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jameyanne's review against another edition
5.0
This book surpassed all my wildest expectations. It was full of twists and turns, all of wich surprised me but still made sense. I found myself continually saying "Wow! I did not see that coming!" It's the first book in a really long time that kept me up all night reading. It had none of the problemes of the first two books, and in fact, knowing what happens in this book, it actually fixes the problems of the first two books and makes the whole series shine. And on its own, it was still fantastic, fast and furious and fun. I felt like the plot picked me up and held me in a gut-wrenching stranglehold and didn't let go until the last moment. I loved how the characters were so flawed, and I loved the ambiguity of not being able to decide whose side I was on or how I wanted to see things turn out. And the ending was just perfect! While the first book may have been a bit of a slog at times, it was worth it, because this whole series is fabulous and I can't recommend it highly enough.
feelingferal's review
4.0
An improvement on the second book. It didn’t quite recapture the magic of the first one but it was close.
poachedeggs's review
4.0
Hugely ambitious YA from the brilliantly weird mind of Jaclyn Moriarty. Some of the details were overwhelming but the gems were worth waiting for. 3.5 stars.
foggy_rosamund's review
5.0
I adored the first two novels in this series, and I wasn't expecting the conclusion to surpass them. But this book is a delight. There are many wonderful elements: it feels very fresh, very unlike any other books I've seen recently. While the subject matter is not afraid of facing sadness, touching on loss, murder, alcoholism, there remains such kindness in this story. Its central message is one of hope.
I love Moriarty's writing -- the way her teenagers interact, the over-blown adults and the wry observations. I also love the way she handles the fantasy kingdom in this story: its characters with their nonsensical speech, the colours that can attack, the political intrigue, the magical creatures -- and yet how rooted in reality it feels. I'm also so impressed by her plots, which surprise me every time, and I loved how well this novel brought together the two earlier novels. It's really impressive.
I love Moriarty's writing -- the way her teenagers interact, the over-blown adults and the wry observations. I also love the way she handles the fantasy kingdom in this story: its characters with their nonsensical speech, the colours that can attack, the political intrigue, the magical creatures -- and yet how rooted in reality it feels. I'm also so impressed by her plots, which surprise me every time, and I loved how well this novel brought together the two earlier novels. It's really impressive.
itabar's review
2.0
This series came highly recommended but did not work for me. I finished all 3 books, so it got 2 stars (One star is a DNF).
There were so many coincidences piled on top of improbabilities, I could see the authorial hand constructing everything. And I couldn't see the humor other reviewers mentioned. It all felt incredibly contrived. IOW, I was not immersed enough in the story to suspend disbelief and couldn't find the humor.
Sadly, the only characters I actually liked had very minor roles (the sheriff and his assistant and Gabe). The others, meh.
And the ending? Yikes. Everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING, tied up together in a nice bow, incredibly unrealistically. A controlling unsympathetic teenager wiser about politics than her parents. I can see that she might be smarter than her parents, but wisdom usually comes with age.
I did like the idea of the parallel world and how colors were creatures that attacked irregularly. But that was about it.
There were so many coincidences piled on top of improbabilities, I could see the authorial hand constructing everything. And I couldn't see the humor other reviewers mentioned. It all felt incredibly contrived. IOW, I was not immersed enough in the story to suspend disbelief and couldn't find the humor.
Sadly, the only characters I actually liked had very minor roles (the sheriff and his assistant and Gabe). The others, meh.
And the ending? Yikes. Everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING, tied up together in a nice bow, incredibly unrealistically. A controlling unsympathetic teenager wiser about politics than her parents. I can see that she might be smarter than her parents, but wisdom usually comes with age.
I did like the idea of the parallel world and how colors were creatures that attacked irregularly. But that was about it.
elasebmore's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Unbelievable in all the best ways. Not at all what I expected from this series. Blown away. Oh my god. I love them all so dearly there aren’t any other books out there written like this one (or this whole series). Sobbing
kemendraugh's review
4.0
Minus one star for breaking my heart, all the rest of them for an excellent trilogy. This world, I will miss it.
PS Princess Ko has my vote.
PS Princess Ko has my vote.
scholarhect's review against another edition
5.0
Utterly delightful! This is my first addition to my "six star" bookshelf in quite a while - the other two books both got a 5 rating, I seem to recall, but this one elevates the series to something else entirely. A wonderful, whimsical, original fantasy, and beautifully executed here on every level. I loved the twists I saw coming and those I didn't, I loved being tricked about something I saw very early on in book one and then dismissed, I loved how many of the things I took for random occurrences or character quirks were tied into a cohesive narrative at book and series level. Such a beautiful read, and probably books I will actually purchase copies of (something I rarely do these days due to the restrictions of space on inner city living).
jazmyntea's review
5.0
To be honest this was going to be a 4⭐ until half way through and then it just became amazing again. I just love Madeline and Elliot.