Word Spelunking

Kiki Hamilton's TheFaerie Ring (first in the series) was one of my favorite YA reads last year and featured one of my favorite YA heroines, Tiki, so I was very excited to dive into the sequel The Torn Wing. And like its predecessor, The Torn Wing instantly transported me back to bustling Victorian London and plopped me back into Tiki's thrilling adventures.The Torn Wing picks up several months after the events of The Faerie Ring and we find Tiki and her ragtag family of former orphan pickpockets living with the charming and wealthy Rieker. The Faerie Ring is safe, but the Otherworld is anything but peaceful, as the dark Unseelie King seeks to take over not only the Otherworld, but London as well. When Tiki's world and family is at risk and a shocking revelation is made, she must work with and trust a loathed enemy, and Tiki finds herself traveling to the dangerous Otherworld to save both worlds and all that she loves.The Torn Wing is an excellent sequel that seamlessly transitions from book one, continuing the excitement and superb historical fantasy world-building of The Faerie Ring, while further developing the characters I came to love in book one and introducing a few new captivating characters. Hamilton's storytelling and world-building continue to shine as she takes Tiki and readers into the fantastical Otherworld.The Torn Wing moves a bit slower than book one and, while I missed the fast-paced, breathless pace of the book one, Hamilton weaves another enchanting story that kept me completely enthralled from beginning to end. From the very first page, The Torn Wing swept me away once again to Victorian London, from the gritty streets full of pickpockets to the ballroom of Buckingham Palace. What I love so much about Hamilton's world-building is how intricately layered and real it feels, and in this sequel we are transported, not just to historical London, but to the magical Otherworld. And the Otherworld is richly and lushly imagined and developed. This Otherworld is both darkly and breathtakingly beautiful, with a fascinating mix of inhabitants.We find Tiki and her family in a very different situation than we found them in book one, as they no longer need to steal or live on the streets, instead living in Rieker's posh home. I found it interesting to see the small, subtle effects this whole new world has on the main characters, yet comforting to discover that underneath their new, nice clothes and normal duties, these characters are still the same feisty, endearing, and lovable characters I fell in love with in book one. Although, Shamus' character felt almost like a prop in this book, as he did not feature heavily into the story and when he did he was either sleeping or mentioned in passing. I wish he was given more of a necessary purpose.Tiki is faced with several life-changing revelations in this book and goes through quite the transformation, but through it all she remains determined, brave, plucky, and all about protecting those who can't protect themselves. Rieker, while still charming and swoon-worthy, is kind of frustrating with his mysterious secrets and absences but he is still very much the Rieker I crushed on in book one. The romance isn't overly heavy in this sequel, it doesn't dominate the story, but it is certainly there. Hamilton introduces Dain, a mysteriously compelling faerie, to the story and he and Tiki have an intriguing connection. And while Tiki and Dain certainly have their own electric chemistry, this Tiki/Rieker/Dain situation never felt like an annoying love triangle. And as much as I adore Rieker and love the relationship between he and Tiki, I'm eager to see where Tiki and Dain's connection leads.The immediate danger and peril is more palpably felt in this sequel as Tiki and Rieker race to find a magical stone, while working with and relying on the cunning Larkin, both in London and in the Otherworld. I love the dynamic between Tiki and Larkin and how I both love to hate and hate to love Larkin. Hamilton does a great job of building layers of story, with unexpected twists and climactic build-up, all of which come together to create a thrilling and wild adventure that lead to a wicked cliffhanger.MY FINAL THOUGHTS: With The Torn Wing Kiki Hamilton has crafted an excellent sequel in an already addicting and enchanting series. This a fantastical, fun faerie read!