The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore (Lorien Legacies #2)

After the disaster in Ohio, Number Four, (John) Sam, and now Number Six are on the run. John is thought to be a terrorist after police saw the carnage at the local high school, and the trio ends up fleeing from both angry Mogodorians and the government. Now they have a plan:train, find the others, and prepare for battle. On the other side of the world, in Spain, Number Seven finds herself with a dangerous problem. Her cêpan has lost faith in Seven's skills and has no hope for Lorien's revival. As a result, Seven finds herself without a mentor or any information on her abilities in a hostile enviorment. Mogs are closing in, but she has nobody to turn to, and there's a chance that Six might not reach her in time.

Seven, who goes by Marina, is a facinating new character. Because her cêpan doesn't want to have anything to do with Lorien, Marina has to take matters into her own hands. She has to be extra-watchful for danger and keep track of news round the world for herself. All of this has made her a very independent girl. She's also very kind, using her powers to do things like heal stray cats or just being nice to Ella, a young orphan. She strikes me a sweet girl. However, although shetr ies to avoid violence, she'sn ot afraid to stand up for children who are being bullied and she still cares deeply about her cêpan, even if the feeling isn't returned.

Second, Four developed a little bit. He's comfortable with his powers and isn't scared to use htme to get out of a tight spot with the police, but he also misses Henri. Maybe he feels out of his depth without a more knowldgeable person? He doesn't know about most of the things inside hs chest, and he feels like Henri could teach him. In any case, he also has a thing for Six, even though he does love Sarah. There could be some possible future tension there.

Speaking of Six, she's a total badass! We met her in the previous book, but now we get a chance to know her. Six is like Marina in the way that she can take care of herself, but she's not as kind or trusting. Her cêpan is dead, so Six had to teach herself how to fight and use her powers by herself. Six is determined to beat the Mogs and have revenge for the death of her people. She's a very practical person, shooting down bad choices on John and Sam's part, like John's wish to go see Sarah. So far, she's one of my favorite characters.

Lastly, I also liked how Sam developed. after Six teaches him to fight, he can punch like a pro, and I can see some poor Mog underestimating him. Of course, because he's not Loric, he has to stay back and let Six and Four do most of the fighting. I wonder if he feels left out or if he thinks he's a burden for the other two. Sam also likes Six, and I wonder if there might be some possible tension between him and Four about her later on in the series.

This sequel was delightful. I enjoyed the new characters and the developments with those I've already met. There was plenty of action and suspense with fighting scenes, the inability to trust humans, and the constant threat of being captured. The incoming information about the world of Lorien was interesting and I enjoyed learning more about the world of the six. The powers of the surviving six are thrilling, and the Mogs are terrifying. As always, I think the series is very creative and original. I can't wait to see what happens next!

#aliens #survival #scifi #warandmilitary