Security threats are a constant problem and the kids want to do something to stop the Neverseen but find themselves grasping at straws as to what they can do. Marella and Jensi return and we get an insight into how Sophie’s focus on the Black Swan/Neverseen conflict affected her friendships.

The kids (minus Keefe, Tam and Linh) return to Foxfire and we get to see them struggling to fit back into normal society.

The Black Swan continues to keep secrets about Sophie’s purpose, their identities and their plan for the future however they do start to be a bit more open with Sophie about some aspects of their operations. Although Keefe told Sophie he had noble intentions of finding out what the Neverseen were up to so he could stop them his trustworthiness throughout this book is questionable, however he also grows a lot while he is away from the other characters and has to rely on his own judgement and really figure out what he believes in. Lodestar picks up after Keefe has joined the Neverseen, an organisation that is hell bent on wiping the social order to the ground so they can build it back up in a way that suits them. Note this review will have spoilers for the previous books in the series. You can read my review for the first book in the series, Keeper of the Lost Cities. I have been a fan of these book for year now, since just before the second one came out. This series is aimed at middle graders however the later book show more ya themes. Lodestar is the fifth book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger.

Lodestar by shannon messenger