Pure Chocolate brings us back to the brilliance of Amber Royer’s Chocoverse, filled with all of the enticing drama, danger, and epicness of a space opera. We’re immediately thrown into the action and it never slows down. Our favorite holo-star finds herself caught up in any number of telenovela-style dramatics, including, but not limited to, a squid riding fiasco, an assassination attempt, the disappearance of a close friend, and the never-ending shadiness of the villainous HGB corporation. Prepare to gasp, laugh, and devour every page of this endlessly entertaining read.

In the first book, Free Chocolate, we were introduced to wonderful characters, intense aliens, and a universe obsessed with Chocolate. In this second addition to the series, we see Bo and Brill still making it work as they fly between planets intent on making their lives difficult. This series is so much fun. As I’ve said many times before, I’m a HUGE fan of space operas and Royer is an expert at dramatic timing and flash-bang plot incursions that excite and fuel a fast-moving narrative. There are always new developments and they’re as fun as they are bizarre and unexpected.

The series really shines in terms of character development and settings. We get to see a lot of this universe, traveling to new planets filled with wonders and dangers alike. Drama and hardship has brought Bo’s friend group closer together and we get to know them better. We see Brill at his most vulnerable, and we get a sense of just how much Bo means to him. We see Chestla in her element, stalking around her terrifying planet and protecting Bo at all costs. We spend a lot of time with the Zantites which, if you’ve read the first book, is a terrifying premise. It’s character growth I was excited to see.

Above all, Pure Chocolate shows us how exciting and adventurous space can be. There are dramatics and near-death experiences aplenty and, after all of the mayhem and international incidents, we’re left with a group of closely-knit characters you want to root for.