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mdlaclair's review against another edition
3.0
This was interesting read. some new characters where introduced to the storyline. However I keep hoping that Toby will get her HEA. However it always seems one book away....this booked focused a lot on Toby's dysfunctional family.......which is very dysfunctional.
iffer's review against another edition
4.0
Seanan McGuire was back to pulling at my heart with this one. Just like Toby, I find myself hoping for a happily-ever-after, even though I know better. This one pulls all the strings when it comes to families wanting to be whole again and people perpetually looking for a place, and a life, to call home.
reading_ninja's review against another edition
4.0
Another great book, just disappointed in the ending would have like to see the sisters get along and work together.
analicia_simar's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
joebuuz's review against another edition
3.0
A more character driven entry in the series. There is less action and the stakes are quite familial. An interesting direction for a series 11 books deep now. However, it worked for me and I enjoyed the story since it explored aspects of redemption.
maryellen's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Kidnapping, Confinement, Classism, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
mimosaeyes's review against another edition
3.0
Damn, this book actually made me feel bad for Simon. It seems like such a waste that .
On the other hand, I was a little disappointed by the portrayal of Amandine. Her arc is kind of the opposite of Simon's - whereas he appears in the first book as a flat-out villain, and this impression is gradually softened and made more complex, Amandine goes in the other direction. All along, I've been thinking of her as quite a sympathetic character, despite her actions: a woman, already prone to some degree of madness, driven to extremes by the maternal desire to keep her changeling daughter with her and avert the prophecy connecting her line to Oberon's return. This book actually flattens her motivations, and adds bigotry into the mix when there's been no hint of it up to this point. Is it all an act, a defence mechanism - and a set-up to a redemption arc like Simon's? Even if so, going from complex to flat to complex again is bizarre on first impression, and on deeper analysis, kind of clumsy.
One other sticking point that I've actually had at the back of my mind for a while now, but that really comes out in this book, is: I've consistently felt that the 'falling action'/'resolution' parts of the books in this series tend to be quite hurried. We have the big climax, things return to normal - and the trauma (there is always trauma) is left to presumably fade before the next book happens. I get that depicting some recovery would muck up the pacing, but a little more acknowledgement than just 'time passes and we muddled through' would be nice at some point.
Keep in mind that this review definitely comes across more negative because of the high expectations I have developed for this series. This book probably warrants 3.5 stars, really; I just didn't want to bump it to 4 stars, given the other books in the series that I've given that rating to.
Spoiler
the progress he makes here has to be (temporarily, I presume) forgottenOn the other hand, I was a little disappointed by the portrayal of Amandine. Her arc is kind of the opposite of Simon's - whereas he appears in the first book as a flat-out villain, and this impression is gradually softened and made more complex, Amandine goes in the other direction. All along, I've been thinking of her as quite a sympathetic character, despite her actions: a woman, already prone to some degree of madness, driven to extremes by the maternal desire to keep her changeling daughter with her and avert the prophecy connecting her line to Oberon's return. This book actually flattens her motivations, and adds bigotry into the mix when there's been no hint of it up to this point. Is it all an act, a defence mechanism - and a set-up to a redemption arc like Simon's? Even if so, going from complex to flat to complex again is bizarre on first impression, and on deeper analysis, kind of clumsy.
One other sticking point that I've actually had at the back of my mind for a while now, but that really comes out in this book, is: I've consistently felt that the 'falling action'/'resolution' parts of the books in this series tend to be quite hurried. We have the big climax, things return to normal - and the trauma (there is always trauma) is left to presumably fade before the next book happens. I get that depicting some recovery would muck up the pacing, but a little more acknowledgement than just 'time passes and we muddled through' would be nice at some point.
Keep in mind that this review definitely comes across more negative because of the high expectations I have developed for this series. This book probably warrants 3.5 stars, really; I just didn't want to bump it to 4 stars, given the other books in the series that I've given that rating to.