West by Edith Pattou is a beautifully crafted fantasy adventure and a heartfelt sequel to East. Rose sets out on a perilous journey to find her lost love, navigating challenges that test her courage and determination. Rich with mythology, love, and resilience, it’s perfect for fans of epic, fairy-tale-inspired tales.

I really wasn't expecting a sequel to East, and truth be told? I'm not certain that we needed it. Plot wise, this is very similar to East, and hey, good for Pattou to make the prince the one who always needs rescuing! It's squeaky clean, and I need to remember this duology for my readers who have moved beyond MG but aren't quite ready for YA.

We all thought everything was going to end happily ever after. I mean Rose and White Bear have been through more that enough, they deserve to spend the rest of their lives on a beach drinking smoothies. However, that is not in the cards. The trolls still hold their grudges and want to continue to attack Charles/White Bear. When he goes missing and is presumed dead, Rose refuses to believe this and packs up her life and sets off to find her bear again. However, Rose has more to lose now than ever. It is no longer about just her and her white bear, but about those they love, their children, and their families. Will Rose be able to continue to outsmart the magic that threatens to tear this family apart?

Le sigh, I love the White Bear, even though he was a shadow of himself in this book. I love that Rose’s best weapon is her mind and ability to think through a problem. While some of the added side characters were not my favorite, even though this book seems to be bridging the story from Rose and White Bear to these new characters, I didn’t find myself as enchanted with them. I love the foundation of this story, as well as the role of the winds and directions. I will keep reading as the author continues to put out more novels.

Edith Pattou returns in West, the sequel to her 2003 novel, East. The story picks up three years after Rose and her prince-turned-white-bear-turned-man, Charles have returned from his rescue in a place that is “east of the sun and west of the moon”. The troll queen they thought defeated has returned, grown strong and bitter in the time between her last appearance and now and is ready for revenge. Rose must steel her grit, courage, and resourcefulness against a battle fought not just for her own love, but for the world.

Pattou once again takes a more obscure fairy tale and weaves it into a breathtaking adventure, populated by characters who fight hard for what is good in the world. Stunning, heroic, and a perfect follow up to East, a book that helped many young girls define who they could be, just by embracing the things that made themselves special and working hard. Strongly recommended.

East has been one of my favorite books since middle school. It had the lushness of Robin McKinley’s Beauty. Since I heard that East was getting a sequel, I was estatic but at the same time worried it might ruin the happy ending. While West is more darker than East, I found it to be more mature than its predecessor. Rose became a strong woman in East, which prepared her for the obstacles in West. Rose’s and Charles’s love show that they can withstand the test of time. I really enjoyed West and it made East really special because it made their love too real.

Stories often end with a marriage and those expected words happily ever after. Stories should be like that perhaps, but life is not. In truth, my story with the white bear was very far from being over after we got married.

A new map, with new bearings.

A map of home and love and music and family.

Then it all changed. And all of our north, south, east, and west bearings were gone. In the blink of an eye.

The story picks up a short time after the events of East (North Child in the U.K. ), but gives a quick and welcome recap at the beginning, bearing in mind that many of the original fans of the first book will have read it over ten years ago!

The story follows Rose and Charles as they prepare to visit Rose’s parents, brining with them their newborn son, Winn, named for the the wind that was blowing when he was born. They are accompanied by Sib, one of the softskins freed from the Troll Queen’s Palace who seems to have a strange affinity with and possibly even power over the winds. When Charles’ ship sinks and the family receives a strange message saying he has died, Rose knows that something isn’t right so she sets off on a second epic journey to find him and bring him home.

The stakes seem even higher in this book than in the first because Rose’s family and friends are being drawn into the conflict between her and the Troll Queen. There is also a sickness epidemic spreading across Europe which seems as if it may leave any dead behind it.

This is an epic adventure across countries and worlds, with Rose showing her determination at every step. It addresses some of the questions I had at the end of the first book and it is refreshing to see the girl doing the rescuing! This book is sure to both satisfy old fans and bring new fans to this series.

