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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
*audiobook* I just quite enjoy listening to these books. It was interesting to see the new generation (Wren, which I thought was spelt Ren because I listened on audiobook), but also great to see Tom again. I'm in conflict about how Hester (Hesta in my head) was portrayed.
Here is a snippet of my review:
3 Stars
Sixteen years have passed since Anchorage became a static city and life has been peaceful away from the war of the traction towns. Tom and Hester, now married, raised their daughter Wren in their quiet home. For years, Wren has heard about her parents' adventures and has been wanting to escape her boring life to go on adventures of her own. Her chance comes when Gargle, one of the Lost Boys, though now a grown man, shows up in Anchorage-in-Vineland, seeking for the so-called Tin Book, a book that is said to hold the key to a sleeping weapon from before the Sixty-Minute-War.
In an attempt to escape from her home, Wren agrees to steal the Tin Book from Freya's library, in exchange for Gargle and his crew taking her with them. She successfully swipes the object but things go south during the exchange when Hester follows her daughter down to the dock and ends up shooting both Gargle and the girl he was with, Remora. The third member of his crew, a boy named Fishcake, takes Wren hostage in order to save his own life and kidnaps her aboard his limpet, the Autolycus. Now Hester and Tom have to go after their daughter to save her.
The first thing I want to say about Infernal Devices is that I enjoyed it much more than I enjoyed Predator's Gold, mainly because there were less annoying cringe moments, and because the plot mainly drove itself. Now, don't get me wrong, there were still some things about the story and the characters that made me cringe but I was able to get over them much quicker compared to the previous book. The overall plot held a lot of surprises that I didn't see coming and it was really cool to see all of these events in motion.
Now, one thing that I did find annoying was that most of the characters don't seem to have changed much since the second book, which is a bummer given sixteen full years have passed. Hester even seems annoyingly the same as she was all those years before. She still obsesses over her looks and she's still afraid Tom might leave her at any given moment, even though they've been married for over ten years now. It just felt very unnatural. So much can change in sixteen years and yet she's still the exact same insecure little girl she was when she was a teenager. I found it quite disappointing, and shallow.
Tom hasn't changed much, either, though I will say that fatherhood has added more layers to his personality. You can tell how much he loves his daughter and that he would do anything to protect her, no matter what the cost. I respect that. Oh, and if you thought he and Hester have better romantic chemistry by now, don't get your hopes up. I've come to the conclusion that developing romantic relationships isn't Reeve's strongsuit (although I really liked the relationship between Katherine and Bevis in the first book).
Freya is the only character I actually genuinely like now, because she is the one who evolved the most. This once pitiful, spoiled girl has become a generous and kind grown woman who is incredibly loyal to her people. I would honestly read an entire series about her sitting in her library reading or working in her garden. What can I say, I love characters who go through massive character development.
Now to Wren. I will say that Wren warmed up to me over the course of the book and at the end of it she wasn't quite as annoying as she was in the beginning. That being said, she is a very stereotypical teenager who longs for more in her life, who's embarrassed of her parents, mainly her mother, and who makes a lot of stupid decisions. It's really not rocket science. She's a teenager, we get it. Unfortunately, she doesn't have a lot of depth. I'm not saying she's stupid (one or two of her ventures were actually quite smart) but she's also not the sharpest tool in the shed. There is so little fabric to her character that I don't even really know what more I can say about her. I hope she grows and matures in the last book, A Darkling Plain, which I'm currently reading.
The world is still very cool, we got to meet new places and learn more about the culture within the story. The first half of the book was very slow, in my opinion, and it didn't really get rolling until the second half.
This is the end of my spoiler-free review. If you would like to read more of my in-depth thoughts about this book, visit my full review on my blog.
INFERNAL DEVICES FULL REVIEW
3 Stars
Sixteen years have passed since Anchorage became a static city and life has been peaceful away from the war of the traction towns. Tom and Hester, now married, raised their daughter Wren in their quiet home. For years, Wren has heard about her parents' adventures and has been wanting to escape her boring life to go on adventures of her own. Her chance comes when Gargle, one of the Lost Boys, though now a grown man, shows up in Anchorage-in-Vineland, seeking for the so-called Tin Book, a book that is said to hold the key to a sleeping weapon from before the Sixty-Minute-War.
In an attempt to escape from her home, Wren agrees to steal the Tin Book from Freya's library, in exchange for Gargle and his crew taking her with them. She successfully swipes the object but things go south during the exchange when Hester follows her daughter down to the dock and ends up shooting both Gargle and the girl he was with, Remora. The third member of his crew, a boy named Fishcake, takes Wren hostage in order to save his own life and kidnaps her aboard his limpet, the Autolycus. Now Hester and Tom have to go after their daughter to save her.
