Pyromantic

Pyromantic (2017) Lish McBride

The sequel to Firebug is set a few months after those events.

Ava and Cade are adjusting to their changed relationship, and also rebuilding Cade’s bookstore, which was burned down amidst everything else. Luckily, the head of the new Coterie believes that the incident was a Coterie incident, so he’s adding to the insurance money to help them rebuild.

Despite all this, Ave still can’t quite trust Alistair, because she was raised to believe the Coterie was evil, and her time working for Venus only reinforced that.

We have to be ruthless, yes, but it’s to protect the people who belong to us. As long as we’re doing that, we’re not going to be like them.”

Like her other books, the characters and the dialog are the icing on the cake of this story.

Elias and Luke were hiding out in an old warehouse down by the water that was so derelict, it should have had a sign out front that said CREEPY BAD GUYS LIVE HERE.

Nothing good oozes— slugs, businessmen, infected sores. Things like flowers, kittens, and adorable ponies hardly ooze at all.

In addition to Lock and Ezra, Ava has become friends with the drove, and is working with several of its members, most of whom are just as snide and sarcastic as Ava.

I climbed off the bike, barely able to pry the helmet off my head, my fingers were shaking so bad. “Let’s never do that again.”

“Agreed. Would you think less of me if I vomited over by that car?”

“I couldn’t possibly think less of you than I already do.”

“Will you hold my hair? I don’t want to get any puke on it. There might be some lovely ladies in there, and I’m not really into the kind who can sign off on puke hair.”

Of course, it’s not all snark and games, serious things happen, and those serious things aren’t ignored or swept under the rug.

Don’t let anyone tell you how your grief should run. It’s yours. It takes as long as it takes. I think rushing it can be just as wrong as letting it linger.

I do love Lish McBride’s writing. And now I want to go back and re-read Hold Me Closer, Necromancer.

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Rating: 9/10

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