August 17, 2020
Eason expands on the fairy tale–infused, galactic setting of How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse in this rip-roaring but chaotic sequel. Two years after accidentally becoming the figurehead of a revolution and sparking a civil war, heroine Rory has turned her back on life as a princess to become a salvager and privateer, along with several of her former bodyguards. But she’s drawn back into multiverse politics when she stumbles across a derelict ship containing deadly cargo: a bioengineered weapon capable of eradicating entire planets, but possessing just enough sentience to rebel against its programming. As ships representing both human and alien species arrive on the scene hoping to lay claim to the weapon, Rory and her allies are separated, make tenuous alliances, and navigate complicated political dynamics in an effort to prevent war. As this adventure develops into an armed standoff between no less than five factions, with many of the alien species resembling classic fantasy novel creatures, the frenetic pacing proves something of a hindrance, as more nuanced threads are lost in the confusion. Still, this fantasy-space-opera hybrid provides no shortage of action, interstellar hijinks, and fuel for future installments. Series readers will be pleased. Agent: Lisa Rodgers, JABberwocky Literary.
October 15, 2020
�In Eason's follow-up to How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse (2019), Rory is working as a space scavenger, having renounced her title as princess (yet not her princessy demeanor, as she still has a tendency to lead and expect others to follow). When she and her crew explore a destroyed ship, her body-maid, Thorsdottir, happens upon Rose, a biological weapon who also happens to be a sentient plant. Warring factions are vying for control for Rose, and Rory and the gang once again find themselves thrust in the center of interstellar conflict, having to decide whom they can and cannot trust with such power. Eason's unnamed historian narrator (or is it narrators?) seems to be emulating Oscar Wilde, complete with witty, meandering parentheticals. The second installment of the Rory Thorne Chronicles also explores the ins and outs of this world's arithmancy in detail, which will please readers who prefer meticulous world building. Though not quite as engaging as the first in the duology, this is still a fun, feminist space opera that gives the wonderful secondary characters plenty of page time.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)