The Invasion ( The Gray Land #2) by Peadar O'Guilin

Age: YA
Pages: 336
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Publication Date: 27 March 2018
Genre: YA/Fantasy/Horror

Rating: 4.5 Stars

After so much danger, Nessa and Anto can finally dream of a happy life. But the terrible attack on their school has created a witch-hunt for traitors -- boys and girls who survived the Call only by making deals with the enemy. To the authorities, Nessa's guilt is obvious. Her punishment is to be sent back to the nightmare of the Grey Land for the rest of her life. The Sídhe are waiting, and they have a very special fate planned for her.

Meanwhile, with the help of a real traitor, the enemy come pouring into Ireland at the head of a terrifying army. Every human they capture becomes a weapon. Anto and the last students of his old school must find a way to strike a blow at the invaders before they lose their lives, or even worse, their minds. But with every moment Anto is confronted with more evidence of Nessa's guilt.

For Nessa, the thought of seeing Anto again is the only thing keeping her alive. But if she escapes, and if she can find him, surely he is duty-bound to kill her...

My Thoughts:

I was surprised to see that The Call was actually part of a duology.  I personally felt that The Call read like a stand-alone and was not expecting to read any more of the gruesome brutal world that Peadar O'guilin created. I was both excited and nervous when I found this book.  I loved the first book so much, I was worried that this one would not live up to my expectations but I also couldn't wait to continue on with Nessa's story and learn more about the Grey Land.

After completing both books, I can honestly say that this duology is probably one of the strongest, most unique and well written young adult duologies I have ever read.  I went into this book with such high expectations, as I absolutely loved The Call.  I will say right off the bat, I found that this book was not quite as strong as The Call.  For me at least, I found that I really missed the school setting and the world-building that came with the first book.  That being said, this book was still an amazing read and I would recommend it to anyone.

One of the parts I enjoyed most about this novel was the fact that the reader gets to see even more of the Grey Land.  A good portion of the book is set in the Grey Land itself, and it is in the Grey land that this O'Guilin's writing style really comes alive.  He has such a descriptive, gory, and vivid writing style that it feels more like watching a movie than reading a book at times. 

I found that I really grew to love some of the side characters.  Of course, there was Megan. I loved her in the first book, and I loved her in this book too.  Of all the character's she is probably my favorite. The book would be seriously lacking without her sharp tongue.  Then there was Aoife.  I liked her in the first book, but I really grew to love her in this book.  With the good, however, there is also some sub-par.  I really did not care for the weird Anto and Liz relationship that gets thrust on the reader in this book. I personally thought that it felt forced and out of place in the novel.  If you can deal with some awkward out of place romance and are a reader that can handle violence and bloodshed, I would wholeheartedly recommend reading this Duology.