The first thing I want to say about Infernal Devices is that I enjoyed it much more than I enjoyed Predator's Gold, mainly because there were less annoying cringe moments, and because the plot mainly drove itself. Now, don't get me wrong, there were still some things about the story and the characters that made me cringe but I was able to get over them much quicker compared to the previous book. The overall plot held a lot of surprises that I didn't see coming and it was really cool to see all of these events in motion.
Now, one thing that I did find annoying was that most of the characters don't seem to have changed much since the second book, which is a bummer given sixteen full years have passed. Hester even seems annoyingly the same as she was all those years before. She still obsesses over her looks and she's still afraid Tom might leave her at any given moment, even though they've been married for over ten years now. It just felt very unnatural. So much can change in sixteen years and yet she's still the exact same insecure little girl she was when she was a teenager. I found it quite disappointing, and shallow.
Tom hasn't changed much, either, though I will say that fatherhood has added more layers to his personality. You can tell how much he loves his daughter and that he would do anything to protect her, no matter what the cost. I respect that. Oh, and if you thought he and Hester have better romantic chemistry by now, don't get your hopes up. I've come to the conclusion that developing romantic relationships isn't Reeve's strongsuit (although I really liked the relationship between Katherine and Bevis in the first book).
Freya is the only character I actually genuinely like now, because she is the one who evolved the most. This once pitiful, spoiled girl has become a generous and kind grown woman who is incredibly loyal to her people. I would honestly read an entire series about her sitting in her library reading or working in her garden. What can I say, I love characters who go through massive character development.
Now to Wren. I will say that Wren warmed up to me over the course of the book and at the end of it she wasn't quite as annoying as she was in the beginning. That being said, she is a very stereotypical teenager who longs for more in her life, who's embarrassed of her parents, mainly her mother, and who makes a lot of stupid decisions. It's really not rocket science. She's a teenager, we get it. Unfortunately, she doesn't have a lot of depth. I'm not saying she's stupid (one or two of her ventures were actually quite smart) but she's also not the sharpest tool in the shed. There is so little fabric to her character that I don't even really know what more I can say about her. I hope she grows and matures in the last book, A Darkling Plain, which I'm currently reading.
The world is still very cool, we got to meet new places and learn more about the culture within the story. The first half of the book was very slow, in my opinion, and it didn't really get rolling until the second half.
This is the end of my spoiler-free review. If you would like to read more of my in-depth thoughts about this book, visit my full review on my blog.
INFERNAL DEVICES FULL REVIEW
Okay, I liked the storyline and the jump in time. BUT! What have you done to my girl Hester?! She has become a murdering, jealous, heartless person. She was sort of relatable in the first two books but that just dies in this book.
Why does she hate her daughter? Is she SO JEALOUS that she can’t share her husband with her child? And she leaves at the end? Wtf. This book is annoying and now I have to read book 4, because I have to know what happens!
Why does she hate her daughter? Is she SO JEALOUS that she can’t share her husband with her child? And she leaves at the end? Wtf. This book is annoying and now I have to read book 4, because I have to know what happens!
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
I'm definitely done with this series. All the female characters were ruined. Especially Hester, I just don't get it.
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
These books aged SO well. They're much better than I remember and I am still thoroughly enjoying them
Infernal Devices continues I n the same vain as the previous two books in the Mortal Engines series. Lots of action, with just enough thinking pieces and plot lines to keep one awake when you first crawl into bead and your brain starts to digest the book. A good read.
After loving the first book, finding the second one good. I am so mad at this book, and so disappointed in the story. I wanted this book to be great, but unfortunately, it was far from that.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn't realise how much I was reading this series for Hester Shaw until she was relegated to one dimensional antagonist side character status. Her character now makes no sense with the development of the first two books, and without her the book drags like a dead town. And thank you we get it, Hester is ugly and unlovable and everyone who condescends to talk to her out of pity - like her literal husband and daughter - are saints. Honestly why do ugly people even exist when they could be pretty and ineffectual like Tom or Wren instead. The sanctimony pie was thick and unappetising.
Plot wise there's a lot going on but it's all so random. It feels like the author's only motivation is to be as contrarian as possible. 'Oh you were rooting for Thing? Well GUESS WHAT. No Thing for you!! In fact, here's some Anti-Thing. HOPE YOU'RE MISERABLE NOW.'
Sir, you overestimate how invested I am in your stupid book because after the first few I honestly didn't care at all. It starts to get very predictable in its unpredictability, as contrarianism tends to be.
I don't have much interest in the rest of the series, I really should have stopped with book 1 tbh.
Plot wise there's a lot going on but it's all so random. It feels like the author's only motivation is to be as contrarian as possible. 'Oh you were rooting for Thing? Well GUESS WHAT. No Thing for you!! In fact, here's some Anti-Thing. HOPE YOU'RE MISERABLE NOW.'
Sir, you overestimate how invested I am in your stupid book because after the first few I honestly didn't care at all. It starts to get very predictable in its unpredictability, as contrarianism tends to be.
I don't have much interest in the rest of the series, I really should have stopped with book 1 tbh.