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princessleopard's review
3.0
Preface: I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
I approached this series backwards, in that I actually read and reviewed the second book months ago, which led to an interesting experience. I feel like there are a lot of things introduced in this book that don't necessarily come up in the second - our human music guy, Charlie's backstory, his dad, among other things. I absolutely could be wrong, though, since it's been a while (though now I'm itching to read the second again).
Overall, though, this is an interesting series. Just like the second, I really had no idea where this one was going to go. It has a lot of hooks, a lot of directions, and the plot is always doing little zigzags to keep you on your toes. The characters are multi-faceted and endearing, and you're thoroughly invested in their well-being. The ending
was very touching and sweet.
My biggest critique is probably that the world feels a little unfocused at times, which I think leads to the unpredictability of the plot. The rules of this world aren't especially clear to us (or the characters themselves), which is a double-edged sword. It keeps things interesting and fresh, but can also feel a bit like cheating, as the conclusion to the plot doesn't seem related to anything else that's come before. It's hard to explain, but it's almost like the plot doesn't flow naturally from A to B, but instead jumps all around the alphabet at random because without clear rules, there's also no clear path for the narrative to follow.
Overall it was an enjoyable read. I'd recommend it to any paranormal/urban fantasy reader.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
I approached this series backwards, in that I actually read and reviewed the second book months ago, which led to an interesting experience. I feel like there are a lot of things introduced in this book that don't necessarily come up in the second - our human music guy, Charlie's backstory, his dad, among other things. I absolutely could be wrong, though, since it's been a while (though now I'm itching to read the second again).
Overall, though, this is an interesting series. Just like the second, I really had no idea where this one was going to go. It has a lot of hooks, a lot of directions, and the plot is always doing little zigzags to keep you on your toes. The characters are multi-faceted and endearing, and you're thoroughly invested in their well-being. The ending
was very touching and sweet.
My biggest critique is probably that the world feels a little unfocused at times, which I think leads to the unpredictability of the plot. The rules of this world aren't especially clear to us (or the characters themselves), which is a double-edged sword. It keeps things interesting and fresh, but can also feel a bit like cheating, as the conclusion to the plot doesn't seem related to anything else that's come before. It's hard to explain, but it's almost like the plot doesn't flow naturally from A to B, but instead jumps all around the alphabet at random because without clear rules, there's also no clear path for the narrative to follow.
Overall it was an enjoyable read. I'd recommend it to any paranormal/urban fantasy reader.
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