{Review} Exile - Shannon Messenger

Exile by Shannon Messenger
Series: Keepers of the Lost Cities #2
Genre: MG Fantasy
Release Date: Oct 1 / 2013
Publisher: Aladdin

Sophie Foster thought she was safe. Settled into her home at Havenfield, surrounded by friends, and using her unique telepathic abilities to train Silveny--the first female alicorn ever seen in the Lost Cities--her life finally seems to be coming together.

But Sophie's kidnappers are still out there. And when Sophie discovers new messages and clues from the mysterious Black Swan group, she’s forced to take a terrifying risk—one that puts everyone in incredible danger.

As long buried secrets rise to the surface, it’s once again up to Sophie to uncover hidden memories—before someone close to her is lost forever.

In this second book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Sophie must journey to the darkest corners of her luminous world in a sequel that will leave you breathless for more.

- my review of Keepers of the Lost Cities

*a copy was provided by Aladdin for review*

this review doesn't contain spoilers to the first book

Keepers of the Lost Cities was one of my absolute favorite of 2012. I couldn't wait to read Exile so I just had to request a copy. Sophie Foster is one of the bravest girls I've seen in Middle Grade books. She is so self-sacrificing that I wanted to give her big bear hugs.

No more notes. No more clues. She'd followed them to this point, and now it came down to her. She wasn't the Black Swan's puppet anymore. She was broken. All she had left was trust.

- Exile by Shannon Messenger 

Nothing is ever calm with Sophie. She thought she was safe but the Black Swan wasn't done with her yet. In this novel, she had to go on a risky adventure to save someone close to her heart. I would say the characters are the best part about the series. Each of them were so different and unique in their own ways. Sophie is brave and smart. Keefe is sarcastic and funny. Dex is loyal and loving. Fitz is a great friend and he's sweet. I love how the four people work together and how they all help each other in difficult situations.

In Exile, we see a lot of Keefe and Sophie together in the second half of the book. I'd like to shamelessly say, I really loved that. I really did. Keefe is so close to my heart. Instead of Dex with Sophie this time, it's Keefe and Sophie! They go on a quest to save someone very important. Seeing more of the Elven world with them was a blast!

Oh, and how can I forget the alicorn? It's that thing that looks like a unicorn on the cover. It's unicorn with wings, so it's an alicorn. The alicorn was a big part of the book. They have to train it and it's one of the two alicorns in the world. It's actually a big part of their adventure and is crucial to their success.

Basically, Exile was a wonderful addition to the series. I still love the series to pieces and now I absolutely can't wait for the next book! 

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P. S. Now that Sophie has gone on an adventure with both Dex and Keefe, I want it with Fitz next time! And Fitz on the cover would be nice too :3