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triftwizened's review against another edition
4.0
This is the book of the series that I’m the most torn on. On one hand, the romance, the mystery, the pacing, the ending - not just to the book, but to the series as a whole - they were all great.
My problem with this book is that Pen explains to Mark several times body/gender dysphoria and how being an earl would trigger that, and each time Mark sounds like he understands and then a few pages later, suggests that Pen can and/or needs to just deal with it. Pen was frustrated. I was frustrated. Everything resolves in a very satisfactory way (that I totally saw coming, but am still glad it ended as it did), but I’m still a little miffed at Mark in particular. I’m not sure how to represent that in my ranking. 4 stars feels like both too much and too little, but there you have it.
My problem with this book is that Pen explains to Mark several times body/gender dysphoria and how being an earl would trigger that, and each time Mark sounds like he understands and then a few pages later, suggests that Pen can and/or needs to just deal with it. Pen was frustrated. I was frustrated. Everything resolves in a very satisfactory way (that I totally saw coming, but am still glad it ended as it did), but I’m still a little miffed at Mark in particular. I’m not sure how to represent that in my ranking. 4 stars feels like both too much and too little, but there you have it.
matchaman's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
firefly's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
kiiouex's review against another edition
3.0
umm hmm, the very end - of the book and the trilogy - is very very good, five stars for that. But the rest of this one did not really interest me.
Unfortunate, because I liked Mark a lot and I thought Pen would be interesting, but I found Pen's character pretty one-note; (using 'he' because the book does) he's an interesting example of a nonbinary character, but I felt like his experience dominated the book, and his relationship with Mark. Plus in the context of murders and his sister's future, the way he thought about the earldom - not that he was refusing it, but that he only ever considered it in respect to himself - it came off as kind of selfish to me. But! He came into his own more at the climax of the book, I like how he was conducting himself with everyone else in the Big Confrontation, and it showed me more of his character, that I wish had been more throughout the rest of it.
Plus I feel like he eclipsed Mark a lot and r.i.p. I liked Mark (probably deep down I just want Mark to be forced to talk to Lazarus more)
listen every time Lazarus walks into a room I light up he is the best. Other characters look to him to tell exceptional lies on quick notice. he steals any scene he's in. i love him.
anyway it's an ehh from me but it does close off the trilogy very nicely (even if, spoilers, the guy who did it was the guy who I thought had done it two books ago. It's still good!)
Unfortunate, because I liked Mark a lot and I thought Pen would be interesting, but I found Pen's character pretty one-note; (using 'he' because the book does) he's an interesting example of a nonbinary character, but I felt like his experience dominated the book, and his relationship with Mark. Plus in the context of murders and his sister's future, the way he thought about the earldom - not that he was refusing it, but that he only ever considered it in respect to himself - it came off as kind of selfish to me. But! He came into his own more at the climax of the book, I like how he was conducting himself with everyone else in the Big Confrontation, and it showed me more of his character, that I wish had been more throughout the rest of it.
Plus I feel like he eclipsed Mark a lot and r.i.p. I liked Mark (probably deep down I just want Mark to be forced to talk to Lazarus more)
listen every time Lazarus walks into a room I light up he is the best. Other characters look to him to tell exceptional lies on quick notice. he steals any scene he's in. i love him.
anyway it's an ehh from me but it does close off the trilogy very nicely (even if, spoilers, the guy who did it was the guy who I thought had done it two books ago. It's still good!)
readsbykayla's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
aliceneckwork's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jamfase's review against another edition
Book hangover. I loved Pen and this story; I already miss him. But I think I'd have to trigger warning this for trans/NB/disabled readers, which is a real shame. And honestly I'm not sure of the relisten value?
frogy927's review against another edition
3.0
Mark was entirely too boring to care about, and it took too long (half the book) to get to where the second one left off. The second half picked up, but never quite to where I wanted it to be. I think this would have been a better book if the split POV was Pen and Greta rather than Pen and Mark.