The dragons of Nova

Book two in the Loom Saga opens with Cvareh and Arianna attempting to break through the cloud barrier that separates Cvareh's ruling sky world of Nova from Arianna's lower, both literally and figuratively, world of Loom. Cvareh's sister, Petra, needs Arianna's help in her quest to overthrow the Dragon King and become Dono herself. Petra believes that Arianna's invention, the Philosopher's Box, will be the turning point. From Petra, Arianna seeks sovereignty for her home. Arianna also seeks revenge on a dragon who betrayed her many years ago, causing the death of her friends and lover. Like the previous book in this series, each chapter is told from a different point of view of one of the main character. Arianna continues to be the weakest character in the series. Her stubbornness and inability to listen to others make her seem more like a petulant child than the strong warrior the story says she is. Luckily, the other characters are more nuanced and carry the story. The story starts slow, and it is not until the Crimson Court does the violent excitement start. Buy where the first book and this author are popular.--Pearson, Lynnanne Copyright 2017 Booklist

In this muted second book in the Loom trilogy (following The Alchemists of Loom), Kova's steampunk-edged fantasy lags into dreary repetition. Above the world of Loom float the Islands of Nova, home of the dragons that rule over the earthbound humans called Fenthri. The Fenthri have advanced mechanical knowledge, but their guns and bombs are no match for dragon magic. Fenthri Arianna and dragon Cvareh have made an abrupt departure from Loom via glider, and now Arianna is learning what the higher half of the world looks like. The islands are brilliantly light-bathed, and their architecture defies gravity, but Arianna is allowed to see little of them. She and Cvareh are here to find the essence that powers the Philosopher's Box, which will help them liberate the Fenthri from dragon rule, but they must conduct their search while concealing Cvareh's trip to Loom from dragon king Yveun Dono, who kills on a whim. Too much of the story is spent waiting for something to happen, and both dragon and Fenthri characters tend toward the insufferable. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.