“A wait of longer than a decade proves completely worthwhile in the case of Pattou’s continuing spin on Norwegian myth filled with fully realized human characters and adventures both fantastic and emotionally authentic.”—School Library Journal, STARRED review

“Necessary wherever the first is popular; a good addition to any collection where fairy-tale retellings circulate well.”—Kirkus Reviews

After 15 years, Edith Pattou’s WEST (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, October 23, 2018) is the long-awaited sequel to the beloved high fantasy East. Rose sets off on a perilous journey to find her true love when he goes missing in a thrilling tale of danger, magic, adventure, and revenge. Girl power and an epic love story come together with Edith’s much missed gorgeous writing.

EDITH PATTOU is the author of East, an ALA Notable Book; Fire Arrow, a Booklist Top Ten Fantasy Novel of the Year; and the New York Times best-selling picture book Mrs. Spitzer’s Garden. She lives in Columbus, Ohio. Visit her online at http://www.edithpattou.com and follow her on Instagram: @ediepattou and Twitter: @epattou

I gazed out over the expanse of Njordsjoen again. It was choppy, a deep blue almost to blackness, but this too made me catch my breath. The open sea. How I had missed it, the salty wind in my face, the call of the gulls.

These past three years had been happy ones for my white bear and me, carving out a life for ourselves in Fransk. Yet there were moments now and then when that old restlessness would overtake me, and I would be driven to strap on my boots and go wandering through the countryside.

Charles understood. “If it wasn’t for your wild nature, I would still be a white bear. Or worse,” he once said to me, when I had finished apologizing for being gone overlong.

Even after the birth of Winn, my white bear accepted my wanderlust. He would just brush my forehead with his lips and say, “Off with you.”

What I liked: The story addressed some of the questions I had at the end of the first book, namely the fact that it seemed unlikely to me that every single troll in the world would have been killed during the collapse of the Troll Queen’s Palace, especially as so many humans managed to survive. I also felt slightly disappointed at the end of the last book not to have had any mention of the winds, a section of the original fairytale which I adored – so having the winds in this book was great. I’m not sure if the author herself had these same concerns/omissions in mind, but I am glad that they have both been addressed!

Even better if: I loved it exactly as it is!

How you could use it in your classroom: As with the first book, this could be used to compare the original fairytale with this re-imagining, to examine the crossover between real-life and magic and to spark a discussion about why so many traditional tales end with a wedding or happily ever after – what does that really mean? What do we think actually happens after the end of the story?

This series will go right up to the top of my favorites list. I adored them and devoured them. Be prepared to get these if you ever do a book swap with me because they were that good!
WEST continues shortly after EAST ends and it takes off rather quickly.
"It was perhaps the hardest test I had ever faced, balancing my wild, northern nature with that love."
Charles has said to have died in a bad shipwreck as he was traveling back to Rose's family gathering. Only, Rose doesn't feel that he has died and can't believe what she hears. She gives her son to her brother to look after until she returns from her adventure to find the truth about Charles.
Upon her adventures she runs into some crazy people who are actually not people at all, but Trolls who work for the Queen who has supposedly died. Clearly she lived to torment Rose for another book and another adventure.
She gets clues as to where to find Charles, and when she does, he is not as he should be. His whole memory of Rose and their life together is gone. So she plays along through her own heartbreak in hopes that Charles's memory will return soon.
Only then do they get news of terrible diseases sweeping the lands and that their own son and daughter had disappeared without a trace. Only who would have that kind of power is an ill stated nation?
"My white bear was gone, but not gone. In some ways it was worse than if he were dead, Here but not here."
What a crazy ride this was...! Loved every moment, for the most part.
Please be aware that this next paragraph will CONTAIN A SPOILER so skip it if you don't want to be spoiled.
LAST WARNING :)
Okay, so here is the main reason why I only gave it 4 stars instead of 5. Why did Charles still not remember his wife or life even after he was turned back into a bear? Even after he was back to being a man after being a bear....
Why didn't Rose just tell him the truth from the beginning..? Given her wild nature, you'd think she would just tell him the truth when the time was right. It's her life as much as it is his. It's her son who was taken as much as it was his. I personally just didn't care for that aspect of the book. I didn't like how Rose went ahead with a "second" wedding with Charles instead of just trying to continue what they had. It just feels like she started over with him, even though their life was already pretty good.
Overall, I loved this book just as much as I loved the first one. Just if you read my spoiler, you would know why I rated it at 4. Which it wasn't even that big of a deal, just my personal opinion on the storyline.

