Straight off of killing a giant kraken and closing the Spindle--a door to another realm--in Ibal, pirate Corayne must take stock of the dead Gallish soldiers she helped defeat and of the remaining members of her own ragtag team. Queen Erida of Galland has joined forces with evil Taristan, naming him her consort and using the monsters he's been unleashing from other realms to bolster her own armies. The Companions, as Corayne and her team have been called, must continue the long battle to close more Spindles even as Taristan opens them. The queen also fights against a cousin bent on stealing her crown and throne. An even bigger threat is the powerful god What Waits, who's been sending Corayne nightmares throughout her travels, and whom Taristan follows and intends to pull from the beyond. The mix of politicking and real physical fighting makes this sequel gripping, while the relationships between the odd band of Companions and their enemies have depth. It's a well-thought-out sequel, and fans of Realm Breaker (2021) will clamor for it. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Aveyard's been on best-seller lists since she debuted with Red Queen (2015), and Realm Breaker hit #1. Her many fans will be eager for this series continuation.

Gr 8 Up--The Companions--Corayne and her fellow ragtag heroes--have managed to kill a giant kraken and close one Spindle, the portals leading to another world. She is ready to accept her heritage and take up her father's sword, but Queen Erida has taken the evil Taristan as her consort and all his monsters are at her disposal. Aveyard has nailed the balance of political maneuvering and action sequences, avoiding the middle book slump. There is diversity in the main cast and worldbuilding, as well as easy acceptance of queer and nonbinary characters. VERDICT Aveyard's fans will be awaiting this sequel. A first purchase.

Follows Corayne's continuing quest to save the world from the demon god who is seeking to invade. The Companions--Corayne and her fellow ragtag band of unlikely heroes--have won the first battle, but the war is far from over. Readers may need to refresh themselves with Realm Breaker (2021), as this sequel drops readers right in the thick of the action involving numerous individuals (many of them point-of-view characters) and countries in the story's complicated geopolitical landscape. Most of the viewpoints are those of Corayne and her present Companions, with occasional perspectives from other characters (such as Queen Erida, sympathetic in her struggles against sexism despite her evil goals, and Ridha, searching for allies and finding something more) who offer peeks at the rest of the world. The first act is slow, as the characters plan their next moves and their individual story arcs are established. The journeys of Amhara assassin Sorasa and former Gallish squire Andry, who grapple with changed loyalties, are especially notable for how they play out within the group's dynamics. Once the action starts, however, the heroes' breaks between facing all manner of men and monsters--notably undead Ashlander armies--become shorter and shorter, building to a nail-biting reckoning of a climax. The cast has a wide variety of skin tones, and there's positive, casual representation and acceptance of queer and nonbinary characters. Will leave readers gasping for more. (Fantasy. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.