I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All opinions are my own. 

A world on the precipice of revolution finds itself in danger as those in power seek to hold on by any means necessary in author Robert Pais’s “Izzy’s Becoming”, the second book in The Izzy Chronicles Series.

The Synopsis

On the planet Mirron, the color of your eyes decides your place in the world.

Topaz eyes are at the top. Pearl eyes are at the bottom. Isabelle Ashford—a Pearl raised by a Topaz family—was once offered the chance to trade her eyes for the advantages a higher ranking color would bring. She turned it down.

Now Izzy is older, and the order she grew up in is starting to crack. Across Mirron, protests are spreading, and old certainties are giving way. But the people who benefit most from the way things are have no intention of letting them change—and they’re prepared to go further than anyone expected. Izzy, along with two others she’s bound to, is being pulled toward the center of a reckoning Mirron has avoided for all of recorded history.

Standing up is one thing. Surviving the people determined to keep the world exactly as it is turns out to be another. As friendships deepen, a first love takes hold, and a traitor moves unseen among them, Izzy learns that becoming who she’s meant to be will cost more than she ever imagined.

The question was never whether Mirron would change. It’s whether Izzy will still be standing when it does.

Perfect for readers of Red Queen, The Giver, and Divergent.

The Izzy Chronicles, Book Two.

THE REVIEW

This was a powerful and compelling sequel in a memorable YA sci-fi series. The balance the author found in world-building through the social and political movements of this other world, and the gripping character development, was astonishing. Pushing the characters introduced in book one by exploring life in their college years and how their mission to establish equality looks as a young adult with one foot in the real world and one foot in school was inspiring, and putting the main setting as the same college as the protagonist’s birth and adoptive parents’ college from the first book was deeply impactful as well.

The way the author infuses the narrative with powerful themes remains a major plus in this series. The author pushes the characters to new limits in this book, taking the discussion of reform and equality into a world heated by violence and hatred that sadly mirrors much of our own. The events Izzy experiences, both personally and as an activist, are emotionally driven and memorable, leaving a lasting impression on the reader as the story progresses.

THE VERDICT

Thought-provoking, memorable, and engaging, author Robert Pais’s “Izzy’s Becoming” is a must-read sci-fi and fantasy set YA novel. The way the author delves less into the “alien world” aspect of the narrative and more into the personal and social injustices the protagonist faces and shows both the best and worst in humanity through this lens was very immersive, and the shocking twists and turns the final chapters bring to light will leave readers eager for the next entry in this series. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

Robert Pais is a retired CPA. Bob has years of hands-on experience helping individuals and small business owners navigate the complex world of taxes with clarity and confidence. Throughout his career, Bob has worked with countless clients who felt overwhelmed by the tax code and worried about overpaying or making costly mistakes. 

Bob has written and published two tax guides, The Ultimate Tax Guide for Small Businesses and Individuals, and Pay Less Money to Your Uncle! Bob made it his mission to translate complicated tax rules into a clear, easy-to-understand, and implement tax strategy that anyone can understand and use to keep more of what they earn.

When he retired in April 2025, Bob turned his attention to writing fiction. A novella for middle-grade readers with crossover appeal to early young adult readers, incorporating magical realism with a bit of science fiction, Izzy’s Dilemma is a result of a combination of Bob’s passion for social justice and love of adult fantasy writing.

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Amazon Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H6K8134M

Universal Book Link: https://books2read.com/u/bz0q6z