Children of Daedala by Caighlan Smith

Title: Children of Daedala

Author: Caighlan Smith

Publisher: Capstone

Date of publication: April 1st, 2018

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Number of pages: 336

POV: 1st person

Series: Unnamed as of 9-12-2017

Children of Icarus – Book 1 (review here)

Children of Daedala – Book 2

Where you can find Children of Daedala: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

For Ages: 14-18

Six months alone in the labyrinth has made her strong. But the search for the exit means gambling on an old ‘friend’ and going against everything she’s been taught to survive. You know the labyrinth will have yet more horrors lurking in its depths. You’ve learned few people can be trusted. But freedom is tantalizingly close. Are you ready to take the risk?

Trigger Warning: None

My review:

I had reviewed Children of Icarus last year, loved it and couldn’t wait to read the second book. When I got accepted for it, I did a happy dance in my living room. Which got me weird looks from my SO and my youngest daughter. I was so excited because I couldn’t wait to see what was in store for “Nameless/Clara” in this book. I also couldn’t wait to see how the author incorporated more Greek mythology into the story.

The book follows Nameless/Clara as she gets caught between two warring factions. Those factions are Harmonia, an all-girl group, and Kleos, an all-boy group.  While trying to avoid both factions, she saves Ryan, a boy from the Fates. She needs help deciphering a notebook that the Executioner left her. Ryan has knowledge of the language it is written in. After traveling back to the Fates hideout, they discover something terrible happened. The only person that Nameless cared for in the labyrinth has been taken in by Harmonia. To save her friend, Nameless partners with the Ryan and a small group of Fates that are with the Kleos. Going on a rescue mission into Harmonia, she finds out that not everything is what it seems. She needs to find out the truth behind the attack on the Fates before she is killed. She also needs to find out why the war between Harmonia and Kleos is happening.

This book was a fantastic dark fantasy young adult book. The world that was built up in Children of Icarus was expanded upon in Children of Daedala. This isn’t a fantasy where unicorns and rainbows appear. No, this is a gritty fantasy where children are fighting for their lives and have formed societies. I was reminded very much of Lord of the Flies while reading this book. There were so many similarities between the two of them. Only thing…..the kids in Lord of the Flies get rescued at the end. These kids were thrown in the labyrinth as a sacrifice and in no way that they are getting rescued.

Nameless grew so much from the last book. The training the Executioner gave her before she died was a huge part of that. But also, she was mentally strong too. After what she went through with the Fates, she had to be. Her distrust of Kleos and Harmonia were warranted. She was tough too. I mean, she wore metal spikes in her braids and she took down a temple lion….by herself. She even talked more in Children of Daedala.  Which is something that I was amazed by because she never talked in Children of Icarus.

The secondary characters made this story what it was. Each character had their own personality which is rare in books. I got to care about Elle, Ryan, Theo, the Mud Maiden, and the other secondary characters.

There is no sex in Children of Daedala. Nameless did have Ryan and Theo chasing after her. Also, Polina and Theo were observed kissing too. So no sex but lots of kissing towards the end of the book. Which, in my eyes, is acceptable for a young adult book.

The only complaint I have about the book is…..what is Nameless’s name? She has gone by Clara, Nameless and Fey Bell in both books. But her real name is never revealed. I want to know!!

The ending stunned me. I was not expecting what happened to happen. I also was not expecting who showed up to show up. I am wondering what that will mean for book 3? And for Nameless?

5 stars

My summary of Children of Daedala:

Children of Daedala is the stunning sequel to Children of Icarus. This book was a fantastic read. It had fleshed out characters and a plotline that kept me glued to the book.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Young Teen

Why: There are a few kissing scenes but nothing beyond that. I will warn that the book does have some pretty graphic battle scenes so I would vet it for anyone under that age of 14.

I would like to thank Caighlan Smith, Capstone, and NetGalley for allowing to read and review Children of Daedala

All opinions stated in this review of Children and Daedala are mine and I received no financial compensation for this review

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**