Take a photo of a barcode or cover
patchworkbunny's Reviews (2.12k)
Whilst it definitely felt like an ending (I don't know if there are other books planned), it seemed to be the same ground being covered as before. Plot was a bit wishy-washy but that happens when you have too many characters in a short book.
Once again it's all about the characters. It's quite a slow paced story but the villain is genuinely scary. This series is starting to suck me in!
The book starts with another one of Mercy's friends being wrongly accused of murder... I thought it was going to be 'samey' but if you stick with the slow build you are rewarded. Patricia Briggs really puts her characters through the wringer!
This book picks up straight from the final pages of Iron Kissed. It even backs up a few pages so if you're not reading the series back to back you may get a sense of deja vu! Mercy hasn't miraculously recovered from her trauma and I think Briggs is happy for her characters to change. I do like that the fae walking stick is developing a personality, I hope it returns in the next instalment!
Dr Erik Cohen returns to the Warsaw ghetto at the start of this book and relays his story to a stranger who transcribes it. As he's supposedly telling this to someone familiar with life in the ghetto, the text doesn't include much description on the environment. Whilst it makes sense it doesn't add to the book and I found it hard to picture the streets in which they lived so closely. It does however convey a sense of desperation and, above all, a lack of something we all take for granted, nourishing food.
I got the feeling that the main character had given up on life and it seemed odd to me that he would put so much effort into investigating the death of a child. Something that in their situation would be sadly common. The books looks like it's being marketed as a thriller but it's more slow paced and introspective. I would recommend more to those with an interest in life in Poland during WW2.
I got the feeling that the main character had given up on life and it seemed odd to me that he would put so much effort into investigating the death of a child. Something that in their situation would be sadly common. The books looks like it's being marketed as a thriller but it's more slow paced and introspective. I would recommend more to those with an interest in life in Poland during WW2.
Too long and too many characters! I think it's trying to be similar to This Charming Man but with mental illness but as not all the characters had a link to it I'm not sure it works so well. I did think Maeve and Matt's story was well done and I liked Connell even though I'm not sure he fit in with the overall message of the book. Fionn was completely unbelievable as were the Poles and Rosie even though they were bit parts.
Although the book has its faults, I have to admit I cried at the end. Just not up to Marian's normal standards!
Although the book has its faults, I have to admit I cried at the end. Just not up to Marian's normal standards!
My least favourite of the series so far. Lots of werewolf politics and fighting and the main plotline seemed to be a little weak.
I know, I was all set to give up on the series but I found the next two books in a charity shop. Anita manages to get through a third of the book before she has sex; I was starting to worry that she'd keel over! There's an awful lot of talking going on instead and most of it covers ground already dealt with in earlier books. I had hope when Anita brought in Edward, a great character that she never sleeps with but he's grown soft in his old age. Olaf seemed to be a caricature of his scary self, just not as frightening as he was in Obsidian Butterfly. However I didn't put the book down thinking I won't be reading any more as it might seem that Anita can get this pesky ardeur under control and get back to the stories!
A tense tale of isolation and unending darkness. A short and fairly slow read, I found it eerie and oddly believable. Even though the book starts with a letter from Algie stating that Jack isn't insane, you do wonder how the Artic winter really effects them.
Whilst in no way badly written, I just didn't like any if the characters to care if they disappeared into apartment 16 never to be seen again. Even the heroine of the story, Apryl, destroyed any sympathy I had for her with her stereotypical opinions of the British. The character of Felix Hesson is loosely based on Vorticist artist Wyndham Lewis and the book does contain some long faux art criticisms that might deter some readers. I did like the general idea of art and the occult but I was expecting a bit more explanation at the end. The epilogue seemed to end suddenly too so I'm not sure if there was much point in it being there.