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queensaru's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
brendalovesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked the middle of this book, but the last third or so had way too much action. You'd think that would be a good thing, but it wasn't. It got boring. I'm unsure right now if I want to continue on with the next book.
badseedgirl's review against another edition
3.0
Here is my problem with this book. I didn't dislike this book, but I can't say I liked it either. It was better then OK but I would not really call it good. I guess I would call it goodish. There were parts about it I liked, but ..... I just don't know.
The "Steampunk" subgenre can be a minefield for the unwary. It has gained "steam" over the last few years. (I could not help it, and if you feel like you can no longer take this review seriously after that terrible pun, I will understand.) Because of this, authors and publishes love to shoe-horn books that really have no justifiable reason to be called "steampunk" into the genre. A steampunk novel needs more a man (or woman) in a top hat with a few cog sewn in, or a woman (or a man, hey, I don't judge) in a corset. So many novels these day that claim to be steampunk are just romance novels with cogs. I demand more than that from my steampunk, and so should you!
Although The Shadow Revolution is not a romance per say, I just felt like it was one, and I kept dreading the "heaving bosoms, and throbbing members" I felt were going to be on the next page. It did not matter that there were no members, throbbing or otherwise to be found anywhere in this book, I found it distracting.
That really was it's main problem. This novel did not know what it wanted to be. Was it steampunk, a romance, a supernatural thriller? It just could not settle into any one thing which made it feel muddy and distracted.
I think there is potential in this series, and I am not quite ready to give up on it. I will read the second book in the series [b:The Undying Legion|23308133|The Undying Legion (Crown & Key, #2)|Clay Griffith|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1416881167s/23308133.jpg|42862783] and then decide how I feel.
The "Steampunk" subgenre can be a minefield for the unwary. It has gained "steam" over the last few years. (I could not help it, and if you feel like you can no longer take this review seriously after that terrible pun, I will understand.) Because of this, authors and publishes love to shoe-horn books that really have no justifiable reason to be called "steampunk" into the genre. A steampunk novel needs more a man (or woman) in a top hat with a few cog sewn in, or a woman (or a man, hey, I don't judge) in a corset. So many novels these day that claim to be steampunk are just romance novels with cogs. I demand more than that from my steampunk, and so should you!
Although The Shadow Revolution is not a romance per say, I just felt like it was one, and I kept dreading the "heaving bosoms, and throbbing members" I felt were going to be on the next page. It did not matter that there were no members, throbbing or otherwise to be found anywhere in this book, I found it distracting.
That really was it's main problem. This novel did not know what it wanted to be. Was it steampunk, a romance, a supernatural thriller? It just could not settle into any one thing which made it feel muddy and distracted.
I think there is potential in this series, and I am not quite ready to give up on it. I will read the second book in the series [b:The Undying Legion|23308133|The Undying Legion (Crown & Key, #2)|Clay Griffith|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1416881167s/23308133.jpg|42862783] and then decide how I feel.
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
4.0
While I didn't love this book as much as I hoped, it was a great change of pace from the last series I read and something I had fun with. No doubt that was the intent, and it absolutely achieved its goal. THE SHADOW REVOLUTION is a blockbuster book filled with monsters, tough characters, fantastical monsters, and literally non-stop action. I think that was what kind of threw me off a couple times, to be honest: there was a bit too much action going on. Don't get me wrong, the scenes are exciting and visceral, but they happened through 3/4 of the book, leaving less time to understand the complex magic and get to know more than a handful of characters. I also didn't really "get" the end goal, and the main villain popped out of nowhere. This definitely set up a sequel, which is good because I have way more questions than answers. Simon, Kate, and Malcolm are all fun and exciting in their own way with their banter and flirting (between Simon and Kate, don't get crazy now), but I honestly hope to see more of Penny in the future. That gal is awesome! All in all, this wasn't the addiction I wanted it to be, but it's a fun summer read for anyone looking for pure entertainment and monster mayhem.
samrushingbooks's review against another edition
5.0
The past couple years I have been reading a lot of books that are more of a steampunk paranormal tale set in England, and I have really enjoyed them so I keep buying more. The Shadow Revolution is a great start to a trilogy, and has some rather interesting characters. I love the diversity of characters and abilities, as well as the various and dynamic relations between characters. Clay and Susan Griffith have created a wonderful world and I look forward to delving into the next book to see what happens with the Crown & Key Society next.
