The second part of the Styxworth saga sees Peter and Bex embark on an epic quest to rescue his father from the clutches of the Corruption.

I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.

Leaving Styxworth is the follow-up story to Danny Beattie’s Welcome to Styxworth. Having enjoyed the first book I was keen to see how the author was going to carry on the story, develop the core characters, all without the concept becoming stale.

The feel in this second book is very different, the transition from the discovery of Styxworth – a kind of limbo between the worlds of the living and the dead to a place where our key character, Pete, is fully aware of its existence, even though he resides in the land of the living. This awareness permeates his day to day life in a way that is somewhat poignant. Loss is an emotion that cuts through things in Pete’s everyday life, as does a curiosity to see his friend Bex back in Styxworth.

Bettie creates a carefully crafted story bringing a good reason for Pete to return to Styxworth. The story focuses on the concept of Dante’s classic, Inferno which is something I have always had an interest in. It is a loose connection to the classic work, building solidly on the concept creating a sense of foreboding as Pete and Bex descend through this version of hell.

My rating: