Book two in the Legacy of Orisha series, CHILDREN OF VIRTUE AND VENGEANCE picks up right where CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE left off. Zélie and Amari have brought magic back, but the ritual had further reaching consequences than they expected, and now the maji and the monarchy are at full-blown war.

Being the middle book in a series is a tough spot to be in. It took me a bit to remember who was who and how the magic system worked, but once I settled in, CVV was nearly as gripping as the first book in this series. I say nearly because while there's a lot of action, it's very much a two steps forward, one step back situation for a lot of the book as the pieces get set for the final showdown to come. At the same time, Adeyemi is great a writing battle scenes, and so much in this book is just so darn cool, even when the story is spinning its wheels.

Either way, I'm looking forward to the conclusion of this series. Additionally, please quit mucking around with the current love interest setups and just put Zélie and Amari together, thanks.