Hello, everyone! Today I’m reviewing the third book of The Neskan Chronicles, Misery Bay by Owen Lach. I’m a fan of Lach’s work, and I was stoked to see where this story went next. Be sure to check out my reviews of Founder’s Mercy and Broken Valley if you haven’t read them yet.

Adan Testa knew the answers were out there. Yet, uncovering them only revealed more questions, more secrets, and far more danger. But on his journey to Neska’s remote Dellan Islands, the hunted has become the hunter. Adan isn’t running–he’s driven, fueled by the mysteries that still haunt him. And what awaits is a terrifying unknown and a confrontation that could destroy everything he holds true.

Don’t miss this action-packed new installment in best-selling author Owen Lach’s breathtaking Queer YA Sci-Fi series The Neskan Chronicles!

***Thank you to Jetspace Studio for providing a copy of the book. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

I wanted to love Misery Bay. Unfortunately, I struggled with this one. I’m not quite sure why, though. It had plenty of action and answered many of the mysteries from previous books. My best guess is that I got bored with the length of the quest. I’m not a huge fan of the quest trope in general, and this one has been going on for three books now. I did become more engaged once the characters reached their endpoint and quickly tore through the last quarter of the book. Everything before that was just more of the same that they’d faced on the journey. Travel. Stop. Get in trouble. Repeat.

Misery Bay also included some plot points that seemed forced and didn’t really make sense to me. There was a point where things happened that separated the characters, and I got the feeling that it occurred just because the author wanted them separated. The rationale for the actions was eventually divulged later in the book, and it still didn’t make sense to me even after the explanation. There was also an instance of the main character not asking a very obvious question until it was pointed out to him, and it felt very out of character for it to not be one of the first things he asked.

I did still love the characters in Misery Bay, though. Adan is a great protagonist, and he experienced a lot of growth over the course of this book. He developed leadership skills and took on a much more prominent role in the group. He also began coming to terms with the violence he’s been surrounded by and whether the things he has done have been slowly desensitizing him into a monster. Its impacts on him and his relationships were explored, and the author once again did a wonderful job of writing engaging group dynamics, including some beautiful moments between Adan and both Garun and Bo.

Misery Bay also had quite a few exciting reveals that added to the history of the world and its lore. I won’t spoil anything, but I was actually really happy with what we learned and came away from the book feeling satisfied with the answers to many of the long-standing mysteries of the series. However, I do wish the characters had visited some more memorable locales. The different ports just blurred together for me, and I think that might’ve also contributed to my difficulty staying engaged with the first parts of the book. There were some pretty awesome scenes on the water, though, which helped keep things interesting.

Overall, Misery Bay was a solid installment in the series with good character growth and some satisfying answers to many mysteries. Unfortunately, the plot just didn’t stand out to me, and I had a hard time remaining engaged at times, especially in the first half. Therefore, I give Misery Bay a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Have you read Misery Bay or any of the other Neskan Chronicles books? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments!