Book Review: The Inquisition (The Summoner #2)

About the Book:
Title: The Inquisition (The Summoner #2)
Author: Taran Matharu
Pub. Date: May 10, 2016
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 368
Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis:

A year has passed since the Tournament.

Fletcher and Ignatius have been locked away in Pelt’s dungeons, but now they must face a trial at the hands of the Inquisition, a powerful institution controlled by those who would delight in Fletcher’s downfall.

The trial is haunted by ghosts from the past with shocking revelations about Fletcher’s origins, but he has little time to dwell on them; the graduating students of Vocans are to be sent deep into the orc jungles to complete a dangerous mission for the king and his council. If they fail, the orcish armies will rise to power beyond anything the Empire has ever seen.

With loyal friends Othello and Sylva by his side, Fletcher must battle his way to the heart of Orcdom and save Hominum from destruction…or die trying. 

Review:

I don't even know where to begin with this review, because this book was just so so amazing! It's no secret that I adored the first novel in this series, but this story truly surpassed my expectations in every way. Taran Matharu has taken the story that he developed in The Novice and expanded on every aspect ten-fold. Every scene is rich in detail, coming alive and jumping off the page. One thing that I loved was how every chapter ended on a bit of a cliffhanger so you neededto keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. I was enthralled with this book from the very first chapter, and I never wanted the story to end! It was fantastic being back in this world that Taran created, and I can't wait to go back in the third book!

Fletcher's character has grown leaps and bounds since the previous novel. His characterization alone is something to marvel at, and should be applauded. We see a much more mature Fletcher who isn't afraid to be the leader, and take charge. But we also see a Fletcher who is willing to put his life before others and sacrifice himself in order to save his friends. Ignatius (while not as present as in the last book) is back and still with Fletcher, but he get a companion (not going to spoil anything too much but for fans of the story, you'll be able to figure out what this means). I love that little guy and there are some new revelations about Ignatius (and demons in general) that aren't fully explained in this story, so I'm looking forward to seeing what these revelations exactly mean. Othello, Sylva, and others are back as well, and it was good to have the group back together. There are some new faces that Tarun introduces, and not all of those characters have Fletcher and company's best interests at heart. 

All of the characters were so well crafted, and I am looking forward to seeing their growth in the next book as well. But the thing that I liked the most is the fact that they all made well-thought-out, logical decisions. Unlike the first book, where some of these characters made very rash, quick decisions that didn't always work out very well and led to even more danger, the characters decided to think about the consequences. This is huge for me because nothing bothers me more than when character's don't learn from their past mistakes. I liked that Tarun took this route because it fit with how the characters were now (as opposed to last year when they were at the school). There is also some hints at romance between two characters (I won't spoil who), but I was jumping for joy since I was shipping them since the beginning! 

Another element of the story that I enjoyed was the overall plot. I found the plot of this novel a lot more exciting and full of adventure. Don't get me wrong, I loved the plot of The Novice, but this one just had a little something extra that made me love it more. Perhaps it was simply due to Taran's amazing writing ability (which also has grown tremendously since the first book...which I didn't think was possible since he was amazing to begin with!), or it was just the constant life-and-death adventure. But it had me on the edge of my seat right away! We were able to explore and learn more about summoning and the demons in general. But also we find out more about the politics of this magic world. I can already tell that this will play a very important part in the next (and any upcoming books) in the series, so it was great to have an introduction to it early on. 

I highly recommend checking out this book if you are a fan of the first novel in the series. The book does end of a cliffhanger, and I don't know how I'm going to make it until next year when the third book comes out! This book has it all, and is still that amazing mix of Harry Potter and LOTR...and come on, who doesn't like that type of mix. Taran Matharu is definitely an author that should be on your TBR, and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next! 

Happy reading :)

~Cassie