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matosapa's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Despite the fact this book was published over 6 years ago, this is not the end of the series. He's gone on to publish other series so it might be abandoned.
Despite that, this is the end for me.
I love dark, paranormal stories (especially w/o the near-inescapable shoehorned romance crap that has infected this genre) but I do like a protagonist with a redeeming trait or two. Don Drake has not a one. He isn't a good man but I've read and identified with worse. It's the fact that he's quite a bit thick when it comes ot the intellect and he makes the worst decisions. This gets tiring after three books and I can't believe it will get better.
It reminds me of Thomas Covenant. He was also very unlikable and nearly killed that series for me also.
Despite that, this is the end for me.
I love dark, paranormal stories (especially w/o the near-inescapable shoehorned romance crap that has infected this genre) but I do like a protagonist with a redeeming trait or two. Don Drake has not a one. He isn't a good man but I've read and identified with worse. It's the fact that he's quite a bit thick when it comes ot the intellect and he makes the worst decisions. This gets tiring after three books and I can't believe it will get better.
It reminds me of Thomas Covenant. He was also very unlikable and nearly killed that series for me also.
kitvaria_sarene's review against another edition
5.0
Once again I was lucky and got an ARC through Netgalley.
So... Damn, but isn't damnation one hell of a book! McLean really did take another step up with this one... I really loved the start, which was quite hard even for Don Drakes standards, and showed that you can always sink lower than you thought. I hope you are ok with strong language and seeing the worst end of modern life. I for one was hooked right away!
I was a bit annoyed in the middle part, as it was a bit much "Damn, but I loved her!" for me. If you follow my reviews, I do detest every tiny bit of romance in my fantasy though, so it might not feel much to you. And those thoughts are really all that happens on the romance front. So don't be afraid of this being a paranormal romance pretending to be noir, gritty fantasy. If it was for me, there'd be no love interest whatsoever on any fantasy book I read.
There were quite some twists, some leaving me with raised eyebrows and my chin on the ground! I love the direction the series is going - and I feel like it only really started finding it's direction with this installment.
Finally we really get to see some character growth. I already really liked Don, Trixie and the Burned Man in the first two books, but this one makes them more real, more "human" (or inhuman? Let's go with relatable...) to me. We also meet new characters, and you'll be in for a treat, I tell you!
The prose was like the other two books, just with quite a few more "fucks", so if you liked those, I'm sure you'll love this one! Fluent, and again told from Dons view I really enjoyed the ride.
And then... Then there is the end. I was sure this would be another 4 star review from me, until I got to the last 1/3. The pace picked up a lot, and I really couldn't put it down! I held my breath for quite some scenes, and was rewarded with the mother of all freaking cliffhangers... I knew it would end this way when I saw how few pages were left, but boy do I want to read the next book NOW! I need to know what happens next... The end really catapulted the book up to the full5 stars for me, and I can't stand the thought of having to wait so long to get some relief!
While I enjoy the first two books, I am now officially a fan of the series and can only tell you to go read it yourself, so you can suffer with me!
So... Damn, but isn't damnation one hell of a book! McLean really did take another step up with this one... I really loved the start, which was quite hard even for Don Drakes standards, and showed that you can always sink lower than you thought. I hope you are ok with strong language and seeing the worst end of modern life. I for one was hooked right away!
I was a bit annoyed in the middle part, as it was a bit much "Damn, but I loved her!" for me. If you follow my reviews, I do detest every tiny bit of romance in my fantasy though, so it might not feel much to you. And those thoughts are really all that happens on the romance front. So don't be afraid of this being a paranormal romance pretending to be noir, gritty fantasy. If it was for me, there'd be no love interest whatsoever on any fantasy book I read.
There were quite some twists, some leaving me with raised eyebrows and my chin on the ground! I love the direction the series is going - and I feel like it only really started finding it's direction with this installment.
Finally we really get to see some character growth. I already really liked Don, Trixie and the Burned Man in the first two books, but this one makes them more real, more "human" (or inhuman? Let's go with relatable...) to me. We also meet new characters, and you'll be in for a treat, I tell you!
The prose was like the other two books, just with quite a few more "fucks", so if you liked those, I'm sure you'll love this one! Fluent, and again told from Dons view I really enjoyed the ride.
And then... Then there is the end. I was sure this would be another 4 star review from me, until I got to the last 1/3. The pace picked up a lot, and I really couldn't put it down! I held my breath for quite some scenes, and was rewarded with the mother of all freaking cliffhangers... I knew it would end this way when I saw how few pages were left, but boy do I want to read the next book NOW! I need to know what happens next... The end really catapulted the book up to the full5 stars for me, and I can't stand the thought of having to wait so long to get some relief!
While I enjoy the first two books, I am now officially a fan of the series and can only tell you to go read it yourself, so you can suffer with me!
dimefortrying's review against another edition
5.0
I chose not to write a review about the second book of this series and for good reason. I ended up marathoning through it, into this book and boy was that a good decision. I think sometimes the "magic" of the first installment in a series can sometimes be lost with successive books, but that was far from the case this time.
Good ol' Don has hit a rougher patch than usual and is trying his damnedest to avoid his life's newest pint-sized problem while also trying to return to a time before he pissed off his ex-girlfriend and became entangled with Trixie. Of course, Don seems to be a karmic magnet for bad circumstance so that does not last for long.
I encourage everyone to give this third book a read and stare at the loveable trainwreck that is Mr.Drake.
Good ol' Don has hit a rougher patch than usual and is trying his damnedest to avoid his life's newest pint-sized problem while also trying to return to a time before he pissed off his ex-girlfriend and became entangled with Trixie. Of course, Don seems to be a karmic magnet for bad circumstance so that does not last for long.
I encourage everyone to give this third book a read and stare at the loveable trainwreck that is Mr.Drake.
irish's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
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