Robin Parish Editor Infuze MagazinePatrick Carman peels back the layers in Beyond the Valley of Thorns, the second book in his Land of Elyon Trilogy, revealing that not only was there much more going on in the first book than we realized, but that the stakes are as high as the survival of the entire Land of Elyon itself.Picking up shortly after The Dark Hills Divide left off, Beyond the Valley of Thorns wastes no time in sending heroine Alexa Daley off on a major new quest with friends and allies. It seems that the late Thomas Warvold, wise founder of the four major cities connected by walled roads (as depicted in the first novel), made plans for Alexa before his untimely death. It falls to her to combat the growing evils of the land and ensure their future, even though she is merely a young girl.Alexa possesses no unique skills or special abilities, save her ability to talk to animals, thanks to her trusty Jocasta stone. She also seems to have keen instincts for judging others’ character, as she is repeatedly able to see goodness or trustworthiness in those that others doubt. Her heart is pure, but simple and unconstrained by the complexities of adulthood; as a result, she leads with her heart, always willing to face the task ahead yet never afraid to admit that she’s frightened.Writer Patrick Carman opens up the full width and breadth of his mythical Land of Elyon for us to see and explore, taking us much farther away from Alexa’s home than the last journey he brought us on. His short, easily digestible chapters bring back memories of Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series, with easy-to-read, pleasant prose that always takes itself seriously but never delves into puffed-up pretense. Here he also asserts a plot with far more spiritual overtones than the first book contained, which at times feel a bit jarring at first but nonetheless propel the story forward into exciting new realms.If you enjoyed the first book in the series, Beyond the Valley of Thorns is a must-read. Like any good sequel, it takes the stakes and raises them to entirely new heights. Best of all, it reveals enough behind-the-scenes machinations from the first story to make you want to go back and read it again. Alexa Daley takes you on the ride of her life, far from her homeland and into the wilds of distant lands. Yet she never loses her heart or soul, and always chooses to do what’s right, despite her signature mischievous streak.Destiny has chosen her, though we’ve yet to find out why. Which is perhaps the story’s most enticing mystery, presumably yet to be revealed in Book 3…

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