Beware of Chicken 2 is not surprisingly the sequel to Beware of Chicken, and just like the first installment, it is a wonderful story of people and animals learning about themselves and their world. It is absolutely worth reading.

Just like in the first book, this one is heavily focused on the characters and their development as individuals and as members of a family. They are ultimately all students with Jin as their master, even if that isn't the way he sees it, so his kindness and values strongly influence them. They aren't all universally kind, good, and wise, though. The characters have flaws, do things that are silly, and are uncertain. Also, there are some antagonists, but they are definitely more minor characters.

As for the setting, it is intentionally very much what is expected for "mythic China", since this book is a parody of the classic xianxia cultivation novel. Over the course of these two novels, the author has started giving hints about larger forces at play in the world and in the region where our characters live. That takes something that is a nice story about farming and makes it more interesting.

The main plotlines are character-driven, so expect a lot about individual characters trying to reach their own goals. There are some plotlines driven by characters who aren't on the farm, but they are evolving very slowly. Over the course of two books, these outside plotlines have advanced, but not a whole lot. These kinds of long plot arcs are a feature of serial fiction, and in this story, they do a good job of creating a feeling of tension and menace, as a kind of counterpoint to the idyllic happiness on the farm (not that there aren't issues there too).

For readers who have no idea what xianxia is and don't know anything about mythic China, it isn't really that much of an issue. Jin will occasionally mention it, but context gives you pretty much all you need to know.

Will I read more? Of course, I will. The author has created something that is wholesome but not puritanical. The characters are people who I am totally happy to spend time with, and I look forward to seeing what happens to them in the way one looks forward to seeing how a friend's new relationship works out.

Should you read this book? The big question is how much jeopardy and interpersonal drama you need in your fiction. Jin specifically started his farm get away from that, so it is part of the story to not have it. On the flip side, it isn't a world entirely of happiness and glee, so this book isn't for readers who want a book that is nothing but kindness and no danger. There is tension, just don't expect The Expanse. I think that anyone who wants something fun and laid back to read would enjoy this story, but it would probably be best to start with the first book. Also, the story mentions sex and drinking and has jokes related to things, like Jin's wife dressing up in skimpy outfits or the naked ice sculptures that the cat likes to carve of him, so it might have talking animals and stuff, but it isn't a story for little kids.