The first book of The Wandering Inn was a textbook example of how to start off a long running series. It introduced the main characters and the world, has a fantastic and explosive self-contained plot and ends with a nice juicy hook to get you to read the next one.

It was also, and I didn’t notice this until I was writing this review, surprisingly constrained. There were references to the bigger world out there but apart from a couple of very brief chapters all the action took place within a relatively small area in the middle of the continent of Izril. Which is honestly amazing considering how big the world already felt. But the first book ended with the larger world forcibly introducing itself into the story and taking a prominence it refuses to give up. From here on we get stories and perspectives from occasional characters on other continents, tying everything that’s happening into a fascinating larger perspective.

In a lot of ways it’s more restrained than the first book. There’s not the same level of threat to all of our characters as happened at the end of that one. This is about recovering from the ordeal they all went through, picking up the pieces and trying to make something new and better. Which isn’t to say that there isn’t action and adventure, oh boy is there, but it’s not at the same level as it was before.

And that’s a good thing. A rollercoaster can’t be all dives and swoops. You have to build up to the bigger drops, creating the anticipation for the fall. Because when it comes it’ll be fast, sudden and leave you breathless.

And that’s what this book is, a lot of set up for what’ll come later, a moment to breath before things become crazy again. And I love it. The normality of everyday life (or as normal as things ever get for Erin and Ryoka) is lovely to experience. It’s a breath of cold winter air, refreshing, before you take off running again.

And it’s still full of great moments. The Otherworldly Party, the Mindreading Chess Game of Chess, the Unfortunate Sleighride and Game of Riddles (which added special effects) are all fantastic chapters that I went back and read again and again as I was reading this. And the ending still managed to be perfect, a pause in the moment with the expectation of something amazing to keep you hooked. All in all the first book was a great start and this one just builds upon it.