Cracks in the Kingdom

A few months ago I reviewed A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty, and loved it. I finally managed to get to my NetGalley copy of the sequel Cracks in the Kingdom, and loved it just as much. Before I picked it up, I was impressed that it got four starred reviews. For those of you not familiar with the library world, that pretty much means four of the literary review magazines thought it was exceptional, and marked it as such. It's not all that often that so many different publications will star the same book, because usually each publication only stars a few each month.

Goodreads Summary of Cracks in the Kingdom:
The second in Jaclyn Moriarty's brilliant, acclaimed fantasy trilogy, THE COLORS OF MADELEINE!

Princess Ko's been bluffing about the mysterious absence of her father, desperately trying to keep the government running on her own. But if she can't get him back in a matter of weeks, the consequence may be a devastating war. So under the guise of a publicity stunt she gathers a group of teens -- each with a special ability -- from across the kingdom to crack the unsolvable case of the missing royals of Cello.

Chief among these is farm-boy heartthrob Elliot Baranski, more determined than ever to find his own father. And with the royal family trapped in the World with no memory of their former lives, Elliot's value to the Alliance is clear: He's the only one with a connection to the World, through his forbidden communications with Madeleine.

Through notes, letters, and late nights, Elliot and Madeleine must find a way to travel across worlds and bring missing loved ones home. The stakes are high, and the writing by turns hilarious and suspenseful, as only Jaclyn Moriarty can be.

My Review of Cracks in the Kingdom:
This installment of the series was equally as magical and captivating as the first. I've said this before in my review of the first book, but I love the amazing and creative world-building Moriarty has done. If you're sick of reading the same story over and over, and you're looking for something original, look no further. With dual viewpoints, she's able to offer the best of both worlds: Madeleine who's based in the real world, and Elliot, who's based in a fantastical world.

This series is full of humor, and rich, colorful characters. The setting is also beautifully described and incorporates highly original Color Attacks that affect Elliot's world in strange and interesting ways. This story of missing persons is full of fun twists and turns, and promises readers a fun, exciting, and original read.

I only have two complaints about this book. The first one is that Madeleine is not given equal screen time in this book, which sort of throws off the balance a little. It would have been a little better if, like the first installment, Madeleine and Elliot were given equal screen time. My second, and perhaps slightly bigger complaint is that the story drags on at certain points, and should have been edited down a little. I love long books if they're gripping throughout, but sections of the story were lagging and could have been pared down to speed up the story a little.

Overall, however, this is an amazing fantastical read that teens and adults of all ages will fall in love with. Readers are sure to be left salivating for the third installment.

Happy reading!