Hello loves!
That’s right I am back and it is for The Write Reads blog tour for both The Stranded and The Exiled by Sarah Daniels. I have a spotlight coming for The Stranded (book one) coming soon but here is a full review of The Exiled, the exhilarating sequel.
I was kindly sent a physical copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of the blog tour, so thank you so much to Penguin for that!
Summary
Trust no one.
It is six months since the Arcadia set sail for the first time in forty years. But this wasn’t the freedom the inhabitants were hoping for. Esther Crossland did what she had to do, but it has left a trail of destruction in her wake. Now the wrecked ship is abandoned. Its inhabitants are in exile, trapped in sprawling make-shift shelters made up of warehouse, tents, shipping containers.
Esther and Nik, architects of the rebellion, are on the run. Esther is in hiding, desperate to do something to help her people, and Nik seems to have abandoned all hope, on a journey taking him further and further from home. And neither of them want to face up to their true feelings about one another . . .
Not only that, there is a new villain in town. With the fall of Commander Hadley, it’s left to the ruthless Admiral Janek to deal with the traitors, and her own past is beginning to catch-up with her.
Then the shaky ceasefire negotiated by General Lall, Nik’s mum, falls apart. Nik and Esther find themselves in a world of betrayals and double crossings – a game of power, with no one to trust but themselves.
It’s time for the final showdown.
Rating
ESCAPE score: 48
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thoughts
This was a brilliant sequel to The Stranded, and reading them back to back made me immerse myself in the story so much more.
The plot followed on well from the first book whilst building in intensity and adding new threats for Esther and Nik to face. There was one small plot twist I predicted but everything else was so well orchestrated that I couldn’t know what was going to happen next, driving me to keep reading this book so that I could find out the fate of those who escaped the Arcadia. Not only that but the climax of the book was tension filled and well paced and while I was reel overly long it did not drag.
The characters of this book are so complex and flawed and I will hold them close to my heart for a little while. I got very invested in Esther and Nik and the cast of characters whilst I read The Stranded and this book only built on that whilst adding new characters to the mix. Once again the protagonist of the book was evil and psychotic and it matched the atmosphere wonderfully. I really liked how characters returned in a continuing arc from their one in the previous book, making them feel more real.
The writing is well paced and perfect for a YA dystopian. The world and plot Sarah Daniels has created is so unique but does hold the feel of the YA dystopians I read when a couple years ago and that only added to the wonders of this book. I am really excited to see what she does next.
Author bio
Sarah Daniels is an ex-archaeologist who escaped academia and now writes stories from her home in rural Lincolnshire. Her work has been published in various online magazines and has been nominated for best British and Irish Flash Fiction and Best Small Fictions.
If you want to contact her, you can do so at the following locations:
Website: http://www.sarahdanielsbooks.com
Instagram: @sarahdanielsbooks
TikTok: @sarahdanielsbooks
Twitter: @sarahdanbooks
Socials
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