invested in her, but now I like her brother as well, if only because he and Finley are so cute together.
Swoonworthy Scale: 7
Two main characters means more loooove!
Finley and Helos’ relationship is hinted at in Forestborn but with Helos’ perspective we get to see how involved they were before and it is sweet. There is also a dark cloud looming over them as Finley could die at any moment from his Fallow Throes sickness. With no way of helping him, Helos is a mess. It’s heartbreaking and you can’t help but hope they get their happily ever after somehow.
Rora and Weslyn are separated for most of the book so all we get is her missing him and reminiscing…which happens a lot and makes you want to shake her half the time because, SHE. NEEDS. TO. FOCUS. She’s constantly in danger and I get the hope of seeing Weslyn again is driving her, but it’s also distracting her and stressing me out.
Talky Talk: Dancing to the Same Song
You can expect the same beautiful writing from Becker and I did (eventually) enjoy the back and forth narration of Rora and Helos. It added more to the story and it was nice to know what was going on in two different places. It would have been a very short book without the chapters from Helos!
Bonus Factor: New Animal Form
If you’ve read the first book, and I really hope you have before reading this review, you know that Helos only has two animal forms and is waiting for his third form to come through. I was so so excited when he finally got his final form and maybe even squealed a bit! There was a lot of build up and teasing about what form Helos would take and when. You will not be disappointed when the time finally does come, and Helos’ isn’t the only new shifter form we see!
Anti-Bonus Factor: Half Sibling Stress
King Joel is effectively the worst. Finding out Rora and Helos had a half brother in Forestborn blew my mind and was not a twist I was expecting. He’s a manipulative jerk from the start, as all good villains are. I was baffled that Rora felt any kind of sympathy for him since he has basically hurt or threatened everyone she loves. With all the damage and destruction that Joel has caused, I assumed Rora would not think twice about taking him out.
Relationship Status: My Precious
I have both Forestborn and Wildbound as ebooks, audiobooks and physical copies, so YES, I am obsessed. I am so happy that Elayne Audrey Becker brought this story to life and gave it to the world.
Literary Matchmaking
Need more siblings missing each other trying to get home? Read The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He.
Looking for more magic and siblings in medieval times check out The Witch’s Boy by Kelly Barnhill.
Itching for more magical revival? Read We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya #1) by Hafsah Faizal.
FTC Full Disclosure: I received this book from Macmillan and have not received payment for this review and will be forever sad shifters aren’t real. Wildbound is available now.
