Starred Review At last! A sequel to Carry On (2015) and the good news is that it's every bit as fine as the first. Here's the story: Simon, having lost his magic, is in such a funk that it seems things might be over with him and Baz. Happily, their friend Penelope e who must be obeyed cides they need to go to America to sort things out and to find out what is happening with their friend Agatha, who is incommunicado in San Diego. On the way they meet a 22-year-old named Shepard who is relentless in his determination to befriend them. With that settled, they head to Las Vegas, which turns out to be the vampire capital of America. Meanwhile Agatha is in grave danger, being held captive by a band of strange men called the Next Blood, who have an unhealthy interest in her magic. How this all works out is the making of a terrific adventure infused with magic, except when it isn't. The story is told from a number of points of view; one quibble here: the voices tend to sound too much alike. But that's small potatoes compared with the overall excellence of a book in which every vista pleases and every character delights. Carefully plotted, the book is a classic page-turner right to the open ending which, o frabjous day, promises a sequel to the sequel! One can hardly wait.

After the triumphant conclusion of Carry On, hero Simon Snow had earned some reward, or at least a little happiness. Instead, as this sequel opens, readers learn that Simon has sunk into a deep post-heroics funk. Roommates and fellow magicians Penny and Baz (well, mostly Penny) decide that Simon needs a radical change. A hastily and haphazardly arranged trip takes them from England to Chicago, where they rent a classic Mustang to head west-Penny presciently senses that former classmate Agatha has found trouble in California. Trouble, in fact, abounds, and the magicians face off against a variety of foes, including Ren Faire-visiting vampires and a shotgun-wielding polecat, while finding that their idiom-based magic works differently in America. Rowell's dry wit is on full display as the first-person narrative moves between the characters, and plentiful awkward relationships-including the fraught romance between Simon and Baz-add tension. Though this second volume lacks the first's tighter plotline, it's a big-hearted look at early adulthood, exploration, and self-renewal that will certainly draw fans. Ages 14-up. (Sept.)