TRAPPED

Seeking to escape carnivorous pursuers, a band of exiled prehistoric plant eaters go from the frying pan into the fire (literally) in this follow-up to The Deadlands (2023).

Calamities compound as a desperate flight over the treacherous, volcanic Salted Scorch—with a carnotaurus colonel and a squad of raptors hot on their trail—leads oryctodromeus Eleri and his four herbivorous allies not to the hoped-for safety of the Drylands but straight into the magma-heated tunnels of the Fire Peak: the headquarters of the Carrion Kingdom. There, along with the very personal danger of being captured and eaten at any moment, the fugitives find not only a captive herd of fellow herbivores in need of rescue but a cache of terrifying weapons certain to turn the tide in the larger ongoing war between predator and prey species. As is proper for a middle volume, Melki-Wegner raises the stakes while developing characters and relationships within the contentious main group. And if she continues to lean too heavily on a conveniently broad magical premise to move her story along, she does effectively sweep readers toward a climax that leaves the captives (including a bonded couple of elderly female triceratops) released and the Carrion Kingdom dealt a fiery, but not final, setback.

Jurassic juniors again thwart toothy foes, but the prospects for a plant-based peace remain dim.