*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

*Lush, atmospheric, and evocative*. The second installment in the Greenwild series is one of my most highly anticipated books of 2024, and it did not disappoint. I wanted to savor every page; like sitting outside a cafe on a canal in Venice and sipping a sweet rose lemonade with a salty rim while the sea breeze rolls in. It’s the kind of book I want on my bookshelf forever and I can’t wait to buy a physical copy when it releases this June. Full of beautiful illustrations and teeming with evocative prose, this story brings to mind:

- Lush magical botanicals in bloom
- The salty breeze from Venice-like canals
- The mouthwatering scent of fresh baked pastries, vanilla, roasted fish, and sweet basil
- A cozy “band-of-misfits” found family

While in the middle grade genre, this story is for all ages.

The City Beyond the Sea has all of the best aspects of fantasy sequels without any of the too-common letdowns. Thomson takes advantage of the established characters and world to deliver a fantastic, multilayered tale, one that never falters into the weaker plot of many second novels. In fact, I’d be hard-pressed to say that The City Beyond the Sea isn’t as good—or even better—as the first book in the series. Just as in the first book, Thomson takes a familiar genre and crafts a tale that manages to combine the nostalgia of past favorite fantasy books with a uniqueness and spark that make the story impossible to put down.

To begin with, the worldbuilding is top-notch. Worlds-within-our-world are not uncommon, but as in all of this book, Thomson brings something fundamentally fresh to this trope, creating a setting that brims with color and interest. I loved reading about the Greenwild in book 1, but it was impossible not to fall equally in love with Iffenwild, the Nautilus theater company, and every intricacy of this new setting. Thomson is able to describe so vividly I can see the world without slowing down the story—and the gorgeous illustrations fill in all the details!

I also loved the characters. Truly getting to know Daisy, the Prof, and her friends better was one of my favorite parts of this book, but the new cast, especially Max, can’t be discounted—every character feels vibrant and unique. In The City Beyond the Sea, there is certainly a lot of conflict between them at times, but if anything, that made me love them even more. Seeing them in their darker moments as well as their hopeful ones made them all dimensional, and made the highs and lows of the story all the more impactful.

Blending action, adventure, and atmosphere, I highly recommend The City Beyond the Sea equally to middle-grade readers themselves and to teens and adults who love the genre—I truly loved it!

this was a great sequel in the Greenwild series, i enjoyed getting back to this world and the characters in this universe. The concept felt like it was supposed to and enjoyed the overall feel of the world. The characters felt like they were supposed to and enjoyed the overall story being told. It has that fantasy feel that I wanted and enjoyed. Pari Thomson writes strong characters that I enjoyed reading about. I hope there is more in this world and from Pari Thomson.

3.5 stars. This book suffered a bit from “second book syndrome” for me, but the world building was again top-tier, and I liked the way all the threads were tied together in the end (definitely didn’t guess all the twists).