Review – Empire of Night (Age of Legends, Book 2) by Kelley Armstrong (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Size: 432 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: April 7, 2015
ISBN-13: 978-0062071279
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the Age of Legends trilogy
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars

This was the second book in the Age of Legends series by Armstrong. The third and final book in the series will be titled Forest of Ruin and will release in 2016. I enjoyed this story but didn’t think it was quite as good as the first book in the series. There was a lot more intrigue and less adventure/action than in the first book.

Moira and Ashyn (the Seeker and Keeper of Edgewood) have been forced to abandon Edgewood and seek sanctuary with the Emperor. The Emperor decides to send them on a mission to rescue the children of Edgewood who mysteriously disappeared when the town fell to shadow. Prince Titus and a retinue of guards will accompany them.

This was a good continuation of this YA fantasy. I continue to enjoy the characters and world. The story was engaging and intriguing.

The book alternates perspective between Moira and Ashyn. I continue to enjoy Moira more as a character, but Ashyn’s parts were better in this book than in the first book. Both girls have a love interest of sorts throughout the story; although that’s not the main focus of the plot.

There isn’t quite as much action and creepiness in this story as there was in the first one. More time is spent on intrigue between the different powers at the Emperor’s Court and on war and battle.

My only complaint about the book is that, despite the length of the story, when I look back I feel like not a ton happened in this book. Part of that might be because we are alternating and hearing from both sisters.

If you enjoyed the first book I think you will enjoy this one as well. Although this installment has more intrigue than the previous book, there are still some excellent action scenes as well and we learn more about Moira’s power.

Overall this was a great continuation of this series. I enjoy the characters, the story, and the mystery surrounding Edgewood. I can’t wait to see how everything ties up in the final book of the series, Forest of Ruin. I would recommend this series to those who enjoy YA fantasy. It’s not the best YA fantasy series out there, but it’s still a good one.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge