Review: Great Second Installment!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 10, 2012
(cross posted from the blog Wading Through Electronic Ink)In my review of One Black Rose, I commented that I felt as though Autumn was risking a lot for a love that she did not feel very strongly. After reading this, my sister commented that I was not sufficiently taking into account the tendency for teenagers to do stupid things when they are in love. I concede that she may have a point, though I confess that I do prefer it when characters make good decisions. I also maintain that I didn't really feel that Autumn felt strongly enough about Holt to warrant her decisions.These concerns are laid to rest to some extent in August. Holt is gone, and Autumn is definitely pining for him in the manner of someone who is in love. This also gives an opening to address one of my other issues with the first book, which is that we don't see that much of Samuel. The winter prince is much more present in this second installment, though we still don't know much about what he's thinking, and, perhaps more importantly, Autumn still doesn't seem very interested to find out.Another plus of August over One Black Rose is that it has more of a plot in the conventional sense of the word. A lot of the first book was Autumn slowly finding out that the world around her was more mysterious than it seemed, and the climax was relatively sudden after that. In August, we are clearly dealing with a dangerous enemy from chapter 1, and this enemy continues to be a threat until the very end, when the true source of the evil reveals itself in a surprising twist.The one thing that bothered me is that Autumn seemed so sure that the way to solve her problems with Holt, Samuel, and their many assorted relatives, was for her to become a fairy. Considering that the method of her joining the faerie court was the source of all her problems, I failed to see how such an action would solve anything. But I guess I shall have to take my sister's advice and chalk it up to teenagers making stupid decisions when they are in love.Overall, August was an exciting addition to the series from the first ill-fated party to the dramatic cliffhanger ending. I will definitely be sticking around for a third installment.