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courtneyfalling's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book started to feel a lot darker, with much heavier stakes, than the first two in the series. We still get Valkyrie's conflict over using her reflection so much and missing out on her early teen years/non-magic life, but we also start to get more hints about China's shady past with the Diablerie and Skulduggery's potentially evil past deeds too. Even on reread the final plot twist with the reveal of Batu surprised me, though I'm not sure how I feel about it beyond the successful shock. The violence started to feel less campy and more gritty, and a few scenes particularly the short one where a Diablerie member cuts off his arm to avoid possession by a Faceless One actually made me clench my teeth. And the cliffhanger ending with Skulduggery and Valkyrie separated and shifting alliances determining Valkyrie's next steps set up Dark Days really well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Gun violence, Body horror, Gore, Stalking, and Blood
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