The Hidden Palace

Because this is book 2, I'm going to hide some of my review in spoilers for people who haven't read the first book. I never know how to review books in a series so as not to spoil things for people who never read the first book...

Going into this book, I was incredibly afraid it wouldn't live up to what I remember feeling after reading the first book. The first book was delightfully warm, had an interesting cast of characters, and a sufficiently intriguing plot that felt self-contained as it wrapped itself up. When I read there was going to be a sequel (several years after the first had come out), I was skeptical and dragged my feet at giving it a chance. I'm so glad I did.

Chava and Ahmad, unlikely lovers brought together under a unifying stressful situation in the first book, now have had time to stretch, settle, and figure out what they're going to do with their (mythological) selves in this world they find themselves in. Unfortunately, as they grow in self and in skills, they discover that some of their fundamental differences may be too difficult to navigate.

For the good, the author does an excellent job at onboarding the reader after such a long time, which I appreciated. Points where “as you recall” dialogue takes place are nicely hidden, and some reintroduction to some minor characters from the first book happens to jog readers' memories. I thought the introspection about what relationships mean to mythological creatures was interesting, and, as always, the writing was incredibly engaging.

My quibble with this particular book is that, honestly, not a lot happens. It's very slice-of-life for a large chunk of the book, which while I appreciate, I know it can be offputting for many other people. A threat is introduced slowly throughout the book, but ultimately the focus was on the “what's next” for the main characters.

If you loved the first book, there's more to love here, I guess is what I'm trying to say. It's a bit slow for some readers, but if slow is your jam when done well, give this a try.