Loved the first book in this series. A great magical adventure for ages 8 to 12 years. Thought the second book was also good - this had a new setting and new magical beasts. Got to know main characters better with some new ones thrown in.

Barclay is continuing his adventures as a Lore Keeper and is apprentice to Guardian Keeper Runa along with Viola and Tadg. They have been traveling to the Sea. There is something causing magical beasts to terrorize the Elsewhere communities and an algae bloom is destroying all the fish. At the Sea, Barclay continues to struggle to find a place for himself in the Wilderlands and finds himself navigating rival groups of Lore Keepers all while trying to stop the destruction of Sea communities and tackle a Legendary beast. ( )

This is the 2nd book in the series, and I did read the first one. I do highly recommend starting at the beginning of the series because it does offer background information, which will make book two that much more enjoyable. That said, it isn't impossible to start with book two, but....why would anyone do that with this series?

Where fantasy and action already filled the pages of book one, the excitement notches up even more to create a fun read in this next tale.

Barclay still has a lot to discover about his Lore, the world, and...well, everything. When his teacher is called to the Sea to deal with something, which is swallowing everything in its path, the next adventure begins. The forest is left behind as this adventure heads to the Sea. It was fun to discover the new creatures and sink into the new world. The imagination is just as rich as in the first book and as exciting to discover.

While book one already kept the pace high, book two ticks it up another notch. Barclay has a lot of obstacles to face, and the tensions between him and his friends still aren't fully erased. Add the competition with the other teacher, and there's a lot going on. With all of this, it's still an easy read to get lost in with tons of twists along the way.

Fans of middle grade fantasy will not want to miss this one (or the entire series, so far). The only problem will be the wait for book three to see what happens next.
I received an ARC and was thrilled to discover that this book is even more exciting than the first in the series. ( )