Wrath of the Ravelwind Knight (Spindleheart 2) by T.I. Avens

What worked:

As with the first book, alternating chapters follow the stories of Wynn and Calla, as they track down a malevolent magic-stealer named Brume. The two main characters have separate storylines. They had a brief encounter in the first book, and Calla and her sister, Saffron, wonder if Wynn and her friends are enemies, too. These characters are called larks, because they are sentient, intelligent creatures, while wilders are animals without the ability to communicate verbally and reason. Brume can transform his appearance, so readers and characters will never know when he might show up. Perhaps readers will unknowingly encounter him in the form of a seemingly innocent minor character.

Wynn is the guardian of the Spindlechest, but Brume stole it in the first book. She’s on a quest to get it back before Brume becomes too powerful to stop. Calla is a caster, meaning she can wield magic. Her quest is to bring justice against Brume and stop him from stealing magic. Each girl follows Brume’s trail through a magical veil and into a world of breeps. The breeps are covered in wool above the waist, scales below, with wings that enable them to fly. These creatures are wary of strangers, which complicates the efforts of Calla and Wynn. Wynn is nearly imprisoned or executed, while Calla isn’t shown any favor, even after saving the life of a young breep and snatcher.

Wynn is accompanied by a caster named Lance, and their relationship provides more conflict and drama. Wynn notices he seems to struggle after casting spells, but Lance won’t admit it. Wynn also thinks he’s keeping secrets from her, and their interactions become prickly. Wynn knows she needs the caster’s help, but they may not trust each other anymore. Calla and her sister disagree on a plan to defeat Brume, and discussions about it are postponed. Calla deals with problems head-on, so she wants to use magic and force against Brume. Saffron is more diplomatic and wants to talk and understand his motives. They’ll need to come to some kind of agreement before they locate and confront him.

What didn’t work as well:

Readers may find it challenging to visualize the characters, as they come in all shapes and sizes. Calla and Saffron are flower elves, while Wynn is a swirlear, Beryl is a blue beetlewark, and Lance is a green thistle-hopper. Small illustrations are displayed on the first page of each chapter, but mentally picturing the characters in the narrative and action scenes may not be easy. Also, the book’s title doesn’t have a clear connection to what happens in the story. There are breep knights in Ravelwind, but the wrath of one specific knight isn’t a factor in the conflict.

The final verdict:

Readers will enjoy young characters thrust into quests to stop the evil Brume. They’ll appreciate revelations about his past, as well as Wynn’s heritage, but the conflict moves on to the third book in the series. I recommend you give this book a shot, but read book one first.