WEST was addictive, adventurous, enchanting, and is a book generations to come will enjoy!
"Where there was life, there was also hope."

Until next time,
DauntlessReading

I read “East” forever and a day ago. It was an obvious read for me, as I love fairytale re-tellings and love “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” in particular. While I have yet to find my “one true love” version of this story (yes, this is a thing for me. For example, Robin McKinley’s “Beauty” and Juliet Marillier’s “Daughter of the Forest” both hold this esteemed title for their respective fairytales), I remember enjoying Pattou’s version and mentally shelving it as a “win” for this fairytale. So, when I saw that now, years later, Pattou was releasing a sequel story, it was a no-brainer to pick it up.

A few years after the events of “East” readers find Rose and her beloved Charles mostly settled into life. With a young baby boy to call their own and established lives pursuing their passions (Charles’s music), they are happy and it feels like the fantastical events of their lives are behind them. That is until Charles’ ship is struck down in a strangely powerful storm on a return journey from one of his musical expeditions. Now Rose will once again brave all to track down the love of her life who she knows, deep down, has not died but must have once again fallen into the grasp of villainy.

Reading this story so many years after “East” was an interesting experience. To be honest, I only had the vaguest memories of that book and they mostly had to do with generally liking it. But, as I said above, not loving it to the extent that I have other fairytale stories. With this book, as I read, I began to remember more and more about the original, not only its own specific take on the tale, but what exactly I liked about it, as well as what held me back.

What I liked has largely to do with a rather nebulous idea regarding writing tone. For fairtyales in particular, there’s a hard-to-pin-down style of writing that often comes hand-in-hand with this type of fantasy. It seems to be a combination of lyrical word choice, simple sentence structure, and a general approach to fantasy that leaves many things unexplained. Magical elements just exist, and it’s expected that readers can just accept them without detailed histories or systems. So, in this way, “West” definitely excels. While the story doesn’t speed along, it also reads nicely, filling its pages with the types of mini adventures and new characters that one expects to run across in fairytales.

The other thing that I remember enjoying from “East,” and that remains strong here, was the characterization of Rose herself. She’s a no-nonsense, go-getter type of heroine of the type that I always particularly enjoy. She doesn’t waffle amidst indecision or others fears (her family all try to convince her that Charles truly died in the ship wreck, as that’s how it appears in every rational sense), but instead has faith in her own abilities and feelings and takes charge of her situation. I also particularly enjoyed her knowledge of trolls to suss out suspicious instances early in the story.

However, there were also elements of this story that reminded me why I didn’t absolutely love “East” either. For one, like that book, Rose is not our only POV character. In the first book, I didn’t love this take on the story either, but I remember enjoying a few of the other POV characters enough that I was able to get on board with it. Here, I feel like there are not only even more POV characters, but that, between them, they tended to bog down Rose’s own story, rather them add nice supplements to it. On top of Rose’s own adventures, we have her brother who is always one step behind her. And her family back in her home village confronting a deadly plague. Both stories were fine, as far as it goes. But there was just too much going on between them all to ever feel truly invested in any of them. Mostly, I just wanted to focus on Rose’s journey to find Charles; I wasn’t too interested in seeing her brother just miss her time and time again. And the plague story, while interesting, just seemed like another tacked on plot that distracted from the main plot line.

In the end, I think my feelings for this book were about on par with what I felt for “East.” Perhaps a bit less so, since the whimsy of trying to track the original story in the retelling was lost in this one. But, as the books are so similar in whats on offer at their core, I think there’s a good chance that however you felt about “East” will transfer to how you feel here. And, as I know a lot of readers really loved that book, I’m sure this will also find a large number of devoted fans. For me, it was still just “kinda good.”

