Sky Battles (Dungeon Runners 2) by Kieran Larwood

What worked:

The camaraderie between Kit and his teammates sets them apart from the other competitors. Kit lacks confidence, although he wants to prove he can be a fierce, brave hero. Sandy is the team’s spell-casting mage but doesn’t know many incantations. She’s conjured a sandcastle spell before, and Kit’s grandfather gives her a staff and a second spell written on paper. Sandy’s main contribution to the group is her positivity and rosy disposition. Thorn is the third member of the team, and he’s a vegan vampire (although Kit and Sandy think he might have eaten something else during the previous competition). He’s the team’s healer but doesn’t see much action this time.

The story has humorous highlights, as you can see from Thorn being a vegan vampire. Kit shows up for his first professional Dungeon Runner competition carrying a sword and shield he made out of wood. Not very handy when battling monsters. Kit wishes the team could get a sponsor, and the only business interested is called Troll Boogers. Apparently, their snot is good for making things stick together. One of the other teams is called the Yarn Stormers, and the team members are made of living string in humanoid shapes. The Gravediggers consist of Dr. Kronkenstein and two assistants made from bits and pieces of former Dungeon Runners. They tend to fall apart in the dungeons.

What didn’t work as well:

Thorn doesn’t have much of a role this time, unless you count knitting the team uniforms with purple and orange yarn. There’s not much character or plot development in this short book, and the challenges don’t develop much drama. There are two bully-like characters, but there aren’t enough interactions to be significant. It feels like the book ends rather than builds to a big climax, which may be because it describes challenges in the first part of the overall competition.

The final verdict:

The short, quick-paced story and abundant illustrations of various monsters are perfect for emerging or reluctant middle-grade readers. It doesn’t seem to be as eventful as the first book, but I still recommend you give it a shot.