First off, I will likely hype anything from Seanan McGuire; she's amazing. Secondly, Amber Benson does an phenomenal job narrating here. The voices and speech patterns are distinct for each character that you always can follow who is talking, and the general narration is so calmly in charge. You need that calm authority, as McGuire is taking us on another bonkers journey where you just need to suspend your understand of how the world works and take hers as gospel, please and thank you. I'm not sure if this is a YA love story, a fantasy novel, or just someone explaining to me the secrets of the universe. Ultimately, it's an incredibly fun, read, a race to stay alive for love.

It’s not often that a second in a series is better than the fist one, but I think McGuire pulled it off with Seasonal Fears. I loved it!

This book picks up in the time period after Middlegame ends and features two new kids. While Middlegame featured kids who were the nerdy smart kids, Seasonal Fears is about a cheerleader and her quarterback boyfriend. They have their own struggles though and their lives aren’t perfect.

I love how the fantasy is woven into the story. I said this about Middlegame and I’ll say it again, this reads like literary fiction, but it’s fantasy, and I am here for it.

I listed to the audiobook ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I’m so appreciate and LOVED that Amber Benson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum) narrates the audiobook. So incredible!

I did not finish this one, but what I did read was well written and the narrator was great. I also think I would like to go back and read the first book.

The audiobook for this was really good, the narrator gave all of the characters a distinct voice that made it easy to keep track of who was talking, and made me feel like I was right in the middle of all the action.

Seasonal Fears is a follow-up companion novel to Middlegame, we are still in the world of alchemists but the world is expanding and we get to learn about the physical embodiment of the seasons. You see, the summer queen and winter king have just died after ruling for hundreds of years.. and now a new king and queen must be crowned.

Harry and Mel have been friends for as long as they can remember, and in love for almost as long. However Mel has an expiration date, her heart could give out at any moment. Little did they know that they are both in the running to be the next ruling couple over the seasons, or that they aren't the only ones. Candidates are waking up all over the country and they all have to compete to be the winners.

Thankfully Mel has a Jack frost, a young girl who knows, well mostly knows exactly what's going on and can guide Mel (and by extension Harry) hopefully to the crown without both of them getting murdered by other candidates along the way.

This is a massive road trip story as we follow Mel, Harry, and Jack to the end of the line where the king and queen will be decided. Along the way, they are ambushed and kidnapped, coming to learn about all these new things they can do when they embrace the seasons they represent and meet Rodger and Dodger from Middlegame, which leaves them with a lot more questions than answers... and a massive headache.

I love seeing Rodger and Dodger and also watching Harry come to terms with all the incredible amounts of weirdness that are going on... Mel seems to accept everything a bit easier, but she has reasons that I won't spoil for you... Seasonal Fears is amazingly detailed, and action-packed, and will lead you on a wonderful journey.
I absolutely can't wait to see what comes next in this world, hopefully, we will get some more peeks at what Rodger and Dodger are doing, along with a Mel and Harry update...

This was such a great follow-up to Middlegame! Honestly, I wasn't really sure what to expect in terms of how this book would relate to the world/events of Middlegame, but I ended up loving it. It felt a little more face-paced than the first in the series, which I really enjoyed. I also think there was more explanation of the magic and what was going on in this book, which I personally really appreciated since I was confused for a lot of Middlegame.
I really enjoyed all of the main characters in this book and the way the magic related to each of them. Their journey was so much fun to follow and I was rooting for them the entire time.

The audiobook was also a great listening experience. The narrator had to do so many different voices, but they all ended up being distinct and I was never confused about who we were listening to. Since this book did have so much more explanation, I never felt lost (like I sometimes can in fantasy audiobooks) either.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this! I do think that, even though it's not directly related to the events of Middlegame, you should read Middlegame first and would be confused at parts of this if you hadn't read that one.

3.5/5 stars. I will say that I enjoyed Middlegame a bit more that Seasonal Fears but both books have incredible concepts, linked but not directly sequels. I was a bit sad when starting this one to see we were no longer following Roger and Dodger, but Melanie and Harry ended up being great MC's to follow as well. I did struggle with pacing in this one, I think we started off slow, ramped up really fast and then the ending felt a bit lackluster. I liked that the knowledge that we got in book one of the Alchemical Congress and the history of A. Deborah Baker and Reed played into this one a bit without giving us all that information again. There is something to be said for that fact that I read 90% of this book in a day, I could not but it down. There is just something about the writing and the concepts that draw me in so thoroughly.