Rating 7: A steady sequel that aptly captures the same tone and feel of the first book, for better or worse.

In 2005, author Edith Pattou published a beautifully written novel entitled East which was aimed at ages 12 and up. The middle schoolers in my library loved it, but all of the adults whose hands I put the book in loved it too. I was so excited when a sequel to this book—West—was published all these years later, and it does not disappoint. I. highly recommend both novels!

Both novels would fall into the genre of fantasy, but they encompass so much more—adventure and folklore and fairy tales. One could also add the genres of thriller and legend. Readers who did not think they liked this genre were caught up in this story, and will be in its sequel also. West it is sure to please fans of East and new readers alike.

They are both full of elegantly crafted writing that is very imaginative in its simplicity. Pattou has honed this art I think by the many picture books she has authored. Picture books are deceptively hard to write well as one has to convey a lot in an interesting way in a few succinct words. ( She is the author of the delightful Mrs. Spritzer’s Garden—a favorite book exemplifying how great teachers can shape the lives of those they teach in a positive way.)

But I digress from the books at hand. Both East and West contain short chapters written from the perspectives of multiple characters. Two of the main protagonists are Rose and the White Bear(Charles). Both have characters you will quickly care about.

Here is the publisher’s description of the book:

“When Rose first met Charles, he was trapped in the form of a white bear. To rescue him, Rose traveled to the land that lay east of the sun and west of the moon to defeat the evil Troll Queen. Now Rose has found her happily-ever-after with Charles—until a sudden storm destroys his ship and he is presumed dead. But Rose doesn’t believe the shipwreck was an act of nature, nor does she believe Charles is truly dead. Something much more sinister is at work. With mysterious and unstoppable forces threatening the lives of the people she loves, Rose must once again set off on a perilous journey. And this time, the fate of the entire world is at stake.”

East is based on the old fairy tale “ East of the Sun and West of the Moon” which is sort of Beauty and the Beast set in the Scandinavian countries but so much more.

I am so glad that West gives me the opportunity to share these beautifully crafted books and Edith Pattou’s writing with a new generation of young (and young-at-heart) readers.. The release of West is the perfect time to read it and to reread East.

Thank you HMH Books and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book and for publishing the sequel to a much loved novel, and for allowing me to review it.

Pattou’s acknowledgements at the end of the book say it all: “When I finished East all those years ago, I never dreamed I would set out on another journey with Rose and her white bear. But my indefatigable homegirl tugged and tugged on my sleeve, telling me her adventuring wasn’t done. Not by a long shot.”

I read East because I am so in love with the fairy-tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon.

I read West because I had become invested in Rose during her journey in East, I needed to see what became of her story next.

For as long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with the tale of East of the Sun, West of the moon and I have read all versions I can get my grabby hands on. It is kinda like the original Beauty and the Beast (which also just happens to be my all time favorite story), with a bear whisking a girl away and they fall in love without her really knowing him as a man, only as a beast...until she does something stupid and ruins it all and then has to go on an epic journey to defeat a troll queen... But anyway, the concept is romantic, slightly creepy and so interesting! But that was book 1, East, I had no idea what Rose would face in West- except that it would be epic and most certainly heart-wrenching. (PS if you have not read East yet- or want a reread- you should pick up the audiobook because it is read by a full cast and is 100% fantastic!).

To me, this series is the most amazing of love stories. No, there is no sex or sweet words (sorry to disappoint, but that is not this kind of love or book), but instead there are the never ending actions that expressed real love, be it Rose and her never ending quests or Netti and his belief in his sister. All of these actions scream real, deep love to me and it is the kind of love that actually means something and everyone at heart desires. Ask yourself, how far would you go for the one you love- will it be to the amazing lengths of Rose?




