GHOSTSMITH

Three highborn but underestimated teens want to save the world.

This sequel jumps right in, avoiding any risk of a slow start by assuming readers will remember all the complex plot elements revealed in Bonesmith (2023). Teens Wren, Julian, and Leo are all smiths (or magic workers) and heirs to noble lineages, but they’ve each spent their lives being undervalued. Wren and Julian were deliberately misled while their parental figures secretly vied for power. When those schemes were finally revealed toward the end of the first volume, the fallout was considerable. Desperate to stop the iron revenants, a powerful army of undead encased in magical iron armor that Julian’s uncle and Wren’s parents created to destroy the Dominions (the kingdom ruled by Leo’s family), the three set off to destroy the well of magic that fuels the revenants. They’re joined by Wren’s recently discovered twin brother. This volume mixes personal growth—Wren deals with her feelings for Julian, her highly dysfunctional family, and newfound powers that both fascinate and disgust her—with episodes of action. Occasional chapters more closely follow Julian’s and Leo’s perspectives. The characters are varied in physical appearance, and their interactions point to the acceptance of queerness in this world.

A solid duology closer that will satisfy returning fans.