The Five Realms #2: The Gift of Dark Hollow by Kieran Larwood

I'm a bard and have a story to share with you. I'll pick it up after our young heroes narrowly escaped the Gorm's camp. There seemed to be no way to stop them, so Podkin and his friends hid for over a month in Corm's abandoned warren. The rabbits had deserted it when they believed their home was cursed. Now, Podkin explored the forgotten rooms and depths of the burrow and discovered a relic meant to be lost. It gave him a magical connection to shadows that would help him in the moonlight. Secrets were also discovered that impelled Podkin and his friends to breach another Gorm camp. Little did they know their survival would rest with the efforts of their smallest hero.

I recommend you read Podkin One-Ear first even though you can still enjoy this book without it. As in the first one, Pook the bard continued the story of Podkin, but this time he reluctantly took on an apprentice named Rue. Pook wanted to keep his identity secret, which brought about a sense of mystery beyond the Podkin story. Somebody wanted him dead for some reason. The Podkin story still went unfinished, as it's the thread holding the books together. Podkin continued to feel useless, as the other characters stepped up when needed. Podkin felt he had no special talents, but he's turned out to be the uniting factor among the group. It was an interesting contrast to his character in the first book. The Gorm continued to be an overwhelming juggernaut, terrifying creatures throughout the forest. Their connection to iron made them an almost indestructible army, but Podkin has managed to find a way, so far. Overall, this has been an entertaining series that can be enjoyed by most middle grade readers. I recommend you give it a shot.