Entering back into Emelan, Tris's Book picks up very shortly the aftermath of the disaster occurring at the end of Sandry's Book. While the first book was very much an introduction and required more information Tris' Book was able to settle us into the arching narratives and expand the world. As such I found it to be much smoother in pacing. While each book puts us in the shoes of a different child, it does a good job of balancing out the attention each individual gets. It also does a fantastic job at expanding the necessary bond between the comrades, not quite friends, that these students have had to literally and figuratively created.

While I'm not as endeared to this universe as I was to Tortall, I really appreciate that this is for younger readers. What's more important is that the author and the /characters/ don't forget that they are children. THat's really refreshing. These kids aren't trying to be heroes or grow up. They see what life is like all too clearly. They just want to be. In a world of fantasy that is dominated by chosen ones, this is a nice shift.