Alex McKenna & The Academy of Souls (Alex McKenna #2) by Vicki-Ann Bush was one of my most highly anticipated reads of this season and it turned out to be a pretty great follow up to the first book in the series, Alex McKenna & The Geranium Deaths. The first book was such a pleasant surprise and one of my favorite reads of last year, and while this sequel didn't quite blow me away as much it was still marvelous to see Alex again and see a little more of his wider world. It goes very quickly and it's easy to jump back into with lots of twists and turns, but I was never quite sitting on the edge of my seat like I was with the first book. I also wasn't quite as invested in the students of the Academy of Souls as much as I would have liked to have been. Either way, Alex McKenna & The Academy of Souls was still a great sequel that's more than worth picking up if you a fan of YA LGBTQ+ urban fantasy with good central mystery. I can't wait to see what's next for Alex in book three, Alex McKenna & A Winter's Night.

I received this and as an eARC to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and The Parliament House for giving me access.

Alex Mckenna and the Geranium Deaths was a great read two years ago, so when an opportunity to review The Academy of Souls, I had to join.

With the first book being a sit on the edge of your seat, I found this one lacking in that department. While there were some moments that were ‘intense’ you never had the feeling of ‘this is it, he is going to die’. You can definitely read this one without reading the first and still follow along easily. The only bit of information you miss is that Alex is transgender.

That being said, Academy of souls is still a good read. Alex and Margaret grow as a couple and a team, helping the the souls find another. This book is a great step into Alex learning to control his powers. I am looking forward to book 3, just to continue on his high school adventure.

Alex McKenna & The Academy of Souls is the second book in this YA paranormal fantasy series by Vicki-Ann Bush. Released in Oct 2020, it's 250 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a well written paranormal "high school" fantasy with light romance elements for young adults. The ensemble cast of characters include both the living and "departed". Alex has the ability to cross-realms and this installment of the series sees him using his abilities to find a young ghost-girl named Haven and help to reunite her with her sister Ophelia.

There were some continuity and editing issues (word substitutions mostly) but all in all an entertaining and engaging quick read. I would recommend it to fans of the genre. Although it's the second book in the series, I had no trouble following the plot or keeping the characters sorted. Three and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.