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jennybeastie's review against another edition
Tried to get into it, just didn't get there. Feels like the other books -- adventure, posse, monsters, murder, repeat, repeat, repeat.
writingcaia's review against another edition
5.0
I always found Rhett pretty annoying most of the time albeit intense and loving. That’s the reason I always classed the previous book as 4stars, this one though, definitely was a 5 because Rhett grew up, got less annoying, the final battle was epic and sad, and in the end he got what he deserved.
Great story, great characters, phenomenal fantasy books.
Great story, great characters, phenomenal fantasy books.
hannahmarae's review against another edition
5.0
And so ends The Shadow series. An epic battle, guns blazing, and tears running down my cheeks.
Treason of Hawks is one of the better books in the series. We pick up directly where we left off in MoC, with Sam dying on the ground and Rhett driven to save him by any means necessary. Much of the book involves Rhett coming to terms with the result of his actions and learning to live with the newly turned Sam. We see a lot of growth from Rhett as he loses and gains friends, and prepares his people for a mysterious trouble brewing out west. The ending, including the big bad, is set up very well and we even get a taste of the characters' continuing lives in the epilogue.
Endings are hard but this one was fitting. Everything about it felt right, even when it was hard. Rhett and his story come full circle in difficult, but elegant, ways. I loved it.
And that epilogue though!!!!!
Treason of Hawks is one of the better books in the series. We pick up directly where we left off in MoC, with Sam dying on the ground and Rhett driven to save him by any means necessary. Much of the book involves Rhett coming to terms with the result of his actions and learning to live with the newly turned Sam. We see a lot of growth from Rhett as he loses and gains friends, and prepares his people for a mysterious trouble brewing out west. The ending, including the big bad, is set up very well and we even get a taste of the characters' continuing lives in the epilogue.
Endings are hard but this one was fitting. Everything about it felt right, even when it was hard. Rhett and his story come full circle in difficult, but elegant, ways. I loved it.
And that epilogue though!!!!!
danicaleblanc's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence
paulinezed's review against another edition
5.0
I've loved the whole of the Shadow series, but the final volume jumped to a new high for me, with Rhett Walker and his band of fellow monsters taking on an unexpected and very personal nemesis. The writing is gorgeous, the characters are wonderful, and the finale to the series very much sticks the landing.
heather_books's review against another edition
4.0
4.5/5 a good finale to the series. It may have been tempting to give Rhett a long (book) life of fighting monsters and keep the series going, but I respect the fact that Rhett got to live the life he wanted. I’ll go back and relisten to the novella in Death and Honey, since now it will be a different experience.
brigantes's review against another edition
4.0
A great end to a really nice little series as Rhett's past catches up with him in a breathless finale. I think this series is meant to be YA which is not my usual jam but I have to say I've really enjoyed it despite that. It was kind of fun to read a story that was so fast-paced with something new always happening every other chapter - I would definitely encourage anyone to give it a go. And if the premise of a diverse western featuring of shapeshifters, chupacabras and vampires doesn't appeal then idk what else to say my friend
bajidc's review against another edition
5.0
Satisfying conclusion to a series that could have gone on for double the amount. Old friends and new. Old enemies and new. I enjoyed the callbacks to previous adventures and lost friends. Thanks for the hell bent for leather ride, Lisa!
ninjamuse's review against another edition
3.0
In brief: Rhett and his posse are finally between monster hunting jobs but the peace doesn’t feel right. Something bad is coming, something that has no problem dragging his past up to taunt him, and worst of all, he can’t see it coming. Fourth and last in a series.
Thoughts: This was a very satisfying conclusion to the series, though not quite as thrilling and punchy as I’ve become used to, though that makes sense. Rhett’s largely had his character growth, after all, and a lot of what I liked in the past books is how they came at issues of diversity and gender with a vengeance. There was also less of a momentum towards the monster/villain, by dint of nobody knowing who the big bad was, which meant a lot of reading about people waiting and planning—which Bowen still manages to do well. This is very much a book about friends and found family and what regular life would look like if the monsters didn’t need fighting.
I liked that this book came full circle, in a way, stirring up Rhett’s past right back to his origins as Nettie, and how that prompted him to reaffirm who he was and showed how far he’s come over the course of the series. It was also worrying, in that I had as little clue as Rhett who could be behind the game of psychological cat and mouse—and why they were even hoping to achieve.
Things I also liked: that Rhett’s posse changed and shifted again, with new character dynamics; that Rhett finally accepted that there were some people he couldn’t change and that traits he found annoying in people actually had value to him ; that the horrible thing I was worried about at the end of the last book didn’t happen; that Rhett’s given the chance to directly confront his past and takes the high road; and that there is very much a happy ending.
Things I didn’t like: a few of the deaths in this hurt, for reasons of liking the character or Rhett liking them; that several of the characters just disappear in fight scenes in a way that suggests Bowen forgot they were there; that the happy ending is quite as neat as it is for everyone involved; and that a few of the unanswered questions about people never got answered.
Small beans, though. Like I said, I was very satisfied with this book and the places it took me (and Rhett). It was comforting in a way to revisit the world and the characters and get taken through a last goodbye—which Bowen does well, by the way, I’d expect nothing less. I had to stretch for those complaints, honestly.
The series is definitely still high on my rec list—the world! the diversity! the messages! the magic and monsters! More people should read it, seriously. But, uh, start from the beginning, eh? Otherwise, there be spoilers.
7/10
To bear in mind: Protagonist is a trans man. Not everyone in this world believes trans men are men. Also, as this is the final showdown, there’s a reasonably high body count (but not a graphic one).
Thoughts: This was a very satisfying conclusion to the series, though not quite as thrilling and punchy as I’ve become used to, though that makes sense. Rhett’s largely had his character growth, after all, and a lot of what I liked in the past books is how they came at issues of diversity and gender with a vengeance. There was also less of a momentum towards the monster/villain, by dint of nobody knowing who the big bad was, which meant a lot of reading about people waiting and planning—which Bowen still manages to do well. This is very much a book about friends and found family and what regular life would look like if the monsters didn’t need fighting.
I liked that this book came full circle, in a way, stirring up Rhett’s past right back to his origins as Nettie, and how that prompted him to reaffirm who he was and showed how far he’s come over the course of the series. It was also worrying, in that I had as little clue as Rhett who could be behind the game of psychological cat and mouse—and why they were even hoping to achieve.
Things I also liked: that Rhett’s posse changed and shifted again, with new character dynamics; that Rhett finally accepted that there were some people he couldn’t change and that traits he found annoying in people actually had value to him ; that the horrible thing I was worried about at the end of the last book didn’t happen; that Rhett’s given the chance to directly confront his past and takes the high road; and that there is very much a happy ending.
Things I didn’t like: a few of the deaths in this hurt, for reasons of liking the character or Rhett liking them; that several of the characters just disappear in fight scenes in a way that suggests Bowen forgot they were there; that the happy ending is quite as neat as it is for everyone involved; and that a few of the unanswered questions about people never got answered.
Small beans, though. Like I said, I was very satisfied with this book and the places it took me (and Rhett). It was comforting in a way to revisit the world and the characters and get taken through a last goodbye—which Bowen does well, by the way, I’d expect nothing less. I had to stretch for those complaints, honestly.
The series is definitely still high on my rec list—the world! the diversity! the messages! the magic and monsters! More people should read it, seriously. But, uh, start from the beginning, eh? Otherwise, there be spoilers.
7/10
To bear in mind: Protagonist is a trans man. Not everyone in this world believes trans men are men. Also, as this is the final showdown, there’s a reasonably high body count (but not a graphic one).