"Polaris" by Mindee Arnett

"Polaris" is the sequel to the sci-fi novel "Avalon" (which I read earlier this year - see my review) and follows Jeth Seagrave and his crew as they continue to fight for survival and freedom. This is definitely one of those cases when the sequel is better than the first novel (at least in my humble opinion). I had a few issues when I read "Avalon" - specifically the world seemed populated only with evil people, most of whom were beyond any redemption, and I could not shake the feeling of despair that Jeth and his friends must feel being trapped in such a cruel world. In addition, Jeth seemed to be pursuing only his personal goals - the novel did not have any sort of bigger "changing the world" kind of theme. Well, the author overcame all of these issues in the second book brilliantly. I loved everything about "Polaris" - the character development was outstanding, the plot was engaging and had lots of unexpected twists and turns, and the ending was excellent. I really enjoyed this book.

In addition, (if you like Star Wars), you will enjoy one direct quote from a Star Wars movie and in another case there was an allusion to a Star Wars plot. Also, I kept thinking that Jeth in "Polaris" reminded me of Anakin Skywalker starting with his hand prosthesis to being tempted by the "dark side." Overall, a very enjoyable read. 5 out 5 stars.