After the ominous ending of The Baba Yaga, I was eager to see how the story would unfold in The Star of the Sea. New characters are introduced, old ones return and all along, no one is sure who they can trust. A steady and engaging story from beginning to end, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

Delia has disappeared – some believe she is dead, some believe she fell through the portal. But when her fifteen-year-old daughter emerges only weeks after Walker vanishes, nothing can be taken for certain.

Maria is struggling to find her place in a community that haven’t completely accepted her. When she is forced to flee with her daughter, Jenny, and take refuge in the mountains, Maria steps into a role she never imagined herself in. She becomes a leader, organising a rebellion and resistance against the soldiers who have invaded her home.

I liked Yale in the previous book despite her scepticism. Her character develops in this book as she learns to trust people and act on her emotions rather than cold facts. Despite not trusting Cassandra initially, she is prepared to face her own fears in order to help the girl.

O’Connor is the main new character. A scientist on an expedition to Stella Maris, her naivety means she doesn’t realise what the soldiers, the separation and the guns are leading to. But when given the chance, O’Connor proves that she is on the right side!

As a new character, we don’t find out a lot about Cass – she remains an enigma to the reader as well as the characters! But we are introduced to Maxie Lee, an analyst who discovers the truth and is put in severe danger for it. She is another character that comes through and I liked her.

This plot started moving earlier in this novel compared to the previous, mainly because both characters and readers know what they are up against. But despite the threat being made apparent from early on – the scientists are here for the Weird Portal, only no one knows what they plan with it – the plot moves at a steady pace.

It is only in the final third of the book where events escalate that I worried about the characters properly. There is suddenly more than one world in danger from the Weird, and only one mysterious teenage girl has any chance of defeating them. The impossible odds made the characters into unlikely heroes.

The reader is never given a true glimpse at the enemy. The characters are fighting against the Weird, with no idea if they themselves could be infected. But the enemy takes the form of friends and loved ones. The Weird are supposed to be so dreadful that not revealing their true form actually makes the threat greater than if a strange alien was described. I love how this increases the tension throughout.

Another great read that has made me excited for the science-fiction genre and what might come next! Definitely a recommendation!

We discussed this on our book podcast Brave New Words.