Rose is really the most remarkable of people. Her perseverance and determination have no bounds and she is the kind of person you want on your side when something terrible happens- like being kidnapped by an evil Troll Queen. White Bear and Wynn are lucky to have her, and she is lucky to have Netti. Can I just mention the heartache that was in this book? Both Rose and I had assumed that a happily ever after was over due for her after East, but instead it was ripped away and all that was left was hurt- and faith.

Edith, the author, sent out a comment about West when it was released a few weeks ago and I found it insightful, and it really reinforced for me what I was feeling while I was reading but I could not name. She wrote:

I was a child when I first read the tale “East of the Sun and West of the Moon” and was immediately enchanted by the unnamed heroine who rides on the back of a large white bear as well as on the backs of all the different winds (north, south, east, west), who outwits a troll queen, and who rescues a prince from a spell. To me, she was a super-hero back when there were barely any female super-heroes. She was brave and she was smart. And most of all, she was persistent. I have discovered over the course of writing both EAST and WEST that while persistence may not be glamorous, it is possibly the most formidable super-power of all.


Edith did a fantastic job of making Rose into the type of superhero that I appreciate the most, so real and human, with no magical gifts or powers yet through her determination and belief, she got S*** done. Now this, this is someone to look up to and want to aspire to be like.

I am voluntarily reviewing an advance, complimentary copy of this book. Come visit me at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

East had been on my TBR for years, so when I saw West on netgalley, I requested and moved East up to the list. I only just read East a couple months ago, so it's fresh in my mind, unlike other people who read it when it was originally published or have fond memories from their childhood. Once I'd read East, I didn't really think it needed a sequel but am of course glad one exists! It was such a pleasure to return to this world, same wonderful writing, interesting and well developed characters. Whether you read East 10+ years ago or 10 days ago, West is a wonderful sequel I highly recommend.

EAST by Edith Pattou took one of my favorite stories, 'East of the Sun, West of the Moon' a Norwegian fairy tale, and completely swept me away with her beautiful retelling, making Rose's journey come alive with all the magic and enchantment I could hope for.

Now in WEST, the sequel takes readers once again on a magical journey led by Rose as she sets off on a perilous journey to find her true love when he goes missing. It is a tale of danger, magic, and adventure beyond the Happily Ever After.

I love the timeless quality to Edith Pattou's writing. It feels as if you have just closed one book, and opened its companion when East is actually celebrating its15th-anniversary edition! This is Rose's story but once again we are treated to multiple viewpoints (my secondary favorite is Neddy!) as the story meanders in a beautiful, unraveling way filled with myths and folklore, as a new adventure begins.

One of my favorite aspects of the story, and in both books, is how well you come to love these characters. The strong bonds of family play an important part and this time we get to know Rose's family even better.

Rose is one of my favorite heroines in MA and YA literature. She is one those protagonists who is very independent and likes to take matters into her own hands. And, even though she often begins her adventure alone, it is never long before she makes some unexpected allies along the way.

This companion novel is a perfect addition to fan's libraries. The timeless quality of Pattou's writing and the vivid and endearing characters make for a wonderful addition for readers who enjoy fairy tale retellings, myths, and folklore. Magical and sweeping, this is another timeless tale to enjoy and savor.

Thanks to HMH Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the advance reader's copy I received to review.

I wanted to love this, but it just felt repetitive. East was such a good story, and felt finished. That said, I had to read this one, since it held such potential. Unfortunately, this one is slow and doesn't really ever reach a point where it adds anything to the series.

West by Edith Pattou is the sequel to East and continues the tale of Rose and her lover. Years pass, and the pair have a baby they name Winn. Things are going great, til one day Charles, now free of the bear enchantment, is presumed lost at sea when the ship he was traveling on sinks. Rose refuses to accept that, and once again our intrepid explorer sets off after her love. Rose is more right than she knows, and she's in for the adventure of her life, living up to her 'curse’ as a North-born babe. In the course of her travels and investigations, new friends and enemies abound, and some ‘old friends’ come to play.

