Alkaid

I've had this on my to read list for years, and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. While I feel for Caleb, this was a very solid read from the POV of Black people in the era of Jim Crow, with a Lovecraftian spin. A far more enjoyable read than some other period pieces.

It's been a few years since I last read the series, but I don't remember liking this one as much as the first. But after reading it again, I really like it. Mostly due to the subversion of the heroes journey we got in the first book. That warning about charismatic leaders shines brightly here.

This book took some surprisingly dark turns. Hit a little too close to home. Not my favorite of the series so far, but good nonetheless.

Long winded at times and a bit slow to get to the real meat of the story, but I'm glad I stuck with it!

I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this, despite Ax being my least favorite character. I didn't love the blatant sexism from him and the male Andalites, but there were some fun moments in this book.

And some interesting almost-war-crimes.