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A review by eszters
Lodestar by Shannon Messenger
5.0
**SPOILERS AHEAD**
Finished December 11th, 2022
This was my second time reading this, and this was just a lot. So much happened, too many things happened at once, and things just got even crazier. First of all, let's address the main focal point that carried on from that devastating cliffhanger from Neverseen.
Keefe decided to work undercover as a double agent for the Neverseen, which Sophie and friends completely disagreed with. But, what I think was sweet, but still reckless, was that Keefe joined the Neverseen for HER. Team Foster-Keefe forever! They always find a way to make it work in the end. He wanted to keep her safe, and he thought the best way to do that was to infiltrate the Neverseen and gain as much information as he can. He initially joined them to get information about his mother being held in a ogre prison, but he later started gaining more clues and information. One of those important pieces of information was Fintan's cache. That was a important discovery, but Keefe put himself in so much danger trying to wait it out, until he learned more. He could've gotten caught, which would just cause so much more chaos then they're already in. I'm just really glad that he escaped, and *crosses fingers*, hopes he doesn't run off again.
Yet, despite all the risks, as stupid as they were, were to help the Black Swan, and most importantly, protect Sophie. I find that connection adorable, but also brave. He informed her of mostly everything he learned, and handled news about his mother as best as he could. I'm really proud of him, also mad that he put his life on the line, especially when he brought Alvar's unconscious form back to the Neverseen hideout where he was staying. He did help Sophie and her friend piece together what the lodestar symbol meant, and how the Neverseen used it to leap from hideout to hideout. That was actually pretty genius, how the Neverseen thought up of that. Assigning the pure stars to each hideout was also pretty smart, and the sphere projecting that image on the floor, with shadows ties the whole system together, and shows what the Black Swan, Sophie and friends are up against.
The whole Peace Summit with the ogres was very chaotic. Especially how Gethen, Ruy and Fintan got locked up on PURPOSE, and then escaped by collapsing Lumenaria. That was pretty thought out, but still produced a number of casualties. WHY DID MR FORKLE HAVE TO DIE! Like, I don't see how that's relevant to the plot. He's done so much for Sophie, her friends, and the Black Swan, and now he has to leave that behind and never see the end of this whole thing and-
Finished December 11th, 2022
This was my second time reading this, and this was just a lot. So much happened, too many things happened at once, and things just got even crazier. First of all, let's address the main focal point that carried on from that devastating cliffhanger from Neverseen.
Keefe decided to work undercover as a double agent for the Neverseen, which Sophie and friends completely disagreed with. But, what I think was sweet, but still reckless, was that Keefe joined the Neverseen for HER. Team Foster-Keefe forever! They always find a way to make it work in the end. He wanted to keep her safe, and he thought the best way to do that was to infiltrate the Neverseen and gain as much information as he can. He initially joined them to get information about his mother being held in a ogre prison, but he later started gaining more clues and information. One of those important pieces of information was Fintan's cache. That was a important discovery, but Keefe put himself in so much danger trying to wait it out, until he learned more. He could've gotten caught, which would just cause so much more chaos then they're already in. I'm just really glad that he escaped, and *crosses fingers*, hopes he doesn't run off again.
Yet, despite all the risks, as stupid as they were, were to help the Black Swan, and most importantly, protect Sophie. I find that connection adorable, but also brave. He informed her of mostly everything he learned, and handled news about his mother as best as he could. I'm really proud of him, also mad that he put his life on the line, especially when he brought Alvar's unconscious form back to the Neverseen hideout where he was staying. He did help Sophie and her friend piece together what the lodestar symbol meant, and how the Neverseen used it to leap from hideout to hideout. That was actually pretty genius, how the Neverseen thought up of that. Assigning the pure stars to each hideout was also pretty smart, and the sphere projecting that image on the floor, with shadows ties the whole system together, and shows what the Black Swan, Sophie and friends are up against.
The whole Peace Summit with the ogres was very chaotic. Especially how Gethen, Ruy and Fintan got locked up on PURPOSE, and then escaped by collapsing Lumenaria. That was pretty thought out, but still produced a number of casualties. WHY DID MR FORKLE HAVE TO DIE! Like, I don't see how that's relevant to the plot. He's done so much for Sophie, her friends, and the Black Swan, and now he has to leave that behind and never see the end of this whole thing and-