The audiobook narration was incredible and a huge part of it's compulsive readability.

I got to listen to this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Seanan Mcguire is probably my favorite author. I liked Middlegame better than Seasonal Fears. It’s an easy universe to get into.

Rodger and Dodger are a small part of this book.

We follow two candidates along their journey to try for their season-based crown.

This book reminds me of a grown-up version of Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll.

I think reading the companion books might give me more understanding of things… but, for now, I appreciate what I listened to, but I regret not understanding it better.

Amber Benson is a phenomenal narrator and I truly hope she’ll continue narrating. She’s a natural

I enjoyed the story overall, but as an audiobook, it felt slightly too complicated to be able to follow easily. Excellent narration by Amber Benson, but the story itself didn't work for me 100% via audio. I switched to print in the end, and was happy that I did so.

Seasonal Fears (Alchemical Journeys 2)
Seanan McGuire
Harry and Melanie have always felt a connection. She has always lived with the knowledge that she was dying. Then she did. At the same moment, Harry collapsed. Their connection ran deeper than they thought. Melanie suddenly sat up and saw Harry laying on the field. She ran too him and kissed him as though they were in a fairytale. Melanie did not want her father to know what happened because she and Harry had plans to go to the school dance, instead they began a long road trip. They discovered Melanie was created by her “father” who is an alchemist. They met a girl that called herself Jack; she was Melanie’s guide to the coronation of the Seasonal King and Queen. Melanie represents winter and Harry her counterpart represents summer….if they win the crown.
This is the second installment in the Alchemical Journeys. I have not read Middlegame, book 1 in the series. It is always better to read books in the correct order but Seasonal Fears stands alone. This is a complex fantasy tale written for Young Adults. There are a lot of rules for the “contenders” seeking the crown. This tale is filled with science, alchemy and magic. There is quite a bit of violence in this tale as well as foul language. I found myself rooting for Melanie and Harry throughout the pages of this book; their love story was sweet, genuine, innocent, simple and poignant. Aven was the prefect bad guy; she had no moral compass; she was evil through and through. Trevor was the opposite of what is taught in team athletics; he had no loyalty for a fellow team member and was filled with jealousy, hatred and evil. If you like fantasy you will enjoy Seasonal Fears.

I should've listened to the lot of you telling me over and over and over again to read Middlegame. But did I? No. Did I know Seasonal Fears was the second book in the Alchemical Journeys series? Also, no. Did I listen to all 16+ hours anyways because it was absolutely fascinating? YES.

I have no reference as to whether or not you need to read Middlegrade before this one. However, I am a big person who likes (and strives) to read series books in order (do I always succeed? clearly not). I do feel like this read very easily as a standalone. I do think that maybe I would've gotten a *little* more out of it had I read the first one? *shrug* But it's really hard to say. What I DO know is that McGuire is a freakin' genius and I love the world in SEASONAL FEARS. Two teens, in love and destined in their connection? Summer, Winter. Sometimes you just cannot stop what you're meant to be.

Now, I admit wholeheartedly that I got lost a few times. There's SO much happening and it was hard to keep up at times. What with the various names and the intricacies of the seasons, etc. etc. I could go on and on and on about what I couldn't comprehend. But once I stopped thinking too hard about it and just accepted it, I could sit back and enjoy Benson narrating the story.

I definitely need to go back and read Middlegame. And I hear there's a rumor there's going to be more books in this series so count me on that train ride!! Also, please give me a one way ticket into Seanan's brain please and thank you.

I was provided an audio ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. I enjoyed the audio narration and felt the narrator did a good job with the characters and pacing of the book.

