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cairodera's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
agnes_the_wyrm's review against another edition
3.0
Well, this book certainly had more potential than the rest in the series. For one thing, I liked that the plot was much more contained than the previous ones - instead of traveling through cities and countries, the plot was pretty much contained to one Irish castle. That downsized the suspect pool to the people in the castle, and made the reader feel more like a part of the plot, rather than just a viewer of it: much more reminiscent of a mystery novel. While this setup fell a bit short in its execution, I still feel the slightly less action-packed plot and the more gothic mystery vibes of the book felt truer to Arthur Conan Doyle's original Sherlock Holmes stories.
Furthermore, I found the concept of using occultism and psychics as such a major part of the book to be very clever and amusing, being familiar with Arthur Conan Doyle's passion and unwavering belief in the stuff. He probably would have hated this, but on the other hand, he also hated Sherlock Holmes, so...
I have to question though whether Andrew Lane has ever met an adult woman, because at least in fiction he doesn't seem to know what to do with them. Because this series centres children, there are obviously parental characters, including mothers in it. Or are there? Out of like five children in this series, four of them have mothers who are either dead or dying! While Matty is only established as an orphan without ever specifying what has happened to his parents (as far as I can remember anyways) the three remaining mothers all either suffer/have suffered from unnamed illnesses or tuberculosis, and consequently just wasted away.
It is absolutely beyond my understanding that Andrew Lane has written this exact same plotline three times, with every mother he has introduced, without seemingly realizing that he's reusing the same plot nor what it insinuates. Clearly, in his mind, there are only two roads for women to take: either become a mother, and when your purpose is fulfilled, (aka you've had a child), die; or, become a bitter, spiteful, miserable spinster in the likes of Mrs Eglantine. I also feel it worth noting that with the exception of Matty, all the children's fathers are both alive and rather central to the plot.
Furthermore, I found the concept of using occultism and psychics as such a major part of the book to be very clever and amusing, being familiar with Arthur Conan Doyle's passion and unwavering belief in the stuff. He probably would have hated this, but on the other hand, he also hated Sherlock Holmes, so...
I have to question though whether Andrew Lane has ever met an adult woman, because at least in fiction he doesn't seem to know what to do with them. Because this series centres children, there are obviously parental characters, including mothers in it. Or are there? Out of like five children in this series, four of them have mothers who are either dead or dying! While Matty is only established as an orphan without ever specifying what has happened to his parents (as far as I can remember anyways) the three remaining mothers all either suffer/have suffered from unnamed illnesses or tuberculosis, and consequently just wasted away.
It is absolutely beyond my understanding that Andrew Lane has written this exact same plotline three times, with every mother he has introduced, without seemingly realizing that he's reusing the same plot nor what it insinuates. Clearly, in his mind, there are only two roads for women to take: either become a mother, and when your purpose is fulfilled, (aka you've had a child), die; or, become a bitter, spiteful, miserable spinster in the likes of Mrs Eglantine. I also feel it worth noting that with the exception of Matty, all the children's fathers are both alive and rather central to the plot.
olia_k21's review
adventurous
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
etkahler's review against another edition
4.0
These books. These. Books.
I read them like they're crack and I just can't get enough. It was bad enough that these last two were only published in the UK and I miraculously managed a copy here in the US, but now, there are literally none left till the next UK books are published. I must wait. :(
As I've said in previous reviews, I absolutely love that we are continually seeing the foundation blocks for the character traits we will see in the adult Holmes we all know (martial arts, deduction, violin playing, etc). I assumed that Virginia would be the source for Holmes' eternal bachelorhood (bordering on misogyny), and at the end of Snake Bite, I was convinced that Virginia moving on from Sherlock would be the nail in the coffin.
But Sherlock had other ideas and the cliffhanger at the end of this book was awful. Not sure how I feel about it either. Like Matty, I was unimpressed with Sherlock kissing Virginia.
As for the mystery, I quite enjoyed the illusions and magic tricks that were the basis for this book's plot. I also liked how Sherlock is really starting to think about what he wants to do in life, and you see the beginnings of his obsessive personality in which he absolutely must solve a problem that is interesting to him.
When is the next one coming out?
I read them like they're crack and I just can't get enough. It was bad enough that these last two were only published in the UK and I miraculously managed a copy here in the US, but now, there are literally none left till the next UK books are published. I must wait. :(
As I've said in previous reviews, I absolutely love that we are continually seeing the foundation blocks for the character traits we will see in the adult Holmes we all know (martial arts, deduction, violin playing, etc). I assumed that Virginia would be the source for Holmes' eternal bachelorhood (bordering on misogyny), and at the end of Snake Bite, I was convinced that Virginia moving on from Sherlock would be the nail in the coffin.
But Sherlock had other ideas and the cliffhanger at the end of this book was awful. Not sure how I feel about it either. Like Matty, I was unimpressed with Sherlock kissing Virginia.
As for the mystery, I quite enjoyed the illusions and magic tricks that were the basis for this book's plot. I also liked how Sherlock is really starting to think about what he wants to do in life, and you see the beginnings of his obsessive personality in which he absolutely must solve a problem that is interesting to him.
When is the next one coming out?
im_gay's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
clowngirl's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
agarithil's review against another edition
3.0
In my opinion it was a solid book. Not one of my favorites but also not one I didn´t like.
For me it is the weakest book of the series but maybe that is because I found the general topic not as interesting as of the other books.
Also I think I kind of missed the changing settings and also the historical background. In the other books there always was something real and i just got used to it and now it was not there.
Nevertheless i really liked to read more about Sherlock and was happy that Matty, Crowe and Virginia were back.
All in all, it was interesting to read even though it kind of looks weak compared to the other books.
For me it is the weakest book of the series but maybe that is because I found the general topic not as interesting as of the other books.
Also I think I kind of missed the changing settings and also the historical background. In the other books there always was something real and i just got used to it and now it was not there.
Nevertheless i really liked to read more about Sherlock and was happy that Matty, Crowe and Virginia were back.
All in all, it was interesting to read even though it kind of looks weak compared to the other books.
chefbex's review against another edition
3.0
Seances... Smugglers Caves...Sherlock
Unlike all the other Young Sherlock Holmes books this one is not set in an actual place, I mean Galway is obviously a real place but the castle is not. In the 6th instalment of this series, we find sherlock back in the UK albeit in Ireland he is home.
In this book we see Sherlock and Mycroft working closely together to solve a mystery but we start to see Sherlock lose his trust in his brother after a few incidents.
Overall not a bad book, not the best of the series but a fun addition all in all.
Unlike all the other Young Sherlock Holmes books this one is not set in an actual place, I mean Galway is obviously a real place but the castle is not. In the 6th instalment of this series, we find sherlock back in the UK albeit in Ireland he is home.
In this book we see Sherlock and Mycroft working closely together to solve a mystery but we start to see Sherlock lose his trust in his brother after a few incidents.
Overall not a bad book, not the best of the series but a fun addition all in all.