Unfortunately for me, I mixed up two series when I requested this aac and I have actually never read the first book in the series. But that is okay! Despite not knowing a lot of the characters and plot from the first novel, I was quickly brought into the action and was engaged in the adventure. With fantasy elements and a diverse cast, this book has wide appeal.

Shinji’s adventures continue in this sequel to Shinhi Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl. He, along with Lucy, Oliver Ocean and a few others from the S.E.A. (Society of Explorers and Adventurers), race along in a quest to stop the Hightower Corporation from finding and plundering an old sunken ship first. Shinji is also trying to figure out his newly acquired powers, and he inadvertently causes another guardian to wake up. Unfortunately, this guardian is a storm boar, who causes a volcanic eruption and a massive hurricane that is headed toward California. This adventure is full of plot twists and tension, as the race plays out and Shinji continues to learn how to use his powers. The author ends with a hint of a third book in the series.

Shinji Takahashi is off on another adventure with Lucy and Tinker. The second in the series of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers is just as action packed as the first novel. Once again, Shinji is faced with another guardian that he's accidentally made mad. Lucy and Shinji have to figure out how to save the world from the mythological Storm Boar without being destroyed in the process. Overall, it was a very well written book. The characters are continuing to develop and I can't wait to see what adventures they will have to face next. Julie Kagawa definitely hit this one out of the park.

If you can get a hold of the audiobook version, I highly recommend it. The narrator was fantastic and brought the story to life.

Shinji Takahashi: Into the Heart of the Storm is the second book in Disney's Middle Grade Adventure series, Society of Explorers and Adventurers. I read the first book, Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl, just before its release last year, at the start of 2022. I absolutely adored it.

Unsurprisingly, Kagawa was able to capture my attention right away, as well as my heart, with her fun characters and pulse-pounding action. The vivid imagery can't be beat.

As a side note, if you are unaware, Disney's Society of Explorers and Adventurers, known as S.E.A., is a fictional organization sprinkled about various attractions at Disney Theme Parks. Google it! The organization is said to be comprised of scientists, travelers and researchers, who traverse the globe continuing to explore the world's oceans and exotic lands.

In this novel, Shinji is officially a member of S.E.A., along with his friend, Lucy Hightower and her mechanical mouse, Tinker. They are residing at S.E.A. headquarters, where Shinji is working to understand his new powers and struggling a bit to grow into them. Before he is able to do that though, S.E.A. has another potential adventure on their hands and Shinji and Lucy are included as part of the team. Let's go!

A sunken ship, thought to belong to the long-extinct Natia people, has been discovered in the South Pacific. It's a race against the clock as the members of S.E.A. try to get there before their rival, the evil Hightower Corporation, can find it and plunder the artifacts.

Even though the kids are traveling along with veteran S.E.A. members, like Oliver Ocean and Phoebe Mystic, nothing goes as planned. It's obstacle after obstacle as the team struggles to reach their final oceanic destination. After Shinji accidentally awakens another guardian, a giant mythological storm boar, wild weather released by this boar threatens to ravage the coast of California.

Shinji needs to learn to control his powers and figure out how to appease the storm boar before its too late, but the odds seem to be stacked against him. Stress!!!

Kagawa knows how to deliver an entertaining sequel. Almost everything that could happen on this adventure does. There's an erupting volcano, a nearly sinking ship, breaking into Hightower Headquarters, fighting off robot guards and flying into a storm, to name a few.

The humor Kagawa brings to the story too makes it charming and fun. I love these characters and it was interesting learning more about them, as well as more about the organization. We also meet some new characters and learn more about Hightower. I thought the conclusion to this was heart-warming and it left off in a great spot to continue on with the series. I am really hoping for a third book.

I definitely recommend this series to Readers who enjoy an engaging Middle Grade Adventure. You cannot go wrong with Kagawa's writing. Top shelf, beginning to end.

Additionally, the audiobook is fabulously narrated, so I do recommend that as a format. It was how I read it and I felt like I was there with these characters. I was at the edge of my seat the whole time!

Thank you to the publisher, Disney Hyperion and Disney Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. This was a ton of fun. I love Shinji so much. He has all the qualities one would want in a hero. It fills my heart!

This one fits the adventure fantasy category like a glove. The characters cover every trope you'd like an adventure of its ilk to offer, it's full of danger and intrigue, and there is a constant sense that the heroes are the only line of defense against a powerful force for evil. This one has a heist, high-tech gadgetry, long lost civilizations, and the unnerving specter of shifting allegiances to keep readers turning pages. Nicely done for fans of this ever popular genre.