As with the previous book in the duology, West sports multiple perspectives, allowing for a richer story. Rose was my favourite to follow. I feel she grew from her last adventure, and she's growing through this one, despite everything thrown at her. I loved the references and weaving in of Norse mythology and folklore. I did feel the chapters were a bit shorter than I would have liked. I felt I didn't have enough time to really settle in with a narrator before moving on to the next. It wasn't terrible though, and I still enjoyed the multiple perspectives. Recommended for any who love fantasy!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. This book was reviewed for the Fantastic Flying Book Club.

So I read East and West together so I feel like I’m still stuck in the world. Ha ha. I did really enjoy the stories and I loved the way they are written. Both books are fast paced and interesting, with something always happening.

So when I started reading West, I didn’t read the description so I wasn’t even sure if it was going to be a continuation of Rose and Charles story or maybe Neddy would be more in the front row. As soon as I started to read about Charles getting on the ship, I thought, oh no Charles not again. Poor poor Charles.

So in East I had loved the lure/superstitions about the birth direction and I wished Arne could make me my own Wind Rose. In West I really loved the Wind magic. I thought it was so creative the way that it is made a part of the story. It’s the kind of magic that seems natural and makes sense. I really enjoyed it being a part of the story.

Just like East, the story is told in alternating perspectives and the way that Edith Pattou is able to keep the story moving by doing this is impressive. You are never confused and annoyed by the writing style, I think it really keeps the story going and makes it more interest. Plus Pattou’s writing just has that lyrical Fairy-Tale quality to it that makes you feel kind of dreamy while reading. I really liked the plot as well and the way there are different elements that you recognize from other stories.

I love the characters! I had a fondness for the Fairy-tale Snow White and Rose Red when I was a kid. I’m not even sure why, to be honest. So I found myself instantly being drawn to the White Bear and Rose. Rose is just so fearless, clever and kind. She’s that person that you want to be friends with. Charles is just, oh poor Charles, he’s just a good guy so you find yourself rooting for him. I enjoyed Estelle but I wasn’t as connected to her as much as Neddy and Seb. Everyone in the story has their own special personality that makes you love them.

If you like Fairy Tales this story is perfect for you. It’s not a retelling, it’s definitely it’s own thing but the way it’s written is just very magical. I had my eye on East for a very long time and I’m glad I finally read them.

"ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review."

I loved the first book, however, I do not feel that it needed a sequel. The entire book felt redundant and stilted in the way it jumped perspectives every two or three pages never really allowing the reader to settle into a POV. I do not feel like this book added to the story of Rose and her bear at all so much as it just repeated what had already been told in a slightly different way... it kind of felt like really well-written fan fiction of the author's work without being good enough to be the legitimate sequel of such a stunning and fantastic book as East. If anyone asked me if they should read this book, I would just recommend they reread East instead.

Five years ago, I read East and fell completely in love with the novel. It was spellbinding, mysterious and at its heart was a good retelling of a fairy tale. So you can imagine my excitement to read an advanced copy of the sequel, and how it really hurts me to write the following: I am disappointed in this sequel.

West follows Rose and her white bear several years after the first book. In that time, Rose and Charles have had a baby, who they lovingly refer to as Winn, Estelle, Sib, and Rose's family. The book really starts with Rose's mother, Eugenia, having a potent dream that foretells Charles' death and other sinister events. Of course, this comes to pass as Charles and Rose make their way to her family's home. Traveling separately, Charles seemingly perishes in a shipwreck. Rose does not believe this and sets out to track down her husband in an unfolding journey that isn't nearly as charming as the first one.

Please be advised there are spoilers up ahead. Rose is able to find Charles, but she also discovers that the Troll Queen, who was killed in the last book, is not dead. Instead, she seeks to retake everything that Rose took from her, including Charles and Winn. As result, the book primarily follows two threads; one involves Rose and Charles, who does not remember the past one hundred years and subsequently his life with Rose. This seems to be the result of the Troll Queen's magic. And the second follows Estelle and Winn, who both are kidnapped by the Troll Queen. Rose must track down her son and in the process stop the Troll Queen's nefarious plans before Charles permanently forgets about his family.

