Picking up the story two weeks after the end of volume one, Aella is still recovering and trying to process those events. Her mother is gone, her crush betrayed her, and her “aunts” want different things from her. Plus, there’s the evil god reincarnated within her to deal with. With attacks coming more frequently, Aella makes the decision to accept Xir’s power and strength to exact her revenge on the Church of the First Light for killing her mother while trying to unite the disparate pirate crews under her leadership. But pirates and politics are difficult to navigate for Aella, especially when her advisors are telling her two very different opinions. So Aella turns to Xir for guidance and support.
This volume follows closely on the revelations at the end of volume one, which means it is absolutely necessary to read them in order. Volume two does provide a brief one-page summary of the events up to this point to help guide the reader. There is plenty of action, however, more conceptual ideas are explored through character growth and story development. Specifically, what leadership looks like, how friendships work, and self-control. The beautiful color and attention to detail match volume one. I really like the artist’s use of so many bold colors. It really makes the story feel unique and helps the reader understand what emotions the characters are feeling. With the focus on the characters, readers will enjoy getting to know more about the side characters’ back stories as well as more world building. With the amount of violence on page and the more conceptual topics, this is still a great addition to teen and adult collections.
Sea Serpent’s Heir, bk 2: Black Wave
By Mairghread Scott
Art by Pablo Tunica
Skybound Comet, 2023
ISBN: 9781534399938
Publisher Age Rating: 12-17
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16)
Creator Representation: Argentinian
