In this riveting YA fantasy sequel, a living god and a queen battle a vengeful deity's cult.
After the events of The Third Daughter, Elodie reigns as the Queen of Velle, and god Sabine leads Velle's church as the "New Maiden reincarnated." However, Elodie and Sabine's grip on power is tenuous. Sabine once made a living selling her magical tears, which came from a well of deep sadness within her. Now, that sadness has been replaced by "numbness," and the magical tears no longer come. Elodie is undermined by her male advisers, including her childhood friend, Tal, who is a fervent supporter of the Second Son, a deity foretold to be "the New Maiden's downfall." The Second Son's mysterious prophet sows unrest among Velle's disaffected citizens, particularly the angry young men. Elodie and Sabine's blossoming romance is strained as the girls race to unmask the prophet and destroy the Second Son's power.
The Second Son is a worthy sequel and a spellbinding story on its own. Author Adrienne Tooley continues her discussions of mental health and female agency introduced in The Third Daughter; Elodie and Sabine are empowered as they embrace their anger, an act that was previously discouraged. Sabine realizes that "sadness and anger [are] intrinsically linked" and "if a person was allowed to feel only the half of it, the rest would echo emptily." This emotionally hard-hitting novel of magic and court intrigue will satisfy both the fans of book one and readers of royal fantasy. --Alanna Felton, freelance reviewer