Review: Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken

Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken

Passenger #2

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: January 3rd, 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

Source: Gift

Format: Physical ARC

Pages: 532

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Summary (from Goodreads):

All Etta Spencer wanted was to make her violin debut when she was thrust into a treacherous world where the struggle for power could alter history. After losing the one thing that would have allowed her to protect the Timeline, and the one person worth fighting for, Etta awakens alone in an unknown place and time, exposed to the threat of the two groups who would rather see her dead than succeed. When help arrives, it comes from the last person Etta ever expected—Julian Ironwood, the Grand Master’s heir who has long been presumed dead, and whose dangerous alliance with a man from Etta’s past could put them both at risk. 

Meanwhile, Nicholas and Sophia are racing through time in order to locate Etta and the missing astrolabe with Ironwood travelers hot on their trail. They cross paths with a mercenary-for-hire, a cheeky girl named Li Min who quickly develops a flirtation with Sophia. But as the three of them attempt to evade their pursuers, Nicholas soon realizes that one of his companions may have ulterior motives. 

As Etta and Nicholas fight to make their way back to one another, from Imperial Russia to the Vatican catacombs, time is rapidly shifting and changing into something unrecognizable… and might just run out on both of them.

After Etta is orphaned by her natural time due to a shift in the timeline, Nicholas makes plans with Etta’s mom to find where she was dumped off in time and continue on their journey to reclaim the astrolabe.

What I liked:

While I feel like Passenger was mostly about Nicholas and Etta getting to know each other on their journey to find the astrolabe, I love the fact that in this sequel you get to learn so much more about other characters in the books.

In particular, I love getting to see more of Sophia. In Passenger, it seemed like she was primarily concerned with pleasing Cyrus Ironwood, but she seems different after being beaten by the Thorns and left for dead in the Syrian desert. She is her same fierce, angry self, but she seems to actually grow to care for Nicholas and Etta. I love her no nonsense attitude. I want only the best things for Sophia after this book, which is a very different feeling than I had after reading Passenger.

I enjoyed learning more about Rose. Seeing her motivations for why she sent Etta on this mission unprepared and the things that she had to do to set things in motion was interesting and sad. None of it really helped me like her more, she's just too cold for me. But it's definitely undeniable that she cares about Etta, cold or not.

The new characters in this book are wonderful as well! Henry, Julian, the Belladonna. All of them are super fun to meet.

I feel like there is a lot of action going on in this book. It definitely doesn't suffer from the sequel slump. There isn't a dull moment in this book, which is great because it's over 500 pages!

I loved all the settings that we get to see in this book as well. From the Crusades to the reign of the last tsar of Russia, it was all super fascinating to see in this book. I'm almost sad it's not a trilogy because just imagine what other awesome historical moments we could see!

What I disliked:

The only thing that I can say I really disliked about this book was the fact that Nicholas and Etta were separated for nearly the entire book. I love the relationship they build in Passenger and I feel cheated that I didn't get very much Nicholas and Etta time. I don't understand why it seems to be a thing in YA for the couple to be separated for long periods of time in the sequels. Distance doesn't make this heart grow fonder.

Overall, this was an excellent sequel. The characters were amazing, the history was amazing, and it was intense! If you like Passenger, definitely don't miss this conclusion! If you're into time-travel, pirates, and history, check out this series if you haven't already!