Arabella and the Battle of Venus Review

Arabella and the Battle of Venus by David D. LeVine

Given how much I enjoyed this novel's predecessor, I was still surprised to see how quickly this one followed it. After a bit of doing, I have finished reading it; my thoughts are broken down below.

Pros This novel brings back numerous characters that I enjoyed from the previous novel; among them are Arabella, of course, along with Captain Singh and various crewmen from aboard the Diana. It also introduces a fun rascal, in Captain Fox, and expands the roles of Mills and Lady Corey. We have a chance to explore the planet Venus, too. The climax to which it builds is quite exciting, reminding me of the Battle of Yavin in Star Wars.

Cons In Arabella of Mars, the fact that our heroine was traveling aboard a ship disguised as a boy made for lots of tension and drama, and from early in the story. This one takes along to build to that kind of engagement. As a caveat, though, I'll say that, while the first novel hit its peak for me with a good deal of story left to go, this one saves the best for the end.

Additional Notes There are still plenty of interesting elements left to explore in this story's universe, especially Captain Singh's background and the exact nature of Aadim, the automaton navigator.