Not hugely innovative, but there is a lot to be said for HP done much much better. The world building is complete and rich, the social structures complex and appropriately problematised, the racial and cultural groups differentiated and rooted in real tradition. This is gearing up to be a great series. 

I adore several things about this book, but most prominently, it really got me thinking. What would it mean to see another person's "profile" in real time? What is the goal of meditation? Who should hold power? How does generational trauma heal? So many good questions. 

I do think that this book soft-pedals the ending, which I was disappointed by. I understand that likely the author or the editors thought that a stronger ending wasn't going to be age appropriate, but I disagree. I think a more complex ending could have really leveled this up. That said, I'm still giving it 5 stars because it's so thought provoking.

This is the rare sequel, in that it is better than the first! 

factual telling of an inspiring story

I love this new superhero! I also wish that here was more to this book, which is just true of all superhero comics. 

"Now, add a frog" goes the text ,as the frogs hop away on page after page. A very fun read aloud.

Solid plot, lovely world building, the only issue is the lack of character development. If I felt these characters had any inner lives, this book would be a 4 or even 5, because the plot is amazing. 

On the one hand, the writing is compelling, and the pace really pulled me along, The characters a re complex and individual, with both disability and trans inclusion without making a fuss. But on the other hand, the moral seems to be that being a child soldier is totally great and unit cohesion above all else? Is this a portrayal of a trama bond that is supposed to be praising the experience in the trenches? I think...I think I don't know quite what to make of this morally ambiguous book, but there is definitely more praise of violence than I want to see in my reading material. 

Solidly fun witch story, but without much depth and no real novelty about the worldbuilding. Still, very fun. I would recommend it to readers of  Sophie Escabasse's Witches of Brooklyn series.