I read the first of this duology, Atlantis Rising, last year and found it thrilling. A lot of twists & turns, engaging characters, and a creative history for Atlantis. While it ended abruptly, I was mostly satisfied. When I found out a sequel existed, I knew I had to read it.
Return of Atlantis starts right where the first book left off. It took me a bit to recall the characters and situations, but everything fell into place in the first few chapters. This book’s objective isn’t finding and showing Atlantis to the world, but creating a harmony between the world and Atlantis. The characters go on a quest to bring peace between Atlantis and our world, ignorant of magic.
As with the first book, the quest involves a technique more at home in a different genre than fantasy, but this author’s style is to merge disparate elements together. The varying quests, plot and sub-plots, restore magic elements to the world. A journey to a dangerous place is also a highlight. Once the quests have completed, the book evaluates whether our heroes have succeeded.
All the surviving characters from the first book have returned, and two new ones join the narrative. The daughter Shep left behind, Aurelia, and the daughter of the witch who cursed Shep, Grace, join the cast. A central couple splits up multiple times, each pursuing their own objective. A certain pirate crew takes on a new member to do their part. All in all, the narrative is fun and exciting.
The objective of the first book was so clearly outlined that this one suffers a bit in comparison. It feels less like a second adventure and similar to a wrap up of the first book, a novel-long epilogue. I enjoyed it but wondered how the various actions would contribute to the climax. It ends in a non-traditional, but fitting, way for a fantasy.
Return of Atlantis finishes off the narrative started in Atlantis Rising. Returning characters, surprising twists, and a core message on kindness contribute to a worthy sequel to the first.