What I’ve heard when it comes to Hocking’s trilogies is that she has a starter novel that brings you into the world and background, a middle book that details the journey and then a final climax that completely gives readers the ending they look for. This is my first trilogy by her and so far it is sticking to that course.

The first book was definitely a starter for me and now this is more depth into the journey for the golden ticket so-to-speak. This novel picks up right where the first left off and you do need to read the first book to understand this one. Ulla is still on the hunt for her birth parents and the kidnapped Eliana. What she learns about herself along the way paves the road for book 3.

The world building has not let me down yet. Hocking has a beautiful mastery that depicts the Troll world and the different tribes. What I would love to see is a detailed map in the hardcover editions. Besides that though is the descriptive detail of each scene that pulls you in and lets you sit beside Ulla and her friends.

I can’t say too much about this one without giving away details from Book one. I am a little disappointed that this one didn’t have as much excitement as the first and I kinda lost my connection to the characters. I am not sure if it was due to lack of action or the amount of time spent in the journey. I am still looking forward to seeing how everything comes together in the end.

Thank you Wednesday Books and Amanda Hocking for the opportunity to read both books in this trilogy so far. All thoughts are solely my own. ( )

Note: This is the second book in a series and needs to be read as such, since it picks up where the first one left off and offers basically no backstory to catch a reader up.

While the first book in the series laid the foundation of the world and characters, this second one shoots off into an ever growing mystery and brings mounting tension just like it should.

Eliana's disappearance and the desire to discover more about her own past has Ulla driving off in search of the impossible—the Lost Bridge to the First City. When she arrives at the Omte tribe, she's not sure what to make of the Queen's inability to answer her questions, but another door opens as she runs across a strange man, who knew her mother and might be her father. Learning that her father supposedly is a part of the secret guard, which protects the mythical city, she's sent to Sweden to live with the guardians there and him. But Ulla has doubts behind the true intentions of her journey and soon finds herself deeper in secrets than is safe.

As in book one, this is an imagination packed world, which gently brushes against modern reality every now and then. The characters are easy to like or hate, and yet, others sit heavily in the gray zone, making it difficult to decipher what their true intentions are. Ulla grows with every book as she struggles not only to uncover more about her own past, but also to come to terms with it. She has a few true friends at her side as well as Pan, the obvious love interest. It's fun to cheer the characters on as they stumble over lie after lie, and discover all sorts of things about this intriguing world.

The plot thickens in this second book, just as it should. There were still a few paragraphs I grazed over, but all in all, it is an engaging read. The romance slides alongside the main plot, adding a little zest without overpowering the story line...which I appreciate. Still, it's a bit too obvious for my liking, although the awkward moments fit well to Ulla's age. The new characters weren't as easy to fall into in these pages, but then, book one excelled in this area and with the increasing tension and mystery, the new characters simply aren't getting the same love as Ulla, Pan and friends.

Fantasy friends who enjoy refreshing takes on fantasy worlds and rich world building are sure to enjoy this one.

I received ARC copy through Netgalley ( )