It’s incredibly uncommon for me to say that a sequel has surpassed the series debut. Oftentimes, I find this is because, whilst I love world-building and advancement in sequels, very few things surpass those initial foundations. However, Ash Bond has achieved that very thing in Peregrine Quinn and the Mask of Chaos. I enjoyed the first book in the Peregrine Quinn series, but Mask of Chaos takes the world, the characters, the adventure, and the action soaring to new heights.

Peregrine’s continued journey to discover the meaning of what Nim said in the Under Realm in Peregrine Quinn and the Cosmic Realm sends her in some directions that I could foresee and others I could not in a million years, making this a brilliantly enticing second venture into the Cosmic Realm for the young hero. Alongside this, the return of Rowan, Cal, Bernadette, Daedalus, and even Hecate, joined by more of Penelope, Nim’s sister, and a whole host of new characters, makes for such brilliant character arcing and several plots that Bond knits together seemingly effortlessly.

The level of threat within this novel and the antagonist’s journey has risen suitably also. In the year since the first novel, the readers will have gotten older, the characters will have grown up a bit more, and therefore so should the challenge within the story, and it has! Anyone who adored Cosmic Realm is sure to relish Mask of Chaos, and I even think this book may appeal to older readers and encourage them to go back in the series and read book 1. That is how good a sequel this is.

As someone who grew up in a Mediterranean family where Greek was the dominant language, Greek legend, mythology, and tragedy were the bedside stories I grew up with through primary school. Therefore, it would be easy to say I would be bored by now of adaptations of the history across all the various media. However, Ash Bond has brandished her pen/laptop and found a completely new interpretation of it all with this series, and I’m forever appreciative of that. It goes to show that those legends and myths have the fruit (pun intended) and potential to survive for centuries to come, and I adore this. So, THANK YOU, Ash!

I highly recommend Peregrine Quinn and the Mask of Chaos to any readers aged 8+, and especially to those who may not have read Peregrine Quinn and the Cosmic Realm, as they will have two books to read during the Easter holidays if you pre-order Mask of Chaos for its 10th April release date. This is a series I hope continues for a long time and can see Peregrine leading more stories than the standard trilogy that’s become the norm in MG fiction! So, while you go and pre-order the novel, I’m off to find a golden apple to eat…

Super fun fantasy series with action, thrills and humour. Being 13 in Oxford is difficult enough, but Peregrine has to deal with the Cosmic realm as well. Or she really wants to, but her Mum is adamant no more Cosmic Realm adventures, the last one was scary enough!!! But she survived and won, and there’s so much to learn - petulant teenager vibe. Then Olympus Inc. finds someone is trying to sabotage the Cosmic games, and Athene has decided Peregrine is a perfect fit to find out who. And off we go on another fast paced magical adventure with Peregrine, her friends. Thank you to Bonnier Books UK and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Having loved the first of the series, I was so excited to see the second available to read in advance (woohoo!) Just like the first book, Peregrine Quinn finds herself entangled in the magical cosmic realm, despite her mother’s best protests. This time she becomes entangled in the Cosmic Games, the biggest event of a generation! But behind the glory, fame and fortune, Peregrine is working undercover to find out which of the other seven champions has a dark motive.

Of course no other than the fiendish Hekate has returned to bring chaos and destruction, and it’s down to Peregrine to stop her by winning the games and claiming the glorious prize - a magical golden apple - for herself.

Review (spoilers ahead, please stop reading here if you don’t want any spoilers):
I was so looking forward to getting to the bottom of the mystery of Peregrine but we’re not quite there yet!! We’ve been teased, and there’s hints, but the full story has yet to unveil.

Overall this was another fun ride, full of amazing mythology, unique magic and an amazing wide range of characters to love. I wish this book every success for publication day, and now I must wait for the next instalment (nooo!)

Second in the series and knowledge of the first is really needed to get the most enjoyment from it. Develops the world and the characters very well, the plot dives straight in and maintains momentum to the last sentence. Fulfils the promise of the previous book to provide an exciting, pacey adventure perfectly pitched for the 9-13 age group. And it features a pro-active, heroic librarian! Can't go wrong really....

Ash Bond has done it again! Peregrine Quinn and the Cosmic Realm was one of my favourite middle grade reads of 2024, and this is a strong sequel.

It was great to see more of Penelope's back story, and it felt fitting to learn that she had previously been Athene's champion in the games.

One of the strongest parts of this book for me was the character development we see in some of the surrounding cast of characters, especially Cal and Rowan. Seeing Cal growing confidence in himself, in spite of his less than supportive family was great. Seeing Rowan begin to break more rules, and consider the points the rebels were making was brilliant, and true growth.

Of course, wily Hekate has gotten away again, with the help of Dionysus, of all people! I can't wait for the next installment!