I really enjoyed this! I actually liked this more than Middlegame. This is a companion novel to Middlegame more so than it is a sequel. While you can read this as a standalone, I do highly recommend reading Middlegame first so you can understand all of the references to "The Doctrine", "The Impossible City", and Roger and Dodger's backstories. They do make an appearance in the book and while McGuire does a good job summarizing what you need to know, Middlegame was a complex book when it came to the alchemy involved and their journey. If you want a better understanding, I'd read that first. Personally, I want to go back and revisit Middlegame after reading this because its has been over 2 years since I've read it, and I feel like I might be able to better understand it now. That is a common thread with McGuire's books, I find they make me want to revisit them to see what I missed the first time.

This has a unique concept with the main characters each being tied to a season. I very much enjoyed the seasonal lore and the alchemical aspects of the book. Melanie is tied to winter, while Harry is tied to summer. Neither of them are aware of their ties to the seasons until they both collapse at football practice and a random girl named Jack shows up spouting a bunch of nonsense about crowns, seasons, and alchemy. Mel has a heart condition, so her collapsing has happened before, but Harry is in pretty good health so sympathetic fainting is not something he's done before. Harry and Mel have been in love since they were 7 or 8, and now as teenagers, they are faced with a very dark and deadly competition with Jack to guide them as best she can. Their relationship helps to ground and balance them, but they are unprepared to face what is ahead of them. As they embark on their journey to claim their seasonal crowns, they must accept that what they thought was folklore as their destiny. I enjoyed Mel and Harry, but I really enjoyed the concepts of the Jack's and Jenny's. Not only were they really great side characters, but they were unique in their purpose.

There were parts of this book that felt repetitive, and I agree with other readers that the ending felt a bit anticlimactic. I expected more from the labyrinth and the confrontation with Aven. This is much more character driven, and the action and plot suffer at the expense of the world building. There is alot of world building on the page, while some of the action takes place off of the page. This follows along with the author's unique style of storytelling. Like McGuire's other books, this is dark and at times violent. That being said I really enjoyed this road-trip style novel. It had a cool magic system, good world building, and I enjoyed the characters. I'm not sure if there are going to be more installments of this series, if so I'm 100% invested in what comes next.

Seanan McGuire is a must-read author for me and once again she does not disappoint.

MiddleGame was such an excellent read that I was unsure where this sequel might go, but McGuire delivers a truly wonderful adventure story that perfectly pairs with her previous book.

Full of rich world-building and complex characters, this fantastical fairy tale took me on an adventure that left me on the edge of my seat and quickly turning paging to see what would happen next.

I do hope that McGuire revisits this world again because I would love more from these characters.

Taking up with time moving on now that Roger & Dodger succeeded in their journey, we meet Harry & Mel, two kids who are so desperately in love that you know tragedy is in their wake. They know it too as Melanie is destined to die and Harry is desperate to find a way out of that destiny. What follows is a chance, a Hail Mary pass, and they run with all their might.

I love how Seanan weaves a little bit of everything into this book: you can see the touches of her songs and the Screaming Pumpkins here. The parallels with the Up-and-Under books are amazing and I recommend any fan who isn't already reading those to correct this immediately. We also find out what happened to Roger & Dodger, albeit in summary. It's not their story anymore after all.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an AudioARC in exchange for an honest review.

Seasonal Fears is a hard book to describe without giving too much of the good bits away. It's a non-sequel sequel to Middlegame, which I have yet to read, but my experience wasn't lessened at all by going in blind. Seanan McGuire just had a way of making you feel like you know everything you need to until she deems necessary to divulge more. It's one of the things I absolutely love about her writing. It might not make perfect sense as I'm reading it, but it all comes together in the prettiest of packages in the end.

Our two main characters are wonderful in their own light, but all the minor characters that help shape who Mel and Harry become walk a fine line of purpose. Some of them are there to be harmful, some helpful, and other are completely indifferent. The driving forces behind all of the choices Mel and Harry must make in hopes to ascend to their respective seasons' thrones and the ripple effects are felt throughout the novel.

Overall, and honestly, Seanan has done it again. She is an absolute master of her craft and continues to map out and help readers navigate through worlds *almost* beyond imagination. Recommended for fans of V.E. Schwab, Leigh Bardugo, and Christine Hermann. Age range is 14+ as there is some violence.

