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momentum262's review
adventurous
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? No
4.0
chelseatm's review
4.0
Much better than the second book. More of a solid story than a transition book, which was how I viewed the last one. This is still a solid series and I look forward to the next one
krista_reads_it_all's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
To all: this is the official Paperback, not the ARC. I pre-ordered the paperback at amazon.de some time ago, and apparently it is out now at their site. So please don't ask me about it. Go to amazon.de and ask them why it is out.
Wow, this book was magnificent. Thankfully I remembered enough (it has been around 2 years since the last book came out) so I wasn't confused that long. Only the prologue confused me, because I forgot who Jane was. :) But that was solved in the first chapter.
Rory is once again making me shake my head. She is ordered to do this and that, but she never cares/follows instructions. We know this from the first book and also the second, but it seems no matter how close she gets to death each time she goes against orders or instructions, she never learns and just goes out again. With consequences and all that. Seriously, you would think she would learn, or would care about the people surrounding her, but she never does. (And then she complains about Stephen doing it, but never cares to look at herself.)
That is really the only thing I really hate about Rory. Other than that she is a wonderful character and an interesting one at that. With her being a terminus, with her just being able to explode ghosts with only being touched or only touching a ghost.
I also still like the fact that she is an American. An American stuck in the UK, which gives us a few hilarious situations in which she still thinks as an American or looks at the UK with American-tinted glasses.
Stephen, sadly I can't really say much about him, due to the huge amount of spoilers that would give, and I don't want to spoil the epicness of the whole Stephen situation to anyone.
Then we have a whole slew of characters, including some new ones. Freddie, Sadie and Sid. Freddie who is a good person, but Sadie and Sid are our new antagonists and will probably be featured heavily in the next book. On the one hand I can't wait for that battle to come, on the other hand I don't want it to come. Since I fear for the good characters we have. I don't want to lose anyone in this war.
I loved the plot in this one, and I was amazed that the whole book (all 300 or so pages of it) is all about only 2 or so days. Wow, it felt so much longer.
We have various new things happening, things I can't wait to know more about. Like the Shadow Cabinet, I want to know more about it, want to know how it works exactly, want to know how they keep up the secrecy in a time with computers and internet.
The ending of the book is interesting, intriguing and I didn't expect that to happen.
All in all though I am very happy with this book, and also big plus points for having the old cover and not that crappy new one. I do hope that they will continue with keeping the old (aka the girl somewhere in the cover + different colours + monuments) cover and not suddenly switch over. Because then I might just not buy the next book. I already have enough series were they decided it was fun to just switch covers and I absolutely hate it. You would have 2 or 3 different kinds of covers.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Wow, this book was magnificent. Thankfully I remembered enough (it has been around 2 years since the last book came out) so I wasn't confused that long. Only the prologue confused me, because I forgot who Jane was. :) But that was solved in the first chapter.
Rory is once again making me shake my head. She is ordered to do this and that, but she never cares/follows instructions. We know this from the first book and also the second, but it seems no matter how close she gets to death each time she goes against orders or instructions, she never learns and just goes out again. With consequences and all that. Seriously, you would think she would learn, or would care about the people surrounding her, but she never does. (And then she complains about Stephen doing it, but never cares to look at herself.)
That is really the only thing I really hate about Rory. Other than that she is a wonderful character and an interesting one at that. With her being a terminus, with her just being able to explode ghosts with only being touched or only touching a ghost.
I also still like the fact that she is an American. An American stuck in the UK, which gives us a few hilarious situations in which she still thinks as an American or looks at the UK with American-tinted glasses.
Stephen, sadly I can't really say much about him, due to the huge amount of spoilers that would give, and I don't want to spoil the epicness of the whole Stephen situation to anyone.
Then we have a whole slew of characters, including some new ones. Freddie, Sadie and Sid. Freddie who is a good person, but Sadie and Sid are our new antagonists and will probably be featured heavily in the next book. On the one hand I can't wait for that battle to come, on the other hand I don't want it to come. Since I fear for the good characters we have. I don't want to lose anyone in this war.
I loved the plot in this one, and I was amazed that the whole book (all 300 or so pages of it) is all about only 2 or so days. Wow, it felt so much longer.
We have various new things happening, things I can't wait to know more about. Like the Shadow Cabinet, I want to know more about it, want to know how it works exactly, want to know how they keep up the secrecy in a time with computers and internet.
The ending of the book is interesting, intriguing and I didn't expect that to happen.
