The Collection Awakens (Catastrophe Incoming #2), by Aimee Donnellan
11 Apr 2024The Book
Synopsis:
"Well, you have armour. It's the lyre and the goose that have me a bit confused."
The Dragon War has left its mark on everyone, and Reverie Rosetia is no exception. After her brother is struck down in a skirmish, it is on her to take up the family legacy of greatness – no matter what her plans might have been before that. She must find his sword and bring it home.
With no better place to start her search, Reverie arrives at the Collection, an isolated place full of magical oddities and artifacts. Soon after her arrival, the eclectic visitors to the Collection and its owner find themselves trapped inside. A magical force has broken free and is determined to break them, one by one. Can Reverie solve the mystery of how their attacker manifested and put it right before it is too late?
Reverie meets adventurers Lark and Wren as the trio are trapped in this claustrophobic and irreverent fantasy mystery, which may have more to do with Lark and Wren’s chase than they think…
My Review
The Collection Awakens is the second book in the episodic fantasy series Catastrophe Incoming, written by the Kiwi author Aimee Donnellan. In this second instalment, we will be spectators of a locked room mystery, with the humor that characterizes this saga, and with some characters from The Chase Begin returning.
After her brother is struck down in a skirmish, Reverie Rosetia is ready to continue carrying the legacy of greatness associated to her family; but firstly, she must find his sword. With her lyre and Ferdinand, the evil goose, she travels to the Collection, a place full of magical artifacts and oddities.
However, soon she finds herself trapped inside the Collection, in the company of the eccentric owner and the weird visitors this place seems to attract; but that's not the worst, as a magical object seems to have unleashed a force that is trying to mentally break the group one by one. Solving how this attacker works inside, and opening the collection is a mystery that will need of Reverie's ability.
If there's something that shines in The Chase Begins is the characters, and that doesn't change in The Collection Awakens; apart from the own Reverie being sassy and chaotic, the company of Ferdinand just adds a bigger point of hilarity to the situation. Lark and Wren reappear in this volume, a charming pair, and we can't forget to spotlight how eccentric the owner was.
The pacing is slower in comparison, getting more time to admire the marvels that are contained inside the Collection, while also allowing the characters to take a more protagonist role, instead of just moving with the situation.
The Collection Awakens is extremely fun, the perfect sequel to The Chase Begins; if you like queer fantasy and want a great bite, you should try the Catastrophe Incoming series. I cannot wait to see how Reverie works together with Lark and Wren in the next books.
The Author/s
Aimee Donnellan
Aimee Donnellan is an author of whimsical queer fantasy for new adults. She is proudly bisexual and on the aromantic spectrum, and loves to write bisexuals even more chaotic and disastrous than herself.
She lives in Wellington, New Zealand with her fiancè — who helps her write and worldbuild — and dreams of dog ownership when not playing video games or Dungeons and Dragons.