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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3 Stars? 2? As a standalone book I probably would’ve gone with 2. But the extra star is for hope in the following books…
This was my first experience with Sarah Painter’s writing. I listened to this book on Audible as part of the free books I have available with my membership. I’ve found some fantastic books that way and this one seemed like it had some interesting characters in a fabulous magical world. I was getting Sookie Stackhouse and Crescent City vibes. And it kind of fizzled out…
I expected a lot more world building. I was ready to be immersed into details of “the family business” that really never surfaced. That term was used liberally throughout the book but no satisfying details were ever revealed. The section with Emma and Lydia at the museum had SO MUCH potential but it was boring. And that disappointed me. I want more than “Silvers are good liars and manipulators”, “Pearlies can sell feathers to birds”… etc. That’s not enough.
And Paul Fox? Who cares? I really wanted to care. I anticipated the chemistry to be closer to Sookie and Eric (Sookie Stackhouse, Charlene Harris) or Elena and Damon (The Vampire Diaries, TV show on CW). There is nothing, n-o-t-h-i-n-g there. Of course, I have hope this will rectify itself in subsequent books.
Jason. Please, please, please, develop this character and explain his story. Let him be an active character. I admit, I’ve barely started the next book and I’m getting the impression this might happen. It NEEDS to happen. Lydia needs a ghost who can get into impossible places. Lydia, Emma, and Jason need to be a team. Maybe even add in Angel. That would be fun. It’d kind of be like The Dead Boy Detective Agency on Netflix. I have hope.
DCI Fleet. Don’t throw out this relationship. Just don’t. While I’m diehard Eric and Damon, and love a reformed bad boy—Paul has been involved with Lydia’s 19 yr old cousin. It’s creepy.
Speaking of Maddie… she will show back up. And I hope her character has some development. She was a 5 minute character in this story despite the entire book centering around her being missing. She had a tiny terrifying moment, hoping to deliver on a highly anticipatory moment then gone. Blink of an eye and gone.
Magic. Figure this out and make it interesting and integral. If the plot line is discovering magic in Lydia, or her family, or the other families—whatever it is—develop it and don’t sell a book on this premise then fail to deliver. Sookie’s telepathy was always present, explored, hated, loved. But it was part of her character. Lydia is uncertain about hers, thinks she doesn’t have any and doesn’t even seem to care to find out more. Maybe her dad is in the condition he’s in because there’s a spell on him! Please make this interesting!!
I’m going to listen to the next book and hope it improves. I want to love this… at least firmly like it. Fingers crossed.
This was my first experience with Sarah Painter’s writing. I listened to this book on Audible as part of the free books I have available with my membership. I’ve found some fantastic books that way and this one seemed like it had some interesting characters in a fabulous magical world. I was getting Sookie Stackhouse and Crescent City vibes. And it kind of fizzled out…
I expected a lot more world building. I was ready to be immersed into details of “the family business” that really never surfaced. That term was used liberally throughout the book but no satisfying details were ever revealed. The section with Emma and Lydia at the museum had SO MUCH potential but it was boring. And that disappointed me. I want more than “Silvers are good liars and manipulators”, “Pearlies can sell feathers to birds”… etc. That’s not enough.
And Paul Fox? Who cares? I really wanted to care. I anticipated the chemistry to be closer to Sookie and Eric (Sookie Stackhouse, Charlene Harris) or Elena and Damon (The Vampire Diaries, TV show on CW). There is nothing, n-o-t-h-i-n-g there. Of course, I have hope this will rectify itself in subsequent books.
Jason. Please, please, please, develop this character and explain his story. Let him be an active character. I admit, I’ve barely started the next book and I’m getting the impression this might happen. It NEEDS to happen. Lydia needs a ghost who can get into impossible places. Lydia, Emma, and Jason need to be a team. Maybe even add in Angel. That would be fun. It’d kind of be like The Dead Boy Detective Agency on Netflix. I have hope.
DCI Fleet. Don’t throw out this relationship. Just don’t. While I’m diehard Eric and Damon, and love a reformed bad boy—Paul has been involved with Lydia’s 19 yr old cousin. It’s creepy.
Speaking of Maddie… she will show back up. And I hope her character has some development. She was a 5 minute character in this story despite the entire book centering around her being missing. She had a tiny terrifying moment, hoping to deliver on a highly anticipatory moment then gone. Blink of an eye and gone.
Magic. Figure this out and make it interesting and integral. If the plot line is discovering magic in Lydia, or her family, or the other families—whatever it is—develop it and don’t sell a book on this premise then fail to deliver. Sookie’s telepathy was always present, explored, hated, loved. But it was part of her character. Lydia is uncertain about hers, thinks she doesn’t have any and doesn’t even seem to care to find out more. Maybe her dad is in the condition he’s in because there’s a spell on him! Please make this interesting!!
I’m going to listen to the next book and hope it improves. I want to love this… at least firmly like it. Fingers crossed.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Lydia is appealingly honest with herself, and I look forward to finding out more about the history and powers of the Four Families
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
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:
No
medium-paced