Wow, I mean where to start? This book is an incredible sequel and continues the journey and adventures of Ash and the Frostheart crew
The story picks up right after the events of book 1 which I liked. Ash and the crew arrive in Aurora and continue to follow the trail and clues left to Ash by his father in the lullaby.
The joy at reaching Aurora is short lived as Captain stormbreaker has a plan to stop the Leviathan which endangers the song weavers.
Ash and the Frostheart crew set off from Aurora but an attack by wraiths sets them on a different path
I think I may have even preferred the second instalment of Frostheart. This was a fast paced adventure and a real page turner. It was so lovely to be back in the company of Ash, Lunah and Tobu. I am so grateful to have received the EARC from Netgalley. I highly recommend this series of books and the illustrations are stunning and really add to the story. Finally I just need to mention the ending - Wow!

This book is everything middlegrade should be. fun, adventurous, magical and heartwarming frostheart 2: escape from aurora is an absolutely fantasatic sequel they more than lives up to its predecessor (i might even like it more) and delivers just as much wonder with a fantastic plot (seriously, this book had better political nuance than most adult fantasy books i've read!!) Truly a joy for people of all ages.

Ash, the main character, is such a loveable and adorkable character to follow and throughtout this book we watch him really come into his own, whilst also struggling with wondering where his home is and also some lingering darkness due to the influence of the evil Shaard from the last book. Some of Ash's moments where he reflects on what he has learnt and confronts his own anger were so emotional (there may have been tears...). Ash's frienship with Lunah is also so precious and I love how supportive they are of each other!! This book is sucha great role model for young kids to read.

There is so much action in the sequel, at the start of the book the crew of the frostheart visits the stronghold of Aurora, a cosmopolitan location which is very unstable politically, Ash's people the songweavers are being persecuted. Ash is also trying to find the next clue in order to solve the riddle his parents have left for him! Later in the book the team venture into the wilds, and I have to say this was my favourite setting, the magic and atmosphere just felt immersive!!

Also the ilustrations are stunning and add so much to the story, they really help bring the characters to life!!

Frostheart 2 begins right where the first book finished. Ash continues his journey to look for his missing parents, following the lullaby that his father left for him. He is led to Aurora, the pathfinder stronghold, and here he finds a captain who wants to join forces against the leviathans in a war to end all wars! All song weavers are at threat and Ash needs to decide where his loyalties lie.

I loved this phenomenal second instalment to the Frostheart series; it was engaging, thrilling and so fast paced I didn’t want to put it down! I liked hearing the lullaby as Ash did and I wanted to work them out whilst he did. There was a real sense of adventure throughout the whole story, which was accompanied by some beautiful illustrations.

Character wise, Tobu is still as grumpy and adorable as the first story and I continue to love his care for Ash. Rook was intriguing and learning more about her through the story answered many questions.

I’m desperate for more! There are so many questions that need answering.

Escape from Aurora (Frostheart 2) by Jamie Littler
Release date: 1st October 2020
Publisher: Puffin

Rating: ***** (if I could give it more I would)

Thank- you very much for @Netgalley and @Puffin for allowing me to read a EARC of this wonderful book.
Synopsis:
Ash and the rest of the Frostheart's brave crew have finally arrived at the majestic stronghold of Aurora - and Ash's mind is blown.
It's an extraordinary place - unlike anything he's ever seen - and he can't wait to solve the next clue that will lead him to his parents.
But it's quickly clear that even Aurora isn't safe for Song Weavers. A fanatical Pathfinder captain has turned the city against Ash and his kind - and it's not long before the Frostheart has to make another break for freedom.
But when a vicious Wraith attack leaves Ash, Lunah, Rook and Tobu stranded on the ice, they will have to use all their strength and cunning to reach safety. But what they find is even more incredible... (Provided by Puffin)
Thoughts on the book:
This book is all the things that I loved on Frostheart but it has so much more. The gang are back together and they are still trying to help Ash to look for his parents. The interactions between the gang show just how much they now respect Ash and how much they want to protect him. Tobu and Lunah get an incredibly special mention here and Ash’s love for them also is something that I will admit made me tear up a few times. This is a series that everyone young or old needs to read because it has so many themes that teaches that no matter what age someone is will take away something from it. I adore the characters, the setting, the themes, the illustrations- I need to find a way to get a print of Jamie Littler’s work because they are stunning. If I could give this book more than five stars I would especially because of the ending which made me gasp, and audibly shout out when I realised it was coming towards the end of the book I even starred at the book for a good five minutes trying to work out whether there was another page. – I cannot wait until the next one, I need more.
I will be recommending this series to people that I meet a lot like I did with frostheart, I will be shouting about this book and telling people how absolutely enchanting and magical this series is. When this book comes out it is going to take pride of place on my shelf with the first one. I truly have no words to express how good this book is but all I can say is you need to read it and you will not be disappointed by it at all.

