Book Review: The Elders by Inbali Iserles (Foxcraft #2)

 

Book two of the Foxcraft trilogy! I don't quite know when I'll get book three yet, it might take a while since I don't own it yet. But let's have a look at this one for now. Spoilers ahead.

Still seeking her brother and now joined by a gray fox named Haiki, Isla decides that the best bet at finding Pirie is to seek out the elusive Elders, foxes very adept at foxcraft who might be able to help her and her new ally. However, the journey is perilous and the Taken are still pursuing her. 

I think I liked this one more than the first. Both are good, but this one had me hooked more so than the first one. Maybe that's because we're out of the dour and depressing city environment by now. But I genuinely had a good time reading this book.

For one, I got into the characters more. While I'm still not invested in Isla, Haiki and Siffrin as I'd hoped to be going in, I do acknowledge that I've grown fonder of the characters by this book. I especially admire Isla's outspokenness and determination to find Pirie. She doesn't care that she's putting herself (and maybe without knowing it even others) at risk in doing so, she sees it as her duty to get her brother back. Haiki I also liked though I wasn't fond of him being a last-minute traitor. Siffrin...He's fine but I just still don't vibe much with the character. He keeps being secretive and lying to Isla and even if he has good reasons I just don't like him that much. Maybe it's because our main character has such an outspoken negative opinion about him. 

I also really hope he and Isla don't become an item because I don't ship it in the slightest. There hasn't been any real hints at romance between the duo so far, but a lot of books (especially in the fantasy xenofiction genre) I've read tend to put major male and female characters together just because they can rather than there being any deep connection. So I hope this doesn't happen for Siffrin and Isla. They can be friends or whatever (though Isla does clearly distrust him to some degree) but hope no romance happens between them (or her and Haiki, either).

As for the rest of the book, it was pretty dang good. I like the author's writing voice, I like the environments we encounter here much more than the city of book one, I like the extra lore we get on foxcraft and the Elders, I liked Isla's new friends Haiki, Tao and Simmi and I liked the Elders themselves, though their ultimate appearance didn't last all that long. 

I also really dig the fact that the characters are learning foxcraft now, however aren't perfect at it yet. Isla has mastered karakking (replicating animal calls) by now and is a pretty good slimmerer (one capable of turning invisible), too, but she's still actively working on her wa'akkir (shapeshifting) and slowly getting better at it. I also found it pretty funny how she's told time and again that she should only turn into other canines, yet one of the first times she actually manages to wa'akkir she decides to become a bird. Classic headstrong Isla. I'm also glad that this does have its consequences and that she doesn't get away from it scot-free. Wa'akkir is clearly only for shifting into other canines and I think she learned her lesson now.

We also get more intel on the Mage, and the fact that he might be an Elder who turned on the others and is now using his foxcraft for evil. We don't know 100% who he is, what he is and what he is capable of yet, but that only draws me in more. I am also especially looking forward to book three because it not only seems to center around the Mage, but also take place in the cold north with wolves. Can't ask for more than that.

Overall this was a step up from book one, which was already good. It's so far not one of my all-time favorite book series, however I do think these first two books are rather strong and do deserve to be looked at. I hope that book three doesn't fail to deliver, whenever I can get to it!

Rating: 4/5