The Speaker by Traci Chee -- Review

Title: The Speaker (Book Two of Sea of Ink and Gold)
Author: Traci Chee 
Pages: 512
Publishing: November 7th 2017 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0399176780

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

Having barely escaped the clutches of the Guard, Sefia and Archer are back on the run, slipping into the safety of the forest to tend to their wounds and plan their next move. Haunted by painful memories, Archer struggles to overcome the trauma of his past with the impressors, whose cruelty plagues him whenever he closes his eyes. But when Sefia and Archer happen upon a crew of impressors in the wilderness, Archer finally finds a way to combat his nightmares: by hunting impressors and freeing the boys they hold captive.

With Sefia’s help, Archer travels across the kingdom of Deliene rescuing boys while she continues to investigate the mysterious Book and secrets it contains. But the more battles they fight, the more fights Archer craves, until his thirst for violence threatens to transform him from the gentle boy Sefia knows to a grim warrior with a cruel destiny. As Sefia begins to unravel the threads that connect Archer’s fate to her parents’ betrayal of the Guard so long ago, she and Archer must figure out a way to subvert the Guard’s plans before they are ensnared in a war that will pit kingdom against kingdom, leaving their future and the safety of the entire world hanging in the balance.

Review: 

I absolutely loved The Reader, and I had high hopes for The Speaker. I loved all of the characters and I especially loved how there were many different stories going on at once in the first novel. It was so brilliant that I wasn't sure how Traci Chee could write a second novel to top it, but she exceeded my expectations and grew the characters that I loved into so much more. The quiet but dangerous Archer turned into a force to be reckoned with, and Sefia was strong, capable, and everything I ever hoped she would be. We learned so much more about all of the characters, and I loved getting a small glimpse into their lives before they all came together. 

There was constant action and adventure as well as a fair amount of romance and drama. I loved the mixture of rough action with soft and tender moments between Archer and Sefia. There were moments of loss, moments of gain, as well as a few moments that made the reader question the motives of characters. I thoroughly enjoyed the twist at the end of the novel and look forward to where Chee will take us in the next installment. I am a HUGE fan of this series and highly recommend it if you are a fan of YA fantasy novels. Thank you to Penguin Teen for sending a copy of The Speaker in exchange for an honest review. 

Rating 4/5