_camk_'s review against another edition
I started the book but as I read through I realised that I am not a massive fan of werewolf driven story and couldn't enjoy it.
beingshort's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
k8s's review against another edition
Too broadly written for my tastes. I decided to stop after 20 or so pages.
dpridemore's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. The hero and heroine are unique. The story. is a bit dark but I actually liked it.
mollymortensen's review against another edition
4.0
This book took me longer than I expected since I couldn't read it at night. (Nightmares) It's rather violent, gruesome, and has scary monsters. (Although I am a wuss.)
At the beginning some of the lines were so over the top I couldn't tell if the authors were serious, (Grins that blazed in the darkness, and striking cavalier poses) but the writing quickly improved.
Simon's a party boy, and a womanizer, and at first I couldn't stand him, but over the course of the book he grew on me.
Malcolm said it best:
"Once I thought little of you, but I was wrong. You are an honorable man, and while there are times I would as soon throw you through that window, I’d stand with you if you need me."
Kate's fiery and strong, and exactly my kind of heroine. I wasn't sure about her judgment, being attracted to Simon and all, but she proves herself to be a smart woman. My favorite character was Simon's best friend Nick. He's a slob who would rather use magic to change his appearance than dress up and he always calls Simon on his failings. I wish he had a point of view too! He's a much needed bit of comic relief. Malcolm the solemn werewolf hunter and Penny the spunky mechanic were also nice additions.
Simon's potentially the last scribe, and uses runes to invoke magic. Nick's a jack of all trades when it comes to magic and is Simon's teacher. Kate practices alchemy, but despite her father's vast travels, she's never encountered magic before. If you ask me, magic needs limits. Those limits were unique here, as Simon acts drunk when he's used too much magic!
There wasn't much mystery, but I didn't have a clue what the villains were up to. (And still mostly don't) I prefer a little more story with my action, but the action well done so I can't complain.
All three books of this trilogy come out in the month of June!
I probably should've rated this higher, but the gruesomeness was a bit much for me.
Point of View: Third (Simon, Kate, Gretta, Malcolm)
Predictability: 3 out of 5 (Where 1 is totally unpredictable and 5 is I knew what was going to happen way ahead of time.)
My Summary:
A werewolf is loose in London and Simon, a magician and playboy, is after it for personal reasons.
Kate, the daughter of a rich adventurer, intends to discover what's been done to her sister.
At the beginning some of the lines were so over the top I couldn't tell if the authors were serious, (Grins that blazed in the darkness, and striking cavalier poses) but the writing quickly improved.
Simon's a party boy, and a womanizer, and at first I couldn't stand him, but over the course of the book he grew on me.
Malcolm said it best:
"Once I thought little of you, but I was wrong. You are an honorable man, and while there are times I would as soon throw you through that window, I’d stand with you if you need me."
Kate's fiery and strong, and exactly my kind of heroine. I wasn't sure about her judgment, being attracted to Simon and all, but she proves herself to be a smart woman. My favorite character was Simon's best friend Nick. He's a slob who would rather use magic to change his appearance than dress up and he always calls Simon on his failings. I wish he had a point of view too! He's a much needed bit of comic relief. Malcolm the solemn werewolf hunter and Penny the spunky mechanic were also nice additions.
Simon's potentially the last scribe, and uses runes to invoke magic. Nick's a jack of all trades when it comes to magic and is Simon's teacher. Kate practices alchemy, but despite her father's vast travels, she's never encountered magic before. If you ask me, magic needs limits. Those limits were unique here, as Simon acts drunk when he's used too much magic!
There wasn't much mystery, but I didn't have a clue what the villains were up to. (And still mostly don't) I prefer a little more story with my action, but the action well done so I can't complain.
All three books of this trilogy come out in the month of June!
I probably should've rated this higher, but the gruesomeness was a bit much for me.
Point of View: Third (Simon, Kate, Gretta, Malcolm)
Predictability: 3 out of 5 (Where 1 is totally unpredictable and 5 is I knew what was going to happen way ahead of time.)
My Summary:
A werewolf is loose in London and Simon, a magician and playboy, is after it for personal reasons.
Kate, the daughter of a rich adventurer, intends to discover what's been done to her sister.