Series: Book 2 of Wendy Darling
Author: Colleen Oakes
Stars: 5 out of 5
Blurb:
Wendy Darling: Seas finds Wendy and Michael aboard the dreaded Sudden Night, a dangerous behemoth sailed by the infamous Captain Hook and his blood-thirsty crew. In this exotic world of mermaids, spies and pirate-feuds, Wendy finds herself struggling to keep her family above the waves. Hunted by the twisted boy who once stole her heart and struggling to survive in the whimsical Neverland sea, returning home to London now seems like a distant dream - and the betrayals have just begun.
Will Wendy find shelter with Peter's greatest enemy, or is she a pawn in a much darker game, one that could forever alter not only her family's future, but also the soul of Neverland itself?
***
Colleen Oakes is a masterful storyteller. I loved the first book in the Wendy Darling series and I was not disappointed with the second! Oakes paints a lush portrait of a wondrous and dark Neverland where our heroine, Wendy, is caught between a vicious boy who is obsessed with her and a crew of violent pirates.
Wendy is a fabulous character - despite her fear, she's braving an impossible situation. She is also caring, intelligent, and strong. The new characters we are introduced to in this book are just as well developed as those from the first. Who knew pirates and wenches could be so multifaceted? By the end of the first book, Peter's darkness had been revealed, but in this sequel he becomes even more fearsome as we learn how he came into his dark, corrupting powers.
The author did an excellent job developing the setting in the first book, but we only got to see certain parts of Neverland. In this book, readers get to experience Captain Hook's ship, the pirate town, and the mermaid's grotto. Each setting is described in detail and I could easily picture the beauty and wonder of Neverland.
In addition to the vivid world building and deep characterization, there is plenty of action to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Wendy is not a passive character (thank goodness!) and she is often thrust into situations where she has to use her wits to survive. There are a couple of plot twists thrown in that I did not anticipate. Unfortunately, one of those twists comes at the very end, creating a major cliffhanger.
Even without the cliffhanger ending, I am looking forward to reading the next novel in the series. I can only hope Ms. Oakes does not take too long to release book three!
Thank you to SparkPress for the advance copy via Netgalley.
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