Flight of the King continues where Book 1 left off. Viviana, the ruthless daughter of the former king, is forging ahead with her plan to take control of the kingdom. Her Dominance powers have increased, aided by some very clever technology that enables her to control all animals and turn them on their own kin, effectively overthrowing the Animas bond.
The only person who can thwart Viviana's plans is Tremelo, one of the teachers at Fairmount Academy. Only Bailey and his friends know that Tremelo is actually Trent Melore, the son of King Melore and Viviana's brother — but will they be able to persuade Tremelo to step forward, reveal his true identity and fight to save Aldermere?
Multiple plot strands weave throughout this book. Bailey and Hal are forced to abandon the relative safety of Fairmount in pursuit of Taleth, the last remaining White Tiger, when she is kidnapped. Phi and Gwen find themselves on adventures of their own. The mysterious Velyn also feature, as does the Jackal — the man ultimately responsible for Aldermere's current predicament.
While C.R. Grey does a good job of maintaining the pace and intrigue, I did feel that Flight of the King lacks some of the sparkle of Book 1 — a side-effect, I suspect, of the need for so many elements to be put in place as we build towards the conclusion. It's still an engaging, original series, however, and I will be keeping an eye out for Book 3.
Title: Flight of the King (Animas #2)
Author: C.R. Grey
Publisher: Hot Key Books, $14.95 RRP
Publication Date: November 2015
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781471401312
For ages: 9+
Type: Middle Fiction
