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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
4,5 stars! There were a couple of slow parts in the middle, but OMG, this book made me feel so many things! I had goosebumps on that last page. Goosebumps, I tell you. I’m so sorry to say goodbye to these characters, but what a lovely ride it was <3
This was such a great ending to an incredibly fun series. I didn’t expect to shed any tears but I DID! I very much enjoyed how all of the earlier, seemingly incidental, plot points final came together. I will definitely be re-reading these at some point.
The magical happenings continue in this New England town. War has been declared by the nonmagical humans on their magical being neighbors and Jackaby is caught in the middle. Miss Rook takes an even more active role in the investigation of a tear in the veil that keeps the magical realm separate from the nonmagical realm. Old enemies are gathering strength and will make their play for domination and Jackaby, Miss Rook, Charlie, and Jenny are struggling to gather support for a resistance force. There is a dire rumor going around that this is the last of the series....say it isn't so. A few relationships progress and new characters abound.
I.......wait.....what? I don’t know how to feel about any of this.
THE DIRE KING is the conclusion to this Sherlockian series where the sidekick is an absolute hero and being paranormal isn't so very strange.
As with all the books in the JACKABY series, I was absolutely enchanted by THE DIRE KING. The world building always draws me in, and Ritter's brilliant combination of the Victorian setting and supernatural elements is always so much fun and an absolute joy to read.
The plot of this book is full of twists and turns, and it's a bit darker than the other books in the series have been thus far, which I really enjoyed. There are a lot of fantastic action scenes all building up to the epic battle at the end, which is full of paranormal creatures as well as characters from previous books in the series.
I typically find Jackaby's character to be funny and entertaining, and he did fall a bit flat for me in this final installment in the series, which is probably due to the dire situation the characters find themselves facing. I would have liked to have seen just a bit more of his classic eccentrism and quirkiness though.
Abigail Rook, as ever, is a phenomenal heroine. I love that Ritter has taken a character that is really the sidekick in the series, and put her in a position to show her strength and that she is a total hero in her own right. She's smart, brave, and definitely the kind of character I love reading about.
I'm posting this review a little teary eyed, because I'm sad that the series is over. I think an annual October re-read may be in my future. If you haven't read these books yet, definitely do. They are an absolute delight.
As with all the books in the JACKABY series, I was absolutely enchanted by THE DIRE KING. The world building always draws me in, and Ritter's brilliant combination of the Victorian setting and supernatural elements is always so much fun and an absolute joy to read.
The plot of this book is full of twists and turns, and it's a bit darker than the other books in the series have been thus far, which I really enjoyed. There are a lot of fantastic action scenes all building up to the epic battle at the end, which is full of paranormal creatures as well as characters from previous books in the series.
I typically find Jackaby's character to be funny and entertaining, and he did fall a bit flat for me in this final installment in the series, which is probably due to the dire situation the characters find themselves facing. I would have liked to have seen just a bit more of his classic eccentrism and quirkiness though.
Abigail Rook, as ever, is a phenomenal heroine. I love that Ritter has taken a character that is really the sidekick in the series, and put her in a position to show her strength and that she is a total hero in her own right. She's smart, brave, and definitely the kind of character I love reading about.
I'm posting this review a little teary eyed, because I'm sad that the series is over. I think an annual October re-read may be in my future. If you haven't read these books yet, definitely do. They are an absolute delight.
My favourite of an already fantastic series. The Dire King marks the end of the four part series starring a Paranormal Detective, R.F. Jackaby, and his astonishing assistant, Abigail Rook. It packed a whopper of a punch, and kept me up late into the night so I could finish. The ending...I mean wow, I definitely teared up. It was such a perfect way to say goodbye to some of my favourite characters recently written.
The Dire King focuses on the war that has been slowly coming to fruition in the first three novels. With the Unseelie and Seelie fae converging either to destroy humanity or save it. Jackaby and Abigail are in the middle of the fray, trying to avert catastrophic destruction on all sides, and every turn they seem to be hit with more and more bad luck.
See the rest of my review at www.onemamassummer.weebly.com/bookreviews/the-dire-king
The Dire King focuses on the war that has been slowly coming to fruition in the first three novels. With the Unseelie and Seelie fae converging either to destroy humanity or save it. Jackaby and Abigail are in the middle of the fray, trying to avert catastrophic destruction on all sides, and every turn they seem to be hit with more and more bad luck.
See the rest of my review at www.onemamassummer.weebly.com/bookreviews/the-dire-king
A very satisfying ending.
(Oo, also, you'll want to read The Map before this one because it introduces a character that shows up in this book. Free Kindle edition is on Amazon.)
For me, the joy of these novels is in the relationships built along the way. I think that people (and characters) need more than one kind of relationship. So often narratives shove friendships aside in favor of romance. The romantic relationships in these books are important but no more or less important than the platonic and familial ones. Jackaby is as important to Abigail as Charlie. And Jackaby cares as much for Abigail as he does Jenny. Though in different ways. I loved having a male-female friendship that was so strong and non-romantic. It never even occurs to them.
I love that freaking door. I wonder what Marlowe sees when he walks up. Definitely something with Nuisance in it. Fill in your own. _____ Nuisance.
"Useful Nuisance"?
Some good twists I won't get into because of spoilers.
Also, I want to go out saying that I picture Jackaby as a combination of Newt Scammander and BBC Sherlock.
(Oo, also, you'll want to read The Map before this one because it introduces a character that shows up in this book. Free Kindle edition is on Amazon.)
For me, the joy of these novels is in the relationships built along the way. I think that people (and characters) need more than one kind of relationship. So often narratives shove friendships aside in favor of romance. The romantic relationships in these books are important but no more or less important than the platonic and familial ones. Jackaby is as important to Abigail as Charlie. And Jackaby cares as much for Abigail as he does Jenny. Though in different ways. I loved having a male-female friendship that was so strong and non-romantic. It never even occurs to them.
I love that freaking door. I wonder what Marlowe sees when he walks up. Definitely something with Nuisance in it. Fill in your own. _____ Nuisance.
"Useful Nuisance"?
Some good twists I won't get into because of spoilers.
Also, I want to go out saying that I picture Jackaby as a combination of Newt Scammander and BBC Sherlock.
