After reading Meg Kramer's Amoura Awakened, I couldn’t wait to read the second book in the series, Amoura Ascending, and it does not disappoint. In this story, seventeen-year-old Amoura Renly returns to Elderwood Academy, determined to mask her true identity as a Spirit witch. She passes for a Fire Mage, but the Purity Champions still hunt her. Now they have manipulated her best friend, Bea, to join their Cadet program. The friendship between Amoura and Bea becomes colder with each day. Amoura still may have some allies, including June, her steadfast and loyal friend; Finn, who tracks the Champions; the intelligent Aditi; and the son of the Champion director, Luca. When the Purity Champions go in search of the legendary artifact known to have the power to expose reality, Amoura knows things might get scary for her. But there are more disturbing revelations about her identity. What will it take to keep her secret hidden?

In Amoura Ascending, you have magic, friendship, and adventure; a story that is most suitable for fans of Harry Potter and a finely drawn magical world. Meg Kramer creates a world filled with prejudices, where a class of witches believes those who are different should not belong. The magic system is steeped in authenticity, and the paradox in Amoura’s magic is thought-provoking. Her spirit magic is powerful, but her weakness is one of the strengths that makes her a target. There is a twist about three murdered leaders that elevates the quality of the entertainment. Ascelin’s journal is a device that complements plot elements; a magical journal that reveals what it wants and when it wants it. The book is written in a first-person narrative voice that is intimate and gripping, a voice that lays bare Amoura’s soul. This suspenseful, fast-paced fantasy ticks all the elements I want in the genre.

Amoura Renly returns to Elderwood for her second year in Amoura Ascending. This book in Meg Kramer’s The Veiled Flame Series takes off with the same characters we met in the previous book. This time, Amoura has more knowledge about her magic: she is a Spirit witch, with magic that does not rely entirely on external elements, and she is being hunted by the Purity Champions. Amoura will do everything to keep her secret safe, now hiding as a Fire witch. When she refuses the invitation to join the Cadet program, they get her best friend, Bea. The walls are closing in on Amoura, and it gets more complicated when the Champions go in search of the ancient magical artifact known as the Veilweaver’s Needle, capable of revealing reality. With friends like June, Aditi, and Finn on her side, can they thwart the Champions and protect Amoura’s secret?

Amoura Ascending is imaginative, well-plotted, and deliberately paced. Meg Kramer combines tension with suspense to keep the pages turning. Apart from the secret that Amoura keeps, there are magical elements in the book that make it interesting. The legendary artifact, a mysterious diary, and revelations about a buried history of famed witches linked to Amoura are aspects of the plot that fuel the suspense. The narrative thrives on red herrings and the author’s ability to raise the reader’s anticipation of what happens next. I like to see desperation and strong motivation in characters, and this book satisfies in that light. The relationships and friendships feel real, in the conflict between two distinct magical classes, and in the well-crafted characters.