After the wondrous Carry On was realized in 2015, it was an agonizing four years (yes, FOUR YEARS!) waiting for the release of Wayward Son. When the time was up, eager fans quickly scooped up the book, awaiting more magickal wonder in the world of Simon Snow. As always, this entire passage is as spoiler-free as I can make it!
Credit: thefandom.net
Wayward Son is quite shorter than its predecessor, being just past three hundred pages. However, the length seems appropriate for the story it tells, which I will explain shortly :).
Summary
The story starts just after the gang has left Watford. Simon is severely depressed, dealing with the fact that he has "killed the Mage" (whom Simon doesn't know was his father yet) and his loss of magical powers.
However, Simon does have his new red wings and tail to worry about, and his friend Penny often spells them invisible. Simon does not utilize this much, though, because he rarely leaves his apartment.
Penny, being the problem solver she is, suggests they all go to America, to visit Agatha in California, and her boyfriend, Micah, in Chicago.
Little do they know, their road trip through America involves much more than they expected. Agatha hasn't been answering her texts or calls. There are run-ins with vampires and other creatures, new friends, and even more magickal history lessons. And it's all in America, where the mages run free.
Review
Let's start off with this; I love a long fantasy book. I love really getting to know every character in a book, seeing every perspective, and seeing plenty of action,
After reading the ending of Carry On, I expected Wayward Son to be far more lighthearted. And in a way, it was. The atmosphere of magical America was very interesting, as every new introduction of a magical world is exciting.
After the previous book, It was pretty nice to kind of get a break from the story, in a way, but still see the characters we love. We see Baz and Penelope's friendship grow, which was something I was really looking forward to. We see a few cute Snowbaz moments. We see Agatha eating avocado toast in San Diego.
But there was still plenty of darkness in the story. Dark creatures are everywhere, waiting to be fought. Everyone's narrations somehow seem slightly unlike themselves, as if they are on-edge. Especially Simon, who has lost the one thing he loved most. The book had a nice balance between character life and action, just as the previous did.
However, I have to admit that I did have one complaint; the lack of Snowbaz action. I had expected so much after the Carry On epilogue, and we got about one kiss. Baz still has all the love in the world for Simon. And Simon has the same, but he doesn't believe Baz could ever love him. I have to say, I was really hoping he'd get over it by the end of the book, but it hasn't happened yet.
Overall, I still highly recommend the book. I don't quite worship it, but it's definitely worth a read. And I have to, as always, admire the pure skill put into each page. I am sure it is a brilliant bridge in the center of the Trilogy!
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