The Golden Frog Games (Witchlings, #2)
by Claribel A. Ortega 

3 out of 5 stars

Seven and her friends, Valley and Thorn, are excited to participate in the famous Golden Frog Games, but someone is hexing the other participants. The friends start investigating the attacks, but Seven is distracted because she is also hiding a secret that she worries could ruin her magic.

I love the magical adventure and mystery in this book! There’s a great magic system and interesting world-building. I really liked that the witches’ world has a distant past that must be reckoned with. You really get a sense of the depth of the history behind their laws and the way their everyday lives are ordered.

I especially enjoyed the exploration of deep themes about belonging, courage, family love, friendship, and justice for every person in their world.
I loved the humorous writing style in this book! Despite the serious subject material, the writing is funny and light-hearted. There is a great balance in the pacing as well, and it all comes together for some excellent story-telling!
The plot is exciting and there is a lot of suspense and mystery, mixed in with quieter moments for the characters.

There are quite a lot of LGBTQ characters in this second book of the series. The director of the games is a drag queen. Valley enters into a lesbian dating relationship. Poppy is a minor character who has two moms. And we see the same lesbian couple from the first book again as well.

The best thing about this book is the gradual character development for the main character, Seven. Her friendships with Valley and Thorn are strong, but even so, their connection is tested to its limit when they have to deal with some very sensitive and upsetting issues. Thorn’s brother was killed by the Nightbeast years before, and when Seven wants to befriend the Nightbeast, they have a falling out.
Seven feels like she is juggling all these different problems, trying to keep the peace between her friends, struggling to hide the fact that her magic is falling apart, and investigating to find out who is hexing participants in the Golden Frog Games. She is a strong leader, but it’s tough always having to be the strong one. She learns to ask for help and trust her friends. I really love her continued character development!

To see sensitive content in this book, check it out on the Screen It First website! https://screenitfirst.com/book/the-golden-frog-games-witchlings-2-2592980

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.