SFF

Dreams of the Golden Age

Tor. (After the Golden Age, Bk. 2). Jan. 2014. 320p. ISBN 9780765334817. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9781466815452. FANTASY
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More known for her urban fantasies featuring Kitty Norville (Kitty in the Underworld), Vaughn returns to the characters she introduced in 2011's comic book-inspired After the Golden Age. That book focused on Celia West, the nonpowered daughter of the most famous hero of Commerce City, and a lot of its appeal was based on this concept of a "normal" person growing up in the shadow of the superpowered. This sequel shifts focus to the next generation, Celia's daughter, who has inherited a variation of her father's (Dr. Mentis) mental skills. Celia, never an easy character to love, uses surveillance and manipulation to try both to protect Anna and steer her toward what Celia sees as her destiny. But being a traditional teen, Anna rebels against her parents' expectations, exploring her abilities in secret.
VERDICT The decision to age down this sequel to a younger protagonist makes this even more of a YA title than the first book, keeping the fast-paced adventure but with more teen angst and less of a cynical bite.
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