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venpyre's review against another edition
2.0
Woof. Had a lot of trouble finishing this one.
It's the best written out of the trilogy for sure, and you can sense improvement as the series went along. However, it still struggles with problems that bogged the first book down—too much exposition, a lack of proper characterization, and stilted dialogue.
I originally continued reading this series for Silas and Kate and was disappointed that throughout the second and third book they really didn't have much interaction at all. The pull of the first book just wasn't replicated here for me. I found myself skimming a lot of chapters because I wasn't interested in what I was reading. I'd say the best portion was the bit at the end where we finally get some insight into Silas and Kate's soul bond thingy. Beyond that it was a drag to get through.
Overall I'd give this series a disappointed 2.5.
It's the best written out of the trilogy for sure, and you can sense improvement as the series went along. However, it still struggles with problems that bogged the first book down—too much exposition, a lack of proper characterization, and stilted dialogue.
I originally continued reading this series for Silas and Kate and was disappointed that throughout the second and third book they really didn't have much interaction at all. The pull of the first book just wasn't replicated here for me. I found myself skimming a lot of chapters because I wasn't interested in what I was reading. I'd say the best portion was the bit at the end where we finally get some insight into Silas and Kate's soul bond thingy. Beyond that it was a drag to get through.
Overall I'd give this series a disappointed 2.5.
beatshimera's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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
4.5
lexkazokas's review
1.0
I couldn't focus on it half the time. It definitely is not one of my favorites. It almost has a plot like Percy Jackson with killing enemies and wars against enemies. I would suggest starting from book one because I started with this one and it started to talk about things that probably happened in the other books so it can get confusing, but after a chapter or two you do get used to the plot. It doesn't really have that much figurative language if you prefer books with that.It has an interesting ending.I would recommend this to people who like action, possibly adventure, and friendship/enemy stories.
mackle13's review
4.0
3.5
I'm rounding up on this one, and it's sort of for the whole trilogy, because while the writing still has some issues like clunky dialogue and exposition and not always being able to figure out how we get from point A to point C while seeming to bypass point B - overall I still just like the story and the world and characters.
I mean, it has magic, mystery and mayhem, deals with the veil between the worlds, has intrigue, betrayal, redemption, suspense... in some ways there's not much not to like. I especially liked how we got a bit more of Edgar's backstory in this one, and see him sort of step up a bit.
My biggest issue - aside from the aforementioned writing issues (and, in fairness, it has gotten much better from book one to book three) - is that the ending left a few too many threads dangling.
I mean, all of the main points of the story are tied up, but I'd like to know more about what becomes of the characters down the line. How do the events of this story affect them going forward?
I guess, in a way, it's a mark of a good story to want more, and to care about the characters enough to be concerned for their futures. There is that old piece of advice about leaving them wanting more... but I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, at the end, because there just seems like there's just a little bit more of the story that needs telling.
Overall, though, as I said, I like the story and I can definitely see myself doing a reread at some point in the future. (Not onerous, in the least, since I think I got through all three in about a week, all things considered.)
I'm rounding up on this one, and it's sort of for the whole trilogy, because while the writing still has some issues like clunky dialogue and exposition and not always being able to figure out how we get from point A to point C while seeming to bypass point B - overall I still just like the story and the world and characters.
I mean, it has magic, mystery and mayhem, deals with the veil between the worlds, has intrigue, betrayal, redemption, suspense... in some ways there's not much not to like. I especially liked how we got a bit more of Edgar's backstory in this one, and see him sort of step up a bit.
My biggest issue - aside from the aforementioned writing issues (and, in fairness, it has gotten much better from book one to book three) - is that the ending left a few too many threads dangling.
I mean, all of the main points of the story are tied up, but I'd like to know more about what becomes of the characters down the line. How do the events of this story affect them going forward?
I guess, in a way, it's a mark of a good story to want more, and to care about the characters enough to be concerned for their futures. There is that old piece of advice about leaving them wanting more... but I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, at the end, because there just seems like there's just a little bit more of the story that needs telling.
Overall, though, as I said, I like the story and I can definitely see myself doing a reread at some point in the future. (Not onerous, in the least, since I think I got through all three in about a week, all things considered.)
bitchburgerbibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
It took me forever to get through this one, but I still loved the characters and world. This one moved slower for me than the other two and the ending was good, but not great. Silas is my favorite!
literary_princess's review
3.0
Hard for me to write an acceptable review of this book. I so enjoyed reading the first two in this trilogy, but far too much time passed before reading this one for there to be any good continuity. I had forgotten the characters, the story, the world building almost completely. So I read this quickly and didn't enjoy it a ton, but I think that's more a reflection on the reader than the text. Likely an explosive conclusion if read in quicker succession with its predecessors. And Jenna Burtenshaw writes lovely fantasy.
misswinchester84's review
5.0
As a whole it was a really good story. I loved all the characters and sad to part with them.
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