5 Worlds: The Red Maze by Mark Siegel

Summary from Goodreads:

In book 3, Oona Lee is determined to light Moon Yatta's beacon and continue her quest to save the galaxy. But reaching the red beacon means navigating an impossible maze of pipes and facing devious enemies at every turn. Luckily, her friend Jax Amboy has returned from his adventures transformed! Now he must confront the owner of his former starball team, a ruthless businessman who will stop at nothing to get his best player back on the field . . . and who can grant them access to the beacon. Meanwhile, Oona and An Tzu find a mysterious rebel leader and release a surprising power within Oona's magic. Will they make it in time to stop the evil force seeking to rule the 5 Worlds?

Review:

These books are always just a pure joy to read. I recommend them to kids at my library all the time, when they are in book hangovers from the Amulet series. They are light, fun, and beautiful to look at. It’s been so much fun to read about a different world in each installment too. Oona is traveling to them to light all the beacons, and it’s so interesting to get such different characters, personalities, and politics on each planet. I also read the story in one sitting.

Oona has also come a long way. She’s not afraid any more. In this book, she does what she needs to do, stands up to evil characters, and finds the right people to help her in quest. It’s also nice to see the whole gang together again. I love the friend group between Oona, Jax Amboy, and An Tzu. I love watching their relationships grow. I almost wanted more time with the 3 of them.

That being said, this isn’t my favorite installment in the series. It didn’t have the family drama I’d come to love in the first two books. And Oona seemed maybe too focused on her job. Some of her personality from the past books was missing. It felt a little bit like a middle/filler book. I did love the art, the continuation of the beacons, and the setting. And I will most definitely keep reading the series and keep recommending the books. I give it an 8/10.