The Unbound (The Archived #2)

I was excited to pick up the sequel in The Archived series. The Archived was one of those books that stuck with me long after I closed the book and I was looking forward to whatever Victoria Schwab had in store for readers in The Unbound.

What I loved: Victoria Schwab has a way of entangling me in her rich and vivid world-building and I find myself reading for hours without noticing any time has gone by. The Unbound is just the right amount of suspense and scary for me. The story flows effortlessly through Mackenzie Bishop's crazy world. Readers will get a bigger glimpse into who Mackenzie is and the pain and struggles she feels on a daily basis.

Mackenzie impresses me in so many ways--the biggest way is probably her determination. She's faced with many challenges and meets each one head on. Mackenzie is great on her own but throw in Wesley Ayers and these two make quite the team. Wesley and Mackenzie compliment each other's strengths and don't capitalize on their weaknesses. These two have a special relationship and have each other's best interests at heart.

The Unbound is the best kind of sequel. The story picks up right where The Archived left off. There is never any down time and every event and scene is important and vital to the outcome of the story. The ending is satisfying but devoted readers will most certainly want more Mackenzie and Wesley stories. Who wouldn't want to know about mysterious Wesley?

What left me wanting more: Nothing, this hit the mark in every possible way.

Final Verdict: You won't regret diving into the world of The Archived.

I expect a lot from sequels. I need them remind me of everything I enjoyed in the first book, but not retread old ground. I need them to give me new likable characters, while allowing me to grow closer to characters I’ve already met. I need the events of the previous books to have consequences, and for the actions of the characters to have repercussions. I need higher stakes, deeper world-building, tighter plots, and more satisfying resolutions. Whether it’s the second or the third or the tenth book in a series, I need each sequel to continue upping its game to keep me invested in the series. It’s a tall order that is hard to fill, which is why I often wind up settling for less.

I’m pleased to report that no settling was necessary in the case of The Unbound. The narrative picks up shortly after the events of The Archived, with heroine Mackenzie Bishop coping with the trauma of a betrayal that nearly killed her, and the fallout of the decisions she made as a result. In the meantime, her world is broadened by the start of the school year. The story is no longer confined to the halls of the Narrows and the rooms of the hotel-turned-apartment-building that Mackenzie calls home. Now she has to deal with a new school and new friends, and must work constantly to keep the ghosts of her past and the demons in her head quiet — while still proving to the Archive that she is a competent Keeper.

Fortunately, she’s not alone. Guyliner-sporting co-Keeper Wesley Ayers is once again by Mackenzie’s side, livening up her life with sass and sarcasm while also providing the grounding and support that only someone who knows her secrets can. Their relationship grows and deepens as it is tested by both the trials of high school and the string of disappearances that seem tied to Mackenzie. His humor and openness provide a much-needed balance to Mackenzie’s seriousness and secretiveness. Mackenzie also makes some friends at school, and it’s fun to see her interact with people her own age who don’t share knowledge of the Archive.

The new setting of Hyde School gives The Unbound a freshness that is much appreciated after the purposefully claustrophobic confines of The Archived. With the move into the world outside the hotel, the scope becomes greater and the stakes feel higher. It’s interesting how the broadened environment plays with the narrowing walls of Mackenzie’s mind, as no matter where she goes, she can’t escape the haunting memories of the History who terrorized her. He even plagues her dreams, which results in nearly crippling insomnia and the concern that she may be suffering a break from reality. Mackenzie’s struggles are compounded by the disappearances happening around her, as the lines between reality and the Archived continue to muddle. It’s a brilliant balance of internal versus external conflict, with both plotlines weaving together and building on each other as they head toward a conclusion that is both intellectually and emotionally satisfying.

As always, Victoria’s prose is lovely, a perfect blend of poetry and suspense. It gives the book a visceral quality that makes it easy to picture and hard to put down. There are some authors who have the gift of stories and some who have the gift of words. It’s clear in Victoria’s writing that she has both. Not only are the tales she crafts smart and imaginative and original, but the ways in which she tells them are beautiful.

The Unbound is everything I wanted in a sequel to The Archived. More mystery. More suspense. A greater sense of purpose and consequence and world. Deeper relationships. Higher stakes. And, of course, more Wesley Ayers. If you read The Archived and are wondering if you should pick up the sequel, wonder no more. Go forth, read, and enjoy.