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moonytoast's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, War, and Blood
bookwyrmknits's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.25
I enjoyed this conclusion to the Jackaby series, though I was a bit overwhelmed at times by the sheer quantity of characters and names. Also, while there was a lot going on, at times it felt like nothing was actually happening... I think this book's biggest flaw, though, is that it got so much more serious than the first two installments of the series. Yes, this is war between the good guys and the bad guys, and yes this is possibly the end of the world, but the change in tone was a bit sad, since the humor is one of the things I enjoyed the most about the first two books.
(Addendum: I started listening to the audiobook version of this book, but had to switch to the ebook. The narrator has several moments where her inhalations sound like intentional gasps, but given that some of them make no sense in context I had to conclude that it was at least partially places where the editing team did not edit out the narrator's breathing. Instead of trying to determine which breaths were supposed to be gasps and which were merely breathing, I checked out the ebook from the library to finish the book. My review does not include this annoyance as part of the rating, but unlike the prior books I cannot fully recommend the audiobook for this specific installment of the series.) (audio = first 1/3, ebook = last 2/3)
(Addendum: I started listening to the audiobook version of this book, but had to switch to the ebook. The narrator has several moments where her inhalations sound like intentional gasps, but given that some of them make no sense in context I had to conclude that it was at least partially places where the editing team did not edit out the narrator's breathing. Instead of trying to determine which breaths were supposed to be gasps and which were merely breathing, I checked out the ebook from the library to finish the book. My review does not include this annoyance as part of the rating, but unlike the prior books I cannot fully recommend the audiobook for this specific installment of the series.) (audio = first 1/3, ebook = last 2/3)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Blood
mandkips's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Violence
emilylovesgoodbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
silver_valkyrie_reads's review
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I'm glad I finished the series, but it didn't finish as strong as it started for me. Generally I enjoyed the story and the characters. There were a few great lines and moments, but also quite a number that frustrated me or irritated me, mostly in terms of worldview. I realized just how badly it was going for me when I DIDN'T bawl my way through the last couple of chapters despite emotional events...
There is a trans character, which is interesting in light of the authors (accidentally, I guess) conflicting messages about whether it's good to follow all of your natural inclinations or not... There's also I bit I read as a broad hint that 'tyranny' is just an excuse for not liking laws necessary to bring us together, which I found frustrating in it's lack of context--I agree the used that way in some cases, but I'm afraid young readers might just absorb it in a way that makes them suspicious of everyone calling out unjust laws, which also exist and need to be called out. All of which to say, I wouldn't personally recommend this series for younger readers, but teens who are ready to think through all of the subtle issues could enjoy it.
There is a trans character, which is interesting in light of the authors (accidentally, I guess) conflicting messages about whether it's good to follow all of your natural inclinations or not... There's also I bit I read as a broad hint that 'tyranny' is just an excuse for not liking laws necessary to bring us together, which I found frustrating in it's lack of context--I agree the used that way in some cases, but I'm afraid young readers might just absorb it in a way that makes them suspicious of everyone calling out unjust laws, which also exist and need to be called out. All of which to say, I wouldn't personally recommend this series for younger readers, but teens who are ready to think through all of the subtle issues could enjoy it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
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