I... I can't even speak. I don't know if I have the words. I feel battered, bruised, but oh my, was that the best ride I've been on in my life.

The follow-up to Frostheart sees the adventures of Ash as he continues his perilous search to find his missing parents. Armed with the power of being a Song Weaver that can connect him to the Leviathans that everyone fears, and along with the crew of the Frostheart, Ash arrives at the safe haven of Aurora. Or is it as safe as he thought? A fanatical captain wants to turn everyone against Song Weavers and to brew a deadly war that will end the Leviathans forever. The Frostheart crew find themselves in the centre of another dangerous adventure that will push Ash to his limits.

I don't think anybody can understand just how excited I was for this book. I've refreshed NetGalley a dozen times a day waiting to see that gorgeous cover of 'Frostheart: Escape from Aurora' appear. I've asked about proof copies and advanced e-ARCs to quite possibly every single person who works at Puffin (including their janitor cause you just never know). After reading and loving the first 'Frostheart' so, so much, this was the book I was most eagerly anticipating in 2020. And guess what, it's exactly the book I was hoping for.

'Frostheart: Escape From Aurora' is a perfect sequel. The characters we came to love in the first one outshine their past selves, growing and adapting in a world that is getting progressively more dangerous - a world that has been expertly crafted and likewise adapting to the growing expanses of Littler's imagination. Buried in every chapter are details of world-building that adult fantasies would be lucky to have, and with this ever-growing world comes the ever-growing developments of character and plot that ANY fantasy would be lucky to have.

Let's start with the characters. Ash, a fantastic example of a protagonist who is so flawed that when it's his moment to shine - he SHINES. You will find throughout this epic sequel that Ash is completely out of his depth. His goal is to follow the clues in the lullaby his parents left him so that he can be reunited with them. This makes the stakes feel so much higher - we WANT him to find his parents, and we have done since the first book. His struggles only adds to his complexity. The writing is evocative enough to show us Ash's thoughts and feelings, making us believe in him, and want him to succeed, even when he doesn't always make the best of choices (and one choice in particular made me gasp out loud).

And does he find his parents? I'm not telling.

Tobu, Ash's yeti guardian, is the same Tobu we ALL fell in love with in the first book. Tough and menacing on the outside, but a big softy on the inside, watching Ash's and Tobu's relationship develop in this is one of the many highlights. I can't even count on two hands the amount of times their interactions had me smiling or shrieking. I love this dynamic so much. And let's not forget Lunah who is one-half of one of the best friendships I've read in a middle grade novel. Ash and Lunah are the perfect duo, providing some light relief when we really need it, but she's always there for Ash, and she proves time and time again that she can hold her own. I loved seeing more of her story in this when they are in Aurora, as well as getting more insight into her goals and ambitions. The characters are made even more three-dimensional and real, and there are more and more characters I absolutely love (special shout-outs Nuk, Pod, Rook, Golan, etc.).

The plot kicks in from the word go. The super intense prologue is a theatrical beginning to what promises to be an action-packed sequel, and even during some of the more 'slower' moments in Aurora, there is never a dull scene. When the action calms, we are given world-building and character-building. Everything felt relevant and not a moment was wasted. We get to explore new areas and learn more about the World Before - it was all fascinating. The series has gotten to the point where the world is already so rich and yet I want to know even more. The World Before is talked about a lot, we see glimpses into the past, as well as the terrifying future that can potentially happen if the bad guys win.

Answers are given but more questions are raised - and I crave, crave, crave the next instalment. The intrigue never stops being incredibly high. Ash and the gang discover more about the world and the Leviathans and about themselves and hidden places and ... I'll stop there, because I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Just make sure you pre-order this book and read it the day you lay your hands on it. If you don't, then you don't love yourself.

'Frostheart: Escape From Aurora' is a spectacle. Rich in world and sharp in character, the continuation of Ash's adventures is an adventure you do not want to miss in this exciting series - a series that is seriously shaping up to be one of the best children's book series of all-time.