Avery West is on a mission to get her mother back. After only a few weeks of meeting her newfound family and being thrust into the mysterious and dangerous Circle society, all she wants is to save the one parent who raised her. However, in order to do so, she has to solve the truth about the Circle and uncover a series of clues that all seem to lead to one conclusion. Alliances will be shattered, hearts will be broken, and trust will be thrown out the window in this sequel to THE CONSPIRACY OF US.

While I really enjoyed THE CONSPIRACY OF US, this sequel, MAP OF FATES, fell a bit below my expectations. The mystery plot does become more complex, especially as the clues add up, but it feels less engaging than the first book, though that may be because the romance is upped in this one. The love triangle is more a minor part in book one, but it fights for center stage now. It follows a very similar pattern of other love triangles and feels cliché for most of the book. However, the familiarity of it does allow for some powerful character growth from Avery in the final chapters.

Since potential nuptials are an important element for solving the mysterious and vaguely worded clues, readers get to meet a few new members of the Circle, which does a wonderful job of showing how Avery could truly become a leader among them. Her internal conflict about the world of the Circle is nicely done. This isn't the most ideal place and society Avery wanted to find a place in, but she also recognizes that she could do good there and make change for the better.

Though MAP OF FATES was a little disappointing, the political intrigue as well as Avery's character development still makes this an exciting read, and fans of the series will leave this sequel ready to find out what happens next for the Circle.