WASTED BOYS

In McPherson’s speculative sequel, a young man, spurned in love, engages in soul-numbing bacchanals at a new school.

Jace Evans has been in a depressive funk ever since Logan Cardot, the love of his life, broke up with him. After he’s accepted into Durhoss, “the most prestigious engineering school on the continent,” the charismatic young man quickly attracts a new group of friends: Frida, Astrid, Isabel, and Nora. He also acquires a reputation for partying after spending several weeks self-medicating with sex and drugs, and he inadvertently alienates much of his circle in the process. Later, he seeks revenge on the brutal government agents called the Black Lapels—who murdered Logan’s parents, among many others—and he engages in a horrific act. Buzzing with triumph, he plans another incident, and the result spins out of his control. McPherson’s sequel suffers at times from a deficiency of joy. As Charles Dickens observed, great drama is elevated by lighthearted moments—but the relentless darkness of this second installment, unalleviated by hope or camaraderie, renders the narrative emotionally monotonous. Jace’s descent into drugs and depression is difficult to witness, and his new friends seem to bring little comfort. The choice to center Jace, rather than Logan—the protagonist of the previous book—is a bold one, and it’s one that’s amply rewarding; Jace was, and remains, the series’ standout character. The most intriguing addition to the cast is Astrid, a volatile and vivacious young woman who lends the story a welcome energy. Her relationship with Jace, which is both sexual and platonic, is complex, and her reactions difficult to predict. The setting is considerably more developed than in the previous book; readers learn a good deal more about Tycha and its various peoples and languages (including some persuasively constructed invented words). The internal consistency of the worldbuilding, and the manner in which the author parcels out new information gradually, is arguably the book’s most laudable achievement.

A sequel that greatly expands on its setting and introduces memorable new characters.