Alone and exhausted after her month-long sojourn as a shooting star, Solina Mundy flees to southern California to lie low, recuperate, and plot a survival strategy. The one person she trusts to watch her back is her best friend, Skyla Ramirez. But Skyla has been missing for weeks.
The arrival of a dangerous stranger and the discovery of a legendary weapon of mass destruction forces Solina out of hiding and back into the fight for her life. Solina knows she won’t last long on her own. She must find out what happened to Skyla and unite her contentious allies if she hopes to track down this devastating weapon before her enemies use it to burn the world to ash.
*May Contain Spoilers*
The wait between books was worth it! I love when that happens. Karissa Laurel dives right in to the contemporary continuation of the Norse legends in this sequel, Arctic Dawn. Solina has returned to reality after being something equal to a shooting star for a month, but Skyla is still missing, Helen still wants her dead, Skoll still wants to be the one to kill her, and Solina doesn't know who she can truly trust.
In this installment, readers will gain an even deeper understanding of Solina as well as the other main players in this life-or-death game. Solina maintains her sharp tongue laced with witty comebacks and sarcastic remarks, while trying to become a stronger opponent. Her intelligence comes into play when she's forced to do more research on the history that threatens her life. Solina's loyalty is one of her biggest strengths, though it's also where she'll be tested the most in this book. Readers will undoubtedly enjoy her stubborn nature paired with her no-one-left-behind mantra. One of the best aspects about Solina's character is that she can be terrified, admit it, and then still focus on what needs to be done. Such a respectable quality that makes her more down to earth as a descendant of the sun goddess. Readers will also enjoy being able to watch as Solina discovers more of her powers, what they let her do, and how she explores them as a part of her self.
All of the other main characters did survive the first onslaught of the evil Helen. Thorin, descendant of Thor, is still a little mind-rattling, but he's warming up. The little spats between Thorin and Solina are very entertaining even though it's obvious something more is going on between them, under the surface. After they find Thor's hammer, Thorin entrusts it to Solina, showing how much he trusts her and respects her, even if she never agrees with him or follows his instructions. I do wish Skyla played a bigger role in this book as she is one of my favorite characters, though she is missing for most of it. Even though she's absent for quite a bit, more about Skyla's heritage is revealed which makes for interesting genealogical charts.
The main focus in this book is Surtologi's sword and the fact that everyone wants it. Solina has a vision that this sword will be used by someone, at some random time. The sword, as dangerous as it is, cannot fall into Helen's grasp, as this would help her recreate Ragnarök, which is still her main goal. Solina decides that she needs to be more proactive and decides to hunt down Skoll, hopefully killing him before he kills her. However, a lot of things get in the way and though the formula (battle - run away - regroup - new plan) often repeats itself, it's so entertaining. Especially with the ever evolving character relationships. The only down side to this book is that I think you do need to read the first one to understand what's going on. I think most people would be able to understand the story without the foundation laid in Midnight Burning, but it definitely helps in character connection and overall understanding.
Now the wait for book three begins...
Rating: 4/5 Cups
Read the review of Midnight Burning
