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A review by melbsreads
City of Shadows by Alex Scarrow
3.0
3.5 stars. I'm torn on this one. Parts of it were great and game changing and compelling. And parts of it dragged on foreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeever.
I've been excited about reading this one from the get-go because VICTORIAN LONDON AND JACK THE RIPPER OMG. But the book is two-thirds done before they even get to Victorian London. The first two-thirds is our usual TimeRiders plus Rashim and his suuuuuuper annoying robot based on Spongebob Squarepants, who I hate with the fire of a thousand sons, going on the run after a team is sent from the future to assassinate them. So I was a little disappointed that I got shafted on the Victorian London side of things. And the part where they were on the run went on for WAY longer than was necessary. I mean, WAY longer. So all of that came out to a two and a half star book.
BUT.
There was so much in here that was absolutely brilliant.
The character development was well done, and I loved the change in the standard formulation that we've been chugging along with for the past five books. So all of that stuff was a 4.5 star book for me. Average it out, and it's 3.5 stars.
I've been excited about reading this one from the get-go because VICTORIAN LONDON AND JACK THE RIPPER OMG. But the book is two-thirds done before they even get to Victorian London. The first two-thirds is our usual TimeRiders plus Rashim and his suuuuuuper annoying robot based on Spongebob Squarepants, who I hate with the fire of a thousand sons, going on the run after a team is sent from the future to assassinate them. So I was a little disappointed that I got shafted on the Victorian London side of things. And the part where they were on the run went on for WAY longer than was necessary. I mean, WAY longer. So all of that came out to a two and a half star book.
BUT.
There was so much in here that was absolutely brilliant.
Spoiler
THEY'RE ALL CLONES?!?!?!?! I did NOT see that coming. Even though it explains a hell of a lot about past events, like Sal turning up with no memory of what had happened. And what the teddy bear means. And who the guy who got merged with two horses was when they met Abraham Lincoln.The character development was well done, and I loved the change in the standard formulation that we've been chugging along with for the past five books. So all of that stuff was a 4.5 star book for me. Average it out, and it's 3.5 stars.