"A Vanishing of Griffins" by S.A. Patrick is a captivating addition to the Songs of Magic trilogy, offering readers another thrilling adventure in a world filled with magic, folklore, and fantastical creatures. Following the events of the first book, 13-year-old Piper, Patch Brightwater, is once again faced with a nefarious plan by the Hamelyn Piper. This time, the villain aims to assemble a suit of immortal armor, and Patch, along with his companions Wren and Barver, must thwart the sinister plot.

The novel is a delightful blend of fantasy elements, weaving together a rich tapestry of adventure, magic, and friendship. The motley trio's journey takes them through encounters with pirates of the Eastern Seas, revelations about griffins, and collaborations with legendary heroes and a near-dead sorcerer. The narrative is filled with twists and turns, keeping readers engaged from beginning to end.

S.A. Patrick's storytelling prowess shines in this brilliant retelling of "The Piper of Hamelyn," infusing the dark legend with a modern and imaginative twist. The fusion of folklore with contemporary storytelling creates a unique and immersive reading experience. The inventive magic system introduced in the trilogy adds depth to the narrative, captivating young fantasy fans hungry for perilous quests and friendships forged on the road.

The characters, especially Patch, Wren, and Barver, are well-developed and endearing. The camaraderie among the trio adds a heartwarming dimension to the story, making readers root for their success. The author skillfully navigates the challenges faced by the characters, creating a sense of urgency that propels the plot forward.

In conclusion, "A Vanishing of Griffins" deserves four stars for its engaging storytelling, imaginative world-building, and the seamless integration of folklore into a modern fantasy narrative. S.A. Patrick delivers another captivating installment in the Songs of Magic trilogy, catering to the tastes of young fantasy enthusiasts. This book is a must-read for those who appreciate adventurous quests, magical realms, and the enduring power of friendship in the face of adversity.

I liked the first book of the series and the magic in the world described here. The second picks up exactly where the last left off and ends in a similar cliffhanger fashion.
We have a trio of children/young adults, and a dracogriff began their plan to unmask(almost literally) a notorious criminal who was supposedly under lock and key since the last time he was captured. When Patch ends up in the same prison, a chain of events starts and continues to cause things to change over the course of the first adventure. This time around, the world has fractured socially, with everyone under attack in some form or fashion, and most creatures respond differently. As with real life, the various beings close ranks, leaving those who straddle life between two (or multiple) lifestyles outside without much support.
Patch is a good character without being portrayed as a chosen one or a hero. He takes help as and when required, consults his team and makes mistakes that he continues to repent (and feel guilty) for.
A lot is revealed in this book about the state of affairs and how things were done. Some in power prey on the insecurities of the ones who make decisions and push for more radical solutions. All of this happens after a reader (old or young) is invested emotionally with the outcome for the creatures introduced to us, making it an apt tool for discussions to be had at a later stage as to the real-life implications of such situations.
Even without the heavy contemplations, there is a lot of adventure packed into this volume. Magic and the effort it requires are in focus, as are the unknown facts that may or may not help a final battle.
I think this is a solid middle book for a book of this ilk and works well for children as well as adults. The teenagers in this book are a serious lot, and there have been no romantic allusions thus far, making it a welcome change.
All three books of the series are already out, and I almost purchased it for my eleven-year-old niece's birthday, but I finally went for another series with more books just because of the sheer volume.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

awesome adventure with awesome characters within the story. Even i don't reade the 1st book. But this one has some highlights from the first book which help me to understand my adventure in this book overalll. Not only focused on the war and adventure, but also the twists surprised me a lot.

I requested this before I realized it was the second book in a series, so I will be picking up the first book very soon!

I need to read the first book to have the full background, but I really liked what I read here, too. I like these characters a lot, too!

Thanks to Peachtree publishing and the author, S.A. Patrick for making this book available via NetGalley. I enjoyed the first book in the series and looked forward to this sequel. I appreciated the summary of tge previous story, but then the first few chapters also included recaps of previous events. This redundancy slowed the pace quite a bit. And the paving continued to have issues as the characters spent time searching a library and travelling from place.

The story became more interesting approximately 60% in. The next few chapters flew by. The ending had some unexpected events and leaves off on a cliffhanger.

There were multiple points of view, but I think I would have preferred if the book had stuck to mainly one--Barver's, since only he had a truly interesting arc.

Overall, I enjoyed the first book more, mainly due to issues of pacing. It might be more appealing to its target audience.

This is such an awesome fast-paced adventure with great characters. It continues the story from book one, but this volume helps us remember the highlights of the first volume as well, which is great because a lot happens in these books. Many readers are already focused on the quests, perils, war and adventure, twists and surprises. I want to speak of the humor infused along the story. Not only in the dialogue, and scenes but also in the naming of places. Everything with the grumpy pirate king was hilarious and that energizes us to read a story well balanced. Once we pick up the pace it is a nonstop adventure.
I love the magic system of this well-built world.

I was provided an early copy of this book from Netgalley but this review is all my own.

I enjoyed the first book in this series, A Darkening of Dragons, but I enjoyed the sequel even more. I found myself sneaking off to keep reading as the action was full on throughout. I loved that the book included a recap from the last book and think all series should have these since sometimes it’s been awhile since you’ve read the last.

The story picks up right where the last ended and we quickly find out what happened to Erner and get right to saving him. The story weaves through different side quests I guess you could call them by travelling to different locations where you meet all kinds of interesting characters but it all centres around the plans of the Hamelyn Piper to use obsidiac to control and rule the world. While there is a lot of hopping around, I felt like it was really well done and the entire world became more developed from the first book.

There’s magic, mysteries, secret passages, shape-shifting, griffons, dragons and battles. It feels so full you have no clue how it will be wrapped up by the end and yet it is and then again isn’t as you are left with a cliffhanger into the next book in the Songs of Magic series, A Thundering of Monsters! I am definitely attached to Patch, Wren and Barven especially the friendship and bond they have quickly formed. I desperately want to know how it will all work out from the precarious situations they have found themselves in. I’m glad to have found this series, credit to the cover artist, George Ermos, for pulling me in when I spotted the first book online.

S A Patrick books are so popular amongst my grandchildren that I can get them to behave well on the promise that we will read the book at the weekend. That's how good they are ! (The books ,not the children). A great second book in the series .

this was a great sequel in the Songs of Magic trilogy series, it had everything that I was looking for from both a fantasy novel and the sequel. The characters worked well and felt like the same characters in this world. I enjoyed how good S.A. Patrick wrote this and can't wait to read more.

"Wren smiled. “Well, if your letter is like ours, hardly anything happened but they told you about it in
mind-numbing detail. Am I right?”“Quite the opposite,” said Barver. “For a start, they’ve moved. My aunt is now the Triumvirate’s Delegate in the city of Skamos, no less!”

ARC Copy...I did liked seeing what esle will happen to the heroes after the events with the evil piper's plot and...oh his other plans are even worse. As a result the magic system and world itself gets an expansion.