Arabella and the Battle of Venus (The Adventures of Arabella Ashby #2) by David D. Levine is an enjoyable and fast-[aced read that I was unable to put down from beginning to end. I was honestly a bit worried when I started reading this book that it wouldn’t meet the high expectations set by the first book in the series but happily, I can say that I think Arabella and the Battle of Venus surpassed those expectations in almost every way.

While there was a lot that I enjoyed about Arabella and the Battle of Benus I think the one thing that really stood out the most was how much Arabella grows in maturity over the course of the book. Even though she was the main character I actually found her to be the weakest character in the first book and by far my least favorite. However, in Arabella and the Battle of Venus, I think she really manages to come into her own and shine as a character. I was also both surprised and pleased with how much more action and adventure there was in this book, the fast-paced swashbuckling action really made the book just seem to fly by.

I think I can honestly say that I still find this to be one of the most entertaining series I’ve read in a long time. The concepts of space pirates flying giant sailed ships through space to be completely ridiculous. The whole space travel part of the series makes absolutely no sense and yet works almost perfectly for this story. Honestly, I don’t think the books would be anywhere near as much fun if the ships were designed in a manner more fitting with what you’d expect in a sci-fi book.

As much as I did enjoy Arabella and the Battle of Venus I was really disappointed in how little screen time the majority of the characters from the first book get in this one. Arabella may have become my favorite character in this book but I would really have enjoyed seeing a few more familiar faces. Though there were some great new characters introduced in this book including Napolean himself, which almost makes up for my disappointment.

I definitely see myself recommending this book in the near future, though I think anyone interested in reading it needs to read Arabella of Mars first.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Arabella and the Battle of Venus by David D. Levine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Arabella returns with a new adventure. This time she is off to Venus to save her her fiancé, Captain Singh who has been captured by the French. Set in the early 1800's there is a mix of fantasy and historical fact in the story. Be advised that the heavy duty backstory and world building were done in Arabella of Mars so for the most enjoyment read that first. I found Arabella and the Battle of Venus to be a much darker book than Arabella of Mars. When I read the authors notes I though I saw why. That said like the first book it is filled with interesting characters, a strong tension filled plot and exciting action.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

I ended up reading this as a stand alone and via ecopy. I have to say that although I wasn't lost to bad I think you should prob read book one first before diving into this one. That being said I really did like this book and I will be rereading it as well as book one soon. This book was full of adventure and was very fast paced. The 432 pages felt like it was around 100 and I was sad for it to come to an end as I wanted more. I cant wait for the next book. If you love swash buckling action then check this one out you wont be able to put it down.

The setting, story, and wonderful characters came together to create a one of a kind adventure that I will be revisiting time and time again.