Call of the Syrensea

The second book didn't disappoint! It was as captivating as the first with week thought out plot lines, likeable characters, and accessible writing. I look forward to reading the next in the series.

After feeling like the first book was a little slow, it seems like it was all for story building. I really enjoyed this book and the way it was written. It went a mile a minute and I did not want to put it down! Thank you netgalley and Bronzewood Books for the DRC but all of the opinions are my own!

This one was even better than the first! I loved all the adventure packed into this one! Can’t wait to read the third book! Hoping I get some more scenes with the dragon! Thank you Netgalley for this arc in return for an honest review!

Fantasy books tend to be a bit slow in the beginning for the whole world-building but that's what it's for -- the whole purpose of fantasy. I did admire the detail in the world building, however it did take a minute. Overall, second book would be a success!

Call of the Syrensea is the second novel in the Serpentine Throne series. It continues soon after Call of the Storm Sorcerer ends and the readers are off on an adventure in search of the main character’s father. There are some pieces of information introduced that were missing from the first novel and likewise there are ones seemingly missing from this one. To me, this series is reading like a puzzle where you get each section taken care of during each story, but you will not fully understand the big picture unless you put all of the novels together.

Mairynne Evangale, the Konō of the realm of Nantai has begun her quest to find her father, who she believes is not dead, as the stories told, but is alive and must return to rightfully rule. Her sisters and aunt have stayed behind to rule in her place until her and their father return. On their journey, Mairynne is simply Mairy in some situations where it is deemed necessary to hide her identity and the Konō in situations where she needs to be herself. As a Storm Sorcerer, this story lets her character display more of her power, but there are still some questions about it to the reader. I understood the power itself, but I do not fully understand the background for the power or a lot of the detail aside from the descriptions of it in use.

Thalaj, the first guard, is along for the ride as Mairynne’s protector. There is some background about his character, but there is still a lot to be revealed for his inner workings. The feelings that he has for Mairynne and the ones she has for him are present, but they are not really explored in this story. They are hinted at, but there is not much difference in their relationship between the first story and this one. There are a lot of hints about some possibilities for their future, so most likely it is going to slowly be revealed over time.

This story has the characters traveling from the palace through the Yubar Forest to the City by the Sea, which is located on the Syrensea. Along the way, the two characters encounter enemies, old friends, and new friends that will either help or hinder their journey. There is even a dragon! The dragons were thought to be extinct, so it is a shock to the main characters when one appears. Now, there is a new mystery as the dragon’s partner is a mystery (a connection to the prologue of the first novel with the bonded human and dragon).Similar to other sections, it seems the dragon will be a more prominent feature in the next novel, especially considering it is titled Call of the Ryu Dragon, so it will be interesting to see how that storyline plays out.

Overall, this story moved faster than the first as there is more action and adventure. The terminology still is a little daunting to me as there are a lot of characters and place names all presented, so it took me a little longer to keep track of everything compared to other novels of a similar length. One thing that I wished this story had were some minor recaps when plots/characters from the first were presented, especially the Cloud Court, as I feel there were bits in the first novel mentioned that would create a more well-rounded understanding when some events took place in this novel. As this series takes place over multiple novels, I am curious about how everything will turn out and how it all comes together in the end.

**I want to give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Bronzewood Books, for a review copy of this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

The story keeps getting better, lots of adventure and a favorite dragon. This time Mairynne goes in search of her father, her protector accompany her through the Yubar Forest. The prophecy intrigued me and so that kept me reading, the characters are interesting, and I can't wait to find out what happens next.