Kayla M. Ware
Editor & Professional Beta Reader
July 19, 2020
A heartfelt continuation of the 𝑅𝑒𝓂𝒶𝒹𝑒 series, 𝑅𝑒𝓃𝑜𝓌𝓃 shows deepening relationships and further exploration of the King’s Galaxy’s planets and politics. This novel made room for growth and development in the plot and characters alike, though that seemed to fall a little short in regards to the main character. While Aliya has great potential to be a strong female lead, her desires and motivation seem to be deeply rooted in dependency and lacked the strong independence I desired and expected from her. Her up-and-down, yes-and-no uncertainty and inconsistency seemed to take away from otherwise strong plot points and, I feel, weakened the overall structure of the story. While others may find the romance subplot to be charming, I felt that some of these scenes took away from the sense of adventure and created unnecessary and unrealistic conflict that interrupted the story’s more intriguing developments and experiences. That being said, there were also times where the budding romance between Aliya and Caspian offered safety and comfort as well as raw emotion that Novotny successfully conveyed and used to deepen Aliya’s sense of belonging in a galaxy of people and places unfamiliar to her.
While there were times I wished for a little less of the corny romance, I understand and appreciate the necessity of the relationship at its core and the heightened stakes it brings. Between the scenes of romance, I found exciting adventure, breathtaking scenery, and curious creatures filling the pages and pouring into my imagination. Novotny’s second novel further expanded the universe introduced in her debut, acquainting readers with new alliances and revealing more about the King’s Galaxy’s mysterious enemy. 𝑅𝑒𝓃𝑜𝓌𝓃 ends shortly after an epic battle, much like 𝑅𝑒𝓂𝒶𝒹𝑒, leaving readers in the aftermath and uncertainty of what’s to come in the much-anticipated third installment of the series.