Synopsis:
Having escaped the dangers of the Nameless with the Philosopher Stone data, Sean thought his troubles were over. Until he gets a call for help from his sister Brigid–his long-dead sister.
Brigid is sparse on the details, but she needs Sean to go to the Republican city of Illin to retrieve something called a “Purifier” for her. Reeling from the desperate hope that his sister is alive, Sean aims for Illin, dragging his new companions, Tamara Gupta formerly a Republican soldier, and Indigo, the Minister responsible for the destruction of Sean’s home, into the fray.
But as usual, Sean hasn’t quite thought this through. The three of them are all wanted by Republican authorities, and Illin happens to be on the same planet as Sean’s old friend Senator Ketel. Y’know, the one who blackmailed and nearly murdered Sean. With every move Sean makes he discovers more intrigue, more people on his tail, and more ways that his little adventure could be the spark for war between the Republic and the Ministers. And to what end? Is it really his sister, a chance for family, and safety, on the other side?
Review:
Hello again dear reader or listener, I am here to tell you about the huge mistake I just made.
You see, while I very rarely do early reviews, this book has been my number one most anticipated sequel in the last two years. Which means the moment eArcs were up for grabs I went faster than light to request one, the MVPs at Solaris Books granted that request (thank you kindly, now whom do I address my therapy bill to?) and I, spectacularly stupid idea factory that I am, decided to read it right there and then. Instead of closer to release date this upcoming February. Which means I might need to wait even longer for the sequel! To add insult to injury, I actually binge reread book one and then jumped straight into the sequel.
So, if I die in the process, you’ll know this is what got me in the end. Just kidding, I shall be immortal if only to keep reading this perfect series. As you can probably already tell, I am indeed writing this review right after finishing this tiny marathon. Another ill-advised idea? Perhaps. The protagonist, Sean, and I share that trait.
Here is your official “ very mild spoilers for book one of the series ahead” warning and, if you’d like to read my happy rambles for that one first, this is where you’ll find them. Also, can we take a moment to once again drool at how awesome the cover art is?
Sophomore slump? Taran Hunt doesn’t know her.
The Unkillable Princess brashly kicks down the door in a swagtastic entrance, to announce to everyone that it is broader in scope, better in everything, and very ready to destroy your emotions. Every single one of them. And while it is very hard to say exactly what it is that makes this second entry in the Kystrom Chronicles so great, without any spoilers, I will do my very best, because this is everything you want in a sequel and more.
In The Immortality Thief, our wonderful chaotic trio of Sean, Tamara, and Indigo, followed the enemies, to reluctant allies, to found family pipeline, to perfection. It was done in the midst of claustrophobic action, high stakes, superb humor, and tons of emotional heft. Not to mention lots of monsters. It was a heist as much as it was a story about ethics, survival, and building trust. Now, with The Unkillable Princess, Hunt is treating the reader not only to the actual wider aftermath of the events that transpired at the end of book one, and their political ramifications, but also to the testing and tempering of that new bond between three characters that have found a family in one another when they least expected it. Torn between the family he found and the family he thought he had lost, Sean must make decisions that could mean far more than a broken heart. They could mean the begining of a war unlike any his universe has ever seen. Through all that, Hunt also gets to truly show us all of that wonderfully rich worldbuilding she had only been able to hint at with book one and its restricted setting.
This sequel is as much a spy thriller as it is a story of revenge, resentment, and idealism. But, at its core, it’s about a love so deep it’s nearly impossible to explain. And the fraught road to navigating conflicting feelings of past hurts haunting present care and affection. Hunt tackles complex themes of trauma, atonement, and PTSD, in a way that not only rings true, but bypasses lesser tropes or clichés commonly found in such contexts. Not only that, but she delivers fragility, under its various forms, in such a manner that makes her characters so much more than just words on a page. Moreover, this may be a more complex and intricately crafted story, with the broadening of both the settings and character cast, but it doesn’t feel like a completely different novel to its predecessor. It is both new, yet a perfect continuation and evolution of everything that worked in book one and you’d hoped to see more of in a sequel. The author expertly scales up everything, from the action to the somber moments, to the character development. And, of course, the shenanigans and hilarious chapter titles.
Also, you know how any time there is a found family trope, you might see or read a passing reference to moments between characters outside of the main plot – the so-called fluff – and we all live for it and desperately hold onto any shred of it we can find? Those bonding moments between characters that aren’t dependent on high stakes or plot driven character development. Just pure and simple, small moments bonding. That is something Hunt graces us with in this book, in heaps. Never mind that because it is all delivered through Sean’s unreliable narrating pov, he often observes something that he doesn’t truly see/understand in the moment, unlike the reader that is left giggling or clutching their chest in a wave of feels. Naturally, this only triples the staggering emotional damage that the rest of the book will wreak on you, but that is beside the point really. I’m fine… Who am I kidding, I am unwell.
I truly don’t know how the author managed to maintain the fast narrative pace despite all of the emotional weight she needed to carry across, but in between breakneck action worthy of the Mission Impossible franchise, reckless yet efficient spaceship piloting, and badass hand-to-hand combat, Hunt delivers another truly excellent romp, across planets and moons this time, that is in no way lacking in tons of heart and hilarity. You just need this in your life.
With The Immortality Thief, she showed us she had the skills and imagination to deliver a truly great sci-fi novel, but with The Unkillable Princess, Taran Hunt has certainly cemented her place among the pantheon of master storytellers.
Now excuse me while I go nurse the mother of all book hangovers, and trust that you will find me shouting from the rooftops to anyone who will listen about this series as soon as I recover. I am truly dying to read the next installment because I need answers to very important questions and my chest still aches hours later from the tachycardia those last ten chapters had me in.
The Unkillable Princess comes out February 11th, 2025 and you can pre-order now! Run don’t walk. I mean it!
Until next time,
Eleni A.E.
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