This was the most excited I've been about a book for many years. I just don't usually read trilogies or series that are currently being written, and didn't even know there would be a sequel, so when I found out about this I was ecstatic.
Not completely sure how to feel about this one. 4 stars because it was just fun and sweet, but at the same time it felt a little all over the place. Definitely don't like it as much as the first. It had some really cool moments and I wish it would have leaned into those more. For me I feel like it lost a star in the last third and I couldn't tell you exactly why.
I loved the part where we finally get to see Arthur lose it and acknowledge a lot of the anger inside of him. Loved some of the scenes with Lucy and would genuinely be super interested in a Lucy spinoff where we get to see what life is like for him as a teen or adult. Loved the engagement scene and some of those moments between Arthur and Linus. Wish they would have had more in-depth romantic scenes, I was lowkey annoyed that at their own wedding they just "kissed" with no more description, going right to the children. It felt like a lot of their relationship was focused on the children and I get that, it's realistic, but the romance between just the two of them matters as well especially in a story that is so queer-inclusive.
I personally disliked how the children's solution to Marblemaw (if that's how you spell it, I listened to the audiobook) making Talia feel uncomfortable about her expression of gender was to give Marblemaw a mustache. And the adults in that situation are just cool with it. Something about that rubbed me the wrong way, the lesson should not be "this person was ignorant about gender and now they get to be uncomfortable in their own body" idk idk.
My favorite thing about these books is probably how comforting they feel, it's like a children's book for adults. As an audiobook it gives big "parent reading story to child" vibes. We don't get stories like this very often. It felt healing listening to the way Arthur talks to his children and the things all children deserve. I think a lot of us didn't get a parent like that growing up so he kind of had a direct line to my inner child at some points.
I have to say, I saw someone on Goodreads criticize Klune for dedicating the book to trans kids then putting no trans characters in the story and that's valid. I thought for sure there would be a trans character (assumed it would be David especially with his intro in a wig) after that dedication and it never happened. I am not trans and don't personally have any connection to trans stories, but I see how this might upset someone who is or does. His acknowledgements also talk about him wanting to be remembered as the antithesis to JK Rowling so I'm surprised he didn't do that. Maybe in a future book.
Also curious as to whether there will be a third book here, it seems like he set one up.
by kristin137