MG Fantasy Review of Snared: Voyage on the Eversteel Sea by Adam Jay Epstein

Snared Voyage of the Eversteel Sea
Format:  E-ARC
Publisher:  Imprint
Number of Pages:  272
Publishing:  June 2nd, 2020
Source:  Edelweiss Plus

Opening Line: "A hand grabbed Wily by the shoulder and shook him awake."

13-year-old Wily Snare awakened to billowing black smoke coming from the prisonaut, a jail holding some of the worst criminals Panthasos has ever known.  Among them is Kestrel, the ruthless Infernal King or Wily's father.   In the previous book in the series, Stalag amassed a huge stone golem army and attempted to seize the kingdom, but Wily and his friends were able to defend themselves from the attack. Kestrel was imprisoned for his role in aiding the evil cavern mage Stalag.   However, now that Kestrel and Stalag have rejoined forces, Wily senses that new dangers await.  Especially when he learns that his father and Stalag are headed to Drakesmith Island and the Eversteel Forge, a renowned place said to hold steel capable of being forged into a huge indestructible mechanical army. 

Snared is an action-packed fantasy adventure series with so many elements that I've come to love.  Add in that Voyage on the Eversteel Sea now features a seafaring expedition taking our adventures on a hot pursuit after Kestrel and Stalag and you have a high adventure indeed.   There's jousting against venomous ghost spiders, unusual creatures including screaming trees, a giant squid, a horse trap plant and boars made from salt, so corrosive that they wreak havoc on any gear made from metal.   There's an assortment of villainous sorts, including vagabonds, and criminals, backstabbing and the usual ax and sword fights I've so come to enjoy.  Wily and his friends even get themselves marooned on a deserted island and find that it isn't as uninhabited as they thought.  Yep, plenty of surprises and a few twists to make for an entertaining read.  I recommend starting from the first book in the series, so as to not miss out on any of the fun.  

I love that a huge part of the plot of Voyage on the Eversteel Sea focused on Wily's relationship with his father and whether Kestrel was really able to turn over a new leaf.  The idea of second chances and how trusting again can be the ultimate challenge.  Once again Wily was joined on his quest by his friends Odette, the acrobatic elf,  Pryvvd, the former knight with his floating arm named Righteous and Moshul, the golem.  And who couldn't love Roveeka, Wily's hobgoblet sister who was always by his side?   Overall, this was a very satisfying conclusion to the series, one that has been filled with adventure, family and friendship, plenty of laughter and touching moments.  

A favorite passage from the E-ARC:

" The dawn swallows left their nests just before the sun peeked over the horizon.  Flitting from the twisted branches of the tawny pines, they took to the sky, letting the light of the soon-to-be-rising sun paint their white feathers a soft pink."