When asked to describe Jonathan Stroud's books, the main word I would use is delightful. The humor and heart are right up my alley, and add to this one the chaos of following a grumpy x sunshine thieving duo in post-apocalyptic landscape, and it becomes one of my favorite books of the year.

The first book was such a fun adventure, and this one built both the momentum and the stakes, deepening the character's relationships and widening the scope of the world. The pace was fantastic. We get more of Scarlett's backstory in this one where we got Albert's in the first book.

I laughed a lot, and I've grown so attached to every character in this series, I'm both terrified and ridiculously excited to see where book 3 is going to go! Five stars from me!

Content warnings for violence, scary undead monsters, and mild language.

**I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.**

Another great book from Jonathan Stroud! I can’t wait to see where notorious outlaws Scarlett and Browne end up next!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This book has all the rollicking adventure you'd expect from a Jonathan Stroud novel. Scarlett and Albert, the two young adult heroes are well-drawn, multifaceted characters who compliment one another well. As they work together to pull off heists, they learn about themselves, how to deal with their personal demons, and figure out where they're headed. Always clever, always a white knuckler, and never talking down to the teenaged audience it's aimed at, this book is both introspective and great fun.

If you enjoyed The Last Book in the Universe or the Lockwood and Co. series, you'll like this. Good for advanced readers 10-12, and average readers past those ages.

What worked:
Scarlett and Browne are infamous thieves with Browne able to read minds and Scarlett an expert with weapons. The opening scene displays these talents as bandits quickly discover they’re attempting to rob the wrong two travelers. This moves into the next scene where they rob a Faith House with security so daunting that no other thieves are brave enough to attempt a heist. However, Browne is the moral conscience of the story as he questions what they’re doing. The church is depicted as a greedy, intimidating entity so robbing them doesn’t bother him but he wonders if Scarlett and he should be doing more to help oppressed citizens living in poverty. Their different views of the world create a simmering conflict between the two main characters until Browne learns more about Scarlett’s past.
Scarlett is the most interesting character as her personality is complicated. She comes across as rough and violent and that image is well-deserved. She has no problem killing those that threaten her or stand in her way but Browne is slowly encouraging her to treat some people less severely. Scarlett has quiet moments by herself when she calms her mind and reflects on her life. She’s always been confident in her choices and ability but she’s discovering there are treacherous, powerful people (perhaps more formidable than herself) intent on harming her or coercing her to use her skills. The main conflict in the plot actually arises from Scarlett’s concern for the safety and well-being of a young girl and her grandfather.
Fame and brochures retelling their escapades follow the notorious pair but the plot always has an air of danger. Scarlett and Browne never know who they can trust (usually no one) so Browne’s talent for reading minds comes in handy. A wild card throughout the book concerns his fear and anger as he releases blasts of devastating energy when the feelings become too strong. He’s unable to control this ability so it requires all of his inner strength to stifle the emotions. In addition to human dangers, various deadly creatures including Taints, blood-moles, and man-sized owls roam the lands, caves, and fen and add to the suspense in every chapter. A literal ticking clock counts down the time to a deadline that will result in the death of two innocent people. An intriguing twist occurs when another foe resurfaces to execute Scarlett and Browne and complicates their efforts.
What didn’t work as well:
The violent nature of the story, some suggestive scenes, and mild profanity may not be appropriate for younger readers. Actually, the author craftily blends drama, and maturity mixed with middle-grade, humor, and impossible conflicts to develop this highly fascinating story.
The Final Verdict:
While the tale of these two “heroes” has a mature tone due to Scarlett’s rough personality, middle-grade readers will still enjoy the action and dramatic situations. The very mild profanity is offset by the swear box Scarlett wears around her neck and she makes frequent donations. The overall book is very entertaining and I recommend you give it a shot. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

As much as I loved the Lockwood series, I haven't been able to get into Scarlett and Browne as much. Stroud has moved from Magic (Bartimaeus) to ghost stories (Lockwood) and now dystopian. His hallmarks are here: very physically adept and pragmatic female protagonist dealing with a supernaturally powerful but deeply flawed male protagonist. I like the formula but I keep feeling like I've read this type of dystopian story before (and many times over) from all the YA post apocalyptic novels of the 2000s/movies of the late 20th century.

Scarlett and Albert take on a big Faith House heist that nets them enough goods to share with Joe and Ettie. But the Faith Houses still want Albert and send a talented but amoral operative after them. At the same time, The Brotherhood of the Hand are closing in on Scarlett to take their revenge.

Where the first book focused on Albert and featured flashbacks from his youth, this second book gives us more backstory on Scarlett and how she ended up as a criminal. She gets her own flashbacks and those bookend with the predicaments in which she find herself.

The biggest issue I am having right now with the series is that I feel it is missing that great third character to be almost a comic relief for the two protagonists. We had wise cracking Bartimaeus in the first series, whiney George in the second, but here we only have Scarlett and Albert. That lack of 'sidekick' also means that there isn't enough differentiation from all the dystopian stories come before. How many novels or movies can you name with mutated humans or animals and the main characters having to quest through all that for some reason or other? I can go back to the 1970s (Damnation Alley) to the 2000s (Razorland Series). It's all so earnest and I found I was really wanting a 'George' to appear (as in Lockwood).

I also feel that Albert is too powerful - he has the Superman paradox where he is pretty much invincible. We will get character development as he gains his mental equilibrium and 'powers up' to control his abilities, but it feels pat. There isn't enough here beyond heists, getting in trouble, dystopian cliches, Albert not using his powers when needed and then exploding unexpectedly.

In this second volume, we see the bigger plot hints here: as with Lockwood and Bartimaeus, there is a larger over-arching menace beyond the 'baddie-of-the book' that will tell us why the world is in the state it is in - and how our main characters are related to that state. Lets just say, Albert finds out some hometruths about humans with meta abilities at the end.

In all, I will read through the whole series to see where it goes. It is a very easy read and Stroud packs in a lot of action, especially in this second book. New characters are being added to the Scarlett and Browne gang - hopefully one will provide some much needed spark. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

this was a great sequel in the Scarlett and Browne series, it had what I enjoyed from the first book. Jonathan Stroud has a great way of telling a interesting story and interesting characters. I was invested in this story and the universe that was created, it does a great job in feeling like the same universe. I'm glad I was able to read this and get back to this series.

"That’s definitely nonsense,” Albert interrupted. “Scarlett wouldn’t beg forgiveness of anyone. Or blush. And she’s never shouted ‘Heck!’ in her life. She shouts lots of other things, some of which would be much easier to rhyme. No, it’s inaccurate twaddle. I hope the people realize it. They shouldn’t waste their money.”