All in all though I am very happy with this book, and also big plus points for having the old cover and not that crappy new one. I do hope that they will continue with keeping the old (aka the girl somewhere in the cover + different colours + monuments) cover and not suddenly switch over. Because then I might just not buy the next book. I already have enough series were they decided it was fun to just switch covers and I absolutely hate it. You would have 2 or 3 different kinds of covers.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
anxiouslyreading33's review
5.0
I really love this series this one went a little beyond my reasoning even with ghosts but I'm hoping for another one
melissa_who_reads's review
4.0
Enjoying this series tremendously. This one was a little heavier on the description than the first two, and while the suspense in the second book was nearly unbearable for me -- this one was more dreamy and less tense.
Again, we follow Rory, the American girl who can see ghosts, in her adventures around London. Is Stephen now a ghost? If he is, where is he? And can they figure out what is going on with Jane and her associates? Can Charlotte be rescued?
One caveat (spoiler alert): I found Jane to be a truly evil character, and one who made me tense every time she showed up in the book. Part of it was her seeming reasonableness, followed by mad demands. I was a bit disappointed in the end of that plotline, and it's replacement. The beautiful Sid and Sadie, though wantonly violent, aren't real enough to be as terrifying.
The problem with reading a series as the author is writing it is that you have to wait for the author to write the next one -- and I'm ready for it now. Will be looking to see if "The Boy in the Smoke" is available in the States ... so, yes, enjoyed it tremendously.
Again, we follow Rory, the American girl who can see ghosts, in her adventures around London. Is Stephen now a ghost? If he is, where is he? And can they figure out what is going on with Jane and her associates? Can Charlotte be rescued?
One caveat (spoiler alert): I found Jane to be a truly evil character, and one who made me tense every time she showed up in the book. Part of it was her seeming reasonableness, followed by mad demands. I was a bit disappointed in the end of that plotline, and it's replacement. The beautiful Sid and Sadie, though wantonly violent, aren't real enough to be as terrifying.
The problem with reading a series as the author is writing it is that you have to wait for the author to write the next one -- and I'm ready for it now. Will be looking to see if "The Boy in the Smoke" is available in the States ... so, yes, enjoyed it tremendously.
labunnywtf's review
3.0
I am utterly fascinated thinking that this is the same author who wrote the Suite Scarlett books. Those books were perfectly acceptable YA, fluff and romance and light. Not really to my taste, but not blatantly offensive. Just standard YA fluff.
And then she writes this series, which is clearly made for the YA set, but is so much more than that. Rory is such a great, well developed character. The plot is fascinating, and she's managed to make each book as compelling as the one before.
If you had me read Suite Scarlett and Shades of London back to back, without telling me who the authors were, I never would've thought it was the same writer. Not in a million years.
There were small issues with this book. The mythology that was weird in the first book got amplified to 11 with this one. I skimmed the majority of the phlebotinum just out of utter irritation that it was taking so long to get from point A to point B.
I have to admit, I kind of love Sid and Sadie. I read Johnson's short story about Stephen, and now I desperately want a short story of Sid and Sadie. I want more. This is the first villain she's introduced that I got a little eye twirly about.
The entire Stephen situation needed the aforementioned phlebotinum, and didn't get it. Seriously, what was that? I'm confused, and I don't see that being cleared up in book four.
When is book four coming, again? Please soon?
And then she writes this series, which is clearly made for the YA set, but is so much more than that. Rory is such a great, well developed character. The plot is fascinating, and she's managed to make each book as compelling as the one before.
If you had me read Suite Scarlett and Shades of London back to back, without telling me who the authors were, I never would've thought it was the same writer. Not in a million years.
There were small issues with this book. The mythology that was weird in the first book got amplified to 11 with this one. I skimmed the majority of the phlebotinum just out of utter irritation that it was taking so long to get from point A to point B.
I have to admit, I kind of love Sid and Sadie. I read Johnson's short story about Stephen, and now I desperately want a short story of Sid and Sadie. I want more. This is the first villain she's introduced that I got a little eye twirly about.
The entire Stephen situation needed the aforementioned phlebotinum, and didn't get it. Seriously, what was that? I'm confused, and I don't see that being cleared up in book four.
When is book four coming, again? Please soon?
eleanorlouise94's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
laila4343's review
3.0
YA paranormal thriller, not my usual jam, but this series is fun. I’m eager to see how this wraps up in the final book whenever it comes out.
caitlinxreads's review
3.0
This one was really confusing. I had no idea what was going on half the time, but I will definitely read the next to find out what happens.