The Rise of the Dawnstar by Farah Oomerbhoy | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)

As a note, a review copy of this novel was provided in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way. Thank you!

Wow, wow, wow! Farah Oomerbhoy's The Avalonia Chronicles continues with a new, spellbinding installment--The Rise of the Dawnstar. And I'll be honest: I was pretty skeptical of the series at first with the previous release, despite the luscious writing and world-building that Oomerbhoy portrays during every chapter. All of that skepticism was pretty much destroyed by the final pages of The Rise of the Dawnstar.

Far more expansive than its predecessor, this next chapter of Avalonia is full of so much more life and plot twists. What I loved most about this one was that it kept me on my toes a lot more than the previous had managed. I knew instantly that Oomerbhoy was an author to look out for and now, with all that descriptive writing and complexities, I can finally saw I'm captivated. When an author can combine complexities of kingdoms, the sting of betrayal and everything in between, you know you've picked up a severe talent. In The Rise of the Dawnstar, so many of my initial complaints from the first book were banished--not all of them, but most--and at the core of this story was a whole lot of magic, fun and pain.



I was so looking forward to more growth on Aurora's part. When you look back to where the series began, you can see just how much she has developed and Farah put forth a lot of time into that. It's what saved the previous book for me. Sadly, we had a few bumps (in my opinion) during this go around and most of that had to do with the romance aspects of the novel. Aurora is still very much so coming of age; trying to find her way, to train, to embrace her destiny. I felt like, while I don't hate Rafe, there was a lot to their relationship in this book that put me off a bit.

Some moments felt a bit like... Aurora had taken a step backwards. But. BUT! I still enjoyed the love stories that developed and the love triangle that takes center stage. Further, I loved the development we got to witness with other characters and new locations. Honestly, The Rise of the Dawnstar puts The Last of the Firedrakes to complete shame and I love it for that reason.

Overall, sequels can be very tricky to navigate but Farah Oomerbhoy proves she was VERY up to the task and is only getting better. Everything readers loved and hated about The Last of the Firedrakes will be blown out of the water with this sizzling second installment and--without sarcasm--I can't wait for more from Oomerbhoy and The Avalonia Chronicles in the future.