Morningside Fall by Jay Posey - Book Review

From the publisher: The lone gunman Three is gone, and Wren is the new governor of the devastated settlement of Morningside, but there is turmoil in the city. When his life is put in danger, Wren is forced to flee Morningside until he and his retinue can determine who can be trusted.

They arrive at the border outpost, Ninestory, only to find it has been infested with Weir in greater numbers than anyone has ever seen. These lost, dangerous creatures are harbouring a terrible secret – one that will have consequences not just for Wren and his comrades, but for the future of what remains of the world.

Having enjoyed Jay Posey's previous book, Three, I was looking forward to reading Morningside Fall to see what happened next to Wren, and hopefully discover more behind the mystery of the Weir.  However, after reading half of the story, I finally put it down for good.

I'm not sure what didn't click with me, exactly, but I found myself continually having to force myself to read.  Very rarely was I engaged fully in the story, sucked in and pulled along by the characters and events.  

I've thought about this a lot, and what I've concluded is that the reason I enjoyed the first book was because of the character Three.  The world presented in the Legend of the Duskwalker series is interesting, but not enough on its own to cause me to want to know more.  Wren, the Weir, and Wren's bodyguards have potential, but, again, they aren't enough to keep me coming back for more.  Posey's writing style is fine; in fact, it's very similar to the first book.  

The only missing ingredient is Three, and I believe he is what makes the original story engaging.  The mystery surrounding Three and his role as loner/guide/reluctant hero (think Clint Eastwood in all those Spaghetti Westerns) is the hook that this series had, and with his death in the first book, I guess I'm no longer hooked.

Unfortunately, I don't recommend Morningside Fall.  I suppose the second half of the book may include many wonderful surprises (Three's resurrection?), but I just don't feel like slogging my way through to find out.

I received a preview copy of this book from Angry Robot Books in exchange for an honest review.