Enna Burning (Bayern series, book 2), by Shannon Hale; young adult, fantasy; 336 pages (about 11 hours in audio format)
I've now discovered Shannon Hale, and plan to work my way through her entire catalog. But as much as I loved The Goose Girl, I found myself getting very frustrated with Enna throughout the book. It wasn't really the story's fault: Enna spends most of the book struggling with her new-found gift for fire, and fighting to control it. When she's captured by an enemy army, she is drugged and slowly brainwashed into believing she should help them attack her homeland. The story is believable and well-written, and I see that much of this story needed to happen after the events in Goose Girl. But between the magic, drugs, and brainwashing, Enna comes across as pretty passive for most of this book and, while she does eventually break free and save the kingdom, I was grinding my teeth for the bulk of the story. I guess I like my fantasy heroines a little more proactive and level-headed. I still plan to pick up River Secrets, the next book in the series.
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