Thank you to the publisher Tordotcom for providing an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

I think I’ve finally discovered why I can love Seanan McGuire’s novellas but have yet to get onboard with any of her full-length novels. Seasonal Fears is a less technically ambitious companion novel to Middlegame, but I found it equally as frustrating. Novellas truncate her tendency to endlessly over explain concepts that are both incredibly vague and bizarrely detailed. Her stories are so much more about the vibes than the plot, which works better for me when the ratio of word count to contemplative ramblings is condensed. Seasonal Fears had the recipe for everything I love - alchemy, elemental magic, and ageless beings with endless quips up their sleeves. But it’s a formula that doesn’t always equal the sum of those parts.

Seasonal Fears is a roadtrip book, which are always inherently moreso about the journey than what lies at the end of the road. But when you’re not particularly interested in what’s happening on the trip itself, it makes a very rushed and anti-climactic ending all the more frustrating. For such a richly imagined world, the two main characters have all the personality of slices of matching white Wonder Bread. Melanie and Harry only work as characters in the way two empty planets orbiting around each other do. Their entire motivation is tied so impossibly tight to the other it doesn’t even allow for vastly more interesting characters like their smart aleck companion Jack Frost to create a fun dynamic in the group. And the side plots with more engaging characters all dead end in way that results in emotional disconnect to them as well. Seasonal Fears as a story feels like it’s running a breakneck race to a finish line, only to pause and take the final 100 feet at a leisurely stroll. And the runner still wins.

This is a very different book from Middlegame, perhaps in every way that counts except for Seanan McGuire’s characteristic rambling style of writing. She takes a lot of words to explain a concept I don’t think she even really understands, an effect that is very intentionally trying to leave the reader disoriented. I give this book points for being creative, but creativity alone isn’t enough to sell me on a project. For me, I mostly just felt frustrated and a bit worn down by a story that left me with an unshakeable sense of “But… you did this for what?”

Seasonal Fears is the second book in the Alchemical Journeys series following an entirely new cast of characters who have just been set on the road to become the living embodiment of Summer and Winter. While you do not technically need to have read the first book to read this one, I think it is a good idea as some of the ideas and world building from the first book really play into this one. Plus, Middlegame was one of my more unique and intriguing reads so you are really doing yourself a favor there.

Melanie and Harry have been entwined for as long as they’ve known each other back when they were six and met. They went from best friends to something more than friends, to being the couple who will have a tragic end before they can begin. Melanie is the A Walk to Remember Fault in our Stars dying girl and Harry is the perfect boy in love with the girl who will leave him. She will love him until the day she dies and he will love her long after that. That was their story, that was their path until the King of Winter and the Queen of Summer died and set forth a new hope for them.

Harry and Melanie now have a chance to claim the crowns of Winter and Summer and get to spend long years together doing all the things they never thought they’d make it to do. One catch, there are other candidates on their way to run the labyrinth and it is a kill or be killed situation for some as there can be only one to win each crown and the rest are dead or as good as.

This is a strange, unique and wonderful world, even if some of those in it are incredibly unkind. Both Harry and Melanie are very likeable and you can’t help but root for them to win. Their journey is sometimes wonderful and other times terrible as they walk the improbable road to become what they were always meant to be.

If you were a fan of Middlegame, I think you will also find something wonderful in this book to take with you. Thankfully we also get to see what has happened to Roger and Dodger along with Tim, Kim and a few others since their story ended and I very much enjoyed that part, as it gave a bigger sense of closure to the first book.

This isn’t going to be for everyone. That said this is definitely for me. I loved the characters, the unique story and how a Summer boy and a Winter girl found their way to love each other and go on a journey to claim not a perfect life but an improbable one. The only gripe I have was the ending was a bit rushed or anticlimactic after everything we’d been through with our crew. But I’m hoping there will be futures stories set in this world and we can see where all the characters we love are at now.

Narration:
I like Amber Benson for this series. She has a good voice for teens and while in Middlegame that didn’t work well for her when the kids were adults the fact that most of the characters are late teens it really lends well to the overall story. I was able to listen to this at my usual 1.5x speed

Fantastic story with equally fantastic narration!!! Please find my full review below:

Seasonal Fears is the long-awaited follow-up to Seanan McGuire's tour de force of SFF, Middlegame. When I originally read Middlegame in May of 2019, I had the understanding that it was a standalone novel. Since that time, to my complete delight, we have been blessed with two books from the companion series, The Up-and-Under, and now THIS!!!

