I love what Carey has done here with The Rampart Trilogy; book one was released April 14th, now in September book two is in our hands. Enough time for book one to be well settled in my past, but not so long that my interest has waned. Very smart timing.

The fact that this is a stated trilogy keeps me involved; too often I start a series, I get invested in the characters and then by the time we reach book 22 it seems like the same thing over and over again; I often find that I’m done with the characters before the author is. But the trilogy is perfect: a beginning, a middle, and an end. Carey has guaranteed me that he has enough story for three books, and he will not push it beyond that.

Carey has expanded the point of view with this book, adding more details to Koli’s story and his world. This is a world that has captivated my attention, it is unique and filled with a perspective on humanity and nature that is hard to find anywhere else. There are some political, no, not political, humanitarian topics or opinions that come through in this story; they are on the fringes, not shoved down your throat. I appreciate how Carey lets his readers into his mind and his opinions without being preachy and condescending (some authors lack that skill).

But most of all I loved the story, the interaction with the characters, the surprises along the way. Carey kept me entranced with The Trials of Koli: I laughed, I cried, where can I buy the T-shirt? I have been left with a need, want, and desire to know what happens to Koli and his friends. What more could you ask for from book two in a trilogy?

*4.5 Stars