It is an interesting, but overall it lacks emotional depth. And, I assume that this is partly due to the fact that this book is oriented towards children/young adults (This is based on the fact that the first book was geared towards this audience). Therefore, Rose's life as a mother and wife is, for lack a better term, very G-rated. I think this story would have been much more powerful if Pattou had delved into Rose's heartbreak and grief over what happened to Charles. And more importantly, her anxiety and determination to find her son. Instead, it focuses on other perspectives that don't really add to the story and distance the reader away from Rose and her new journey. This is further enhanced by Rose's choice to be called Nyamh throughout the story and makes her seem different from the beloved character we remember. I read a remark at the back about how this story was for the people, who grew up with East, and I really wish Pattou had a written a story for these women, who now have their own families, new worries, and who need a fairy tale that speaks to these issues.

*ARC received from NetGalley in return for an honest review*

I have an admission to make: East is one of my favorite books. I have memories of my mother and i alternating chapters as we read it to each other. East was the book that first got me through being diagnosed with migraines because I could curl up with it and not have to worry about how much pain I was in. Which is why I was just so happy when I heard that West was going to be a book. Then the worry hit that the sequel would never live up to the first.

Going into West I decided not to read East again for fear that I would spend the whole time comparing the two. I am very glad I did because there were parts that I still compared. There were moments where I was disappointed in the choices that Edith Pattou made. Like the fact that there are just so many narrators. Instead of just having a few there are six. Not only is this quite a few narrators, but the chapters are all so short it is hard to get a feel for who the character is. To know what motivates them besides the obvious thread the connects them all: love.

All of this did bring down some of my hype for the book, but by the end I still enjoyed myself. It is a sequel that didn't feel necessary though was a fun enough ride that I would suggest other people read it if they loved the first.

"Hey remember your favorite book from when you were a kid? Remember the story you got a tattoo about? WELL IT'S BACK!"

Seriously I almost cried when this book popped up on Netgalley. I couldn't believe Pattou was continuing this story but I was also trepidatious, just like I was when I found out Nix was adding on to the Abhorsen Trilogy. But just like that instance I had NOTHING to be afraid of. If anything I only fell more and more in love with this story and all the new characters we got a chance to meet.

I don't want to spoil too much so I will be vague but I love that one of my favorite female protagonists remained the strong and independent woman who CHOOSES adventure rather than being forced into it. I love that she can have love and she can have ties to people and things but she CHOOSES to follow through on some paths not instead of another, but because of another and that Rose TRUSTS the people around her to support her in that journey. She is not a woman alone but a woman empowered and powerful.

SWOON!

4.5

You know the adventure books you read as a kid; the ones that completely took you away to another land and for a few brief moments reality fused into a magical world of make believe. That is what Pattou has written. “West”, is the stunning sequel to her first masterpiece, “East”.

When Rose first met Charles, he was trapped in the form of a white bear. To rescue him, Rose traveled to the land that lay east of the sun and west of the moon to defeat the evil Troll Queen. Now Rose has found her happily ever after with Charles, until a sudden storm destroys his ship and he is presumed dead. But Rose doesn’t believe the shipwreck was an act of nature, nor does she believe Charles is truly dead. Something much more sinister is at work. With mysterious and unstoppable forces threatening the lives of the people she loves, Rose must once again set off on a perilous journey. And this time, the fate of the entire world is at stake.

I’m not one to normally pick up high fantasy, because sometimes the world building can be so complex and confusing for me. However, even though this series is considered high fantasy, it is more fairytale-like and has that classic storybook feel like beauty and the beast. When I read, “East” a few months ago, I completely fell in love with the rich setting and lovely characters! “West” is much of the same way. It’s a great, faced paced, beautifully written sequel. Pattou’s writing is effortless and she takes you on a vivid adventure! Love this duology so much! I think I did (very slightly) prefer, “East”, but overall these are wonderful together!

Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group for sending me an advanced readers copy! You can buy West on October 23rd! In the meantime read Pattou’s first wonderful book, “East”!