Seanan McGuire has blessed the world with her words. Literally blessed; life-changing, jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring goodness. That's the best way to describe The Alchemical Journeys.

In this second installment, we follow two new main characters: Melanie and Harry. They're a pair, much like Roger and Dodger from the first book, although Mel and Harry are not brother and sister. Nevertheless, Melanie and Harry are two sides of the same coin. They're also in love; teenagers completely devoted to one another.

Melanie and Harry are in high school, living somewhat normal lives. Melanie has a chronic illness and is expected to die at any moment, but besides that, somewhat normal. When Melanie collapses one day at Harry's football practice and Harry, athletic as heck, suddenly collapses right along with her, they realize their connection may run deeper than they even imagined.

Insight arrives with an unexpected guide who clues the pair in on the truth behind their lives and the greater world around them. Together the couple, along with their new friend, set out on a journey, one full of dangers and intrigue, in order to meet the destiny they didn't even know existed for them.

Seasonal Fears is just as enjoyably mind-boggling as Middlegame. I was in no way disappointed by this. I'll also not pretend that I followed everything going on in this book. I recently reread Middlegame in preparation for this release and discovered even more to love on that second time through. I have no doubt this will be the same and that's right, I am already planning to reread this at some point.

This series is the type of epic, complex SFF that you have to be cautious not to get too mired down in the details. Yes, of course it is important to pay attention, but I wouldn't take notes or anything. Trust McGuire will deliver you to exactly where you need to be. Sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. Nothing more is required of you.

Just know you may feel a little out of control from time to time, like it's losing you. Stay the course. You'll make it, you'll love it. McGuire doesn't just create a world in these books, she develops a whole new cosmology. It's stunning. I have no idea if there will be more books in this series, I certainly hope so. I definitely need more alchemical journyes in my life. Yes, please!

Thank you to the publisher, Tor and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I absolutely loved this. All the stars!!

Seasonal Fears is the sequel to the incredible novel Middlegame, by Seanan McGuire. To be frank, I'm still questioning how Middlegame didn't win a Hugo award; the first novel in this series is shockingly different than anything else I've ever read, and at the same time builds a sense of familiarity that makes it easy to be pulled in by the characters and the narrative. This is a novel that reveals things slowly, and you will have to read it more than once (probably many more times) before you get all of the references, the clues, the hints, and the inside jokes.

Seasonal Fears builds upon the foundation that Middlegame built and keeps going. This novel focuses not on the incarnation of the fundamental principles of the universe (math and language, order and chaos), but rather on the incarnate seasons; a coronation has been called and only one pair can claim the crowns of summer and winter. While you could read this without first having read Middlegame, you'll miss a LOT. There are small subtle references, and then a HUGE reveal in the middle that was like a kick in the face (but in a good way). We follow Melanie and Harry as they try to understand where they come from, what and who they are, and how they can find their way through the labyrinth and through to the other side without losing themselves or each other.

Amber Benson once again narrates this novel and does a phenomenal job. There is never a question of who is speaking, and she manages to have a distinct voice for each character, crafting an aural narrative to draw you in. It is spellbinding and thrilling, and I can't wait to listen again.

I received this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book I have read by Seanan McGuire. I have read all the novels written as Mira Grant and love all of those. So, this should come as no surprise when I say I absolutely loved this book as well. The creative story and visuals are always outstanding to me. The characters are full of personality and well-written, the narrator did a fantastic job voicing the characters of the book and bringing the story to life.

This is considered book two in the Alchemical books, the first book being Middlegame. If you have not read Middlegame then you may want to read it first so nothing is spoiled for you. If you do not mind a bit of spoilers then it doesn't really matter if you read Middlegame first or not. Seasonal Fears follows a different cast of characters. A few of the characters from Middlegame do make an appearance in Seasonal Fears and a couple of others are mentioned, which is where a couple spoilers come into play but it will not ruin the first book if you haven't read it yet.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy.

Another fantastic story from Seanan McGuire. Her books just keep getting better. I love that this is set in the same world as Middlegame so we can visit some old friends but it features new characters so it doesn’t seem like a retread.