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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
There needs to be a fourth book! And soon please!! That ending -aaghhh!!
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really liked this book, but I felt like some of the things that were set up and never fully explained in the second book didn't make it over into this one. Some stuff seemed like it went along and made sense and all of the new plot points in this book made sense, but there were plot threads from book two that I felt like just got dropped and I would have liked to have seen where they went. Aside from that, I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting and I liked all the new information we received and how the characters and the plot progressed.
Finished reading: December 15th 2019
“We're both broken right now. Something's happened to us. But we can do this. We have to.”
Spoiler
Say hello to another unpopular opinion ramble! I really enjoyed the first book of the Shades Of London series when I read it back in 2016... And even though I wasn't as impressed by the sequel when I finally read it a few months back, when I discovered I had to read an urban fantasy for the Magical Readathon Winter 2019 challenge my thoughts went to this series almost immediately. I decided to give Rory another shot, and see if the third book would make me fall in love with the series again... Sadly, it wasn't ment to be and The Shadow Cabinet turned out to be the weakest link of this series yet. I honestly start to believe Shades Of London would have worked better as a stand-alone, going out with a bang after the Jack The Ripper inspired case and just leave it at that... The plot in The Shadow Cabinet seems even more jumbled and farfetched than the sequel, and with many eyebrow raising moments and the characters being possibly even more annoying (Rory, I'm looking at you!) I'm still not sure why I even kept reading. I definitely didn't enjoy reading about the direction this story seems to be taking, and to be honest I don't really mind that there still isn't any news about a possible book four? It's truly a shame I ended up having this reaction after such a positive first experience with this series, but it is what it is I guess.
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really liked the first book in the series, it totally grabbed my attention. The second book ? Ehhh, definitely felt like filler, with a cliff-hanger ending. I'm glad I didn't have to wait at all to get the third book. I liked this one a lot. I still think the first was the favorite, but this brought all the stuff from the second full circle. I don't know if I really followed everything (the Demeter stuff, Sid&Sadie and Jane). This did wrap up the storyline (books 2/3 combined) but ... what did they ever tell Rory's parents? Was that addressed? And then, almost an epilogue, introduced a set-up for a sequel, that I'm not sure is happening? It's 2020 now, and book 4 was supposed to come out in 2018? While I liked this, I think I would have been fine stopping at book 1 also. It had a different feel from the 2/3 combo.
After the ending of The Madness Underneath, I was hesitant about reading this, because I did not want to get really emotional in a not happy way, so I let it sit for a day before I just sucked it up and read it.
I was in such denial about Stephen being dead, because after TMU, I was ready to tweet her and just have a bunch of sad face emojis with maybe like Stephen being the only word. And then his body goes missing? And he’s not 100% dead? This book was such a roller coaster and with every page I was hoping that Stephen was okay. I’m so glad book 4 is happening, because if Rory and Stephen ended how they did, I would have cried forever. Not really an exaggeration. So the ending was nice, but I’m a bit mad at Jerome for messing with my otp here. There was so much emotion from all the characters during the aftermath and then Sid and Sadie again. They are so weird. Can’t really elaborate more on that. And the Shadow Cabinet is an organization? That Stephen is a part of. Still fantastic and I loved reading it and I’m excited/nervous for book 4 because Stephen and Rory
I was in such denial about Stephen being dead, because after TMU, I was ready to tweet her and just have a bunch of sad face emojis with maybe like Stephen being the only word. And then his body goes missing? And he’s not 100% dead? This book was such a roller coaster and with every page I was hoping that Stephen was okay. I’m so glad book 4 is happening, because if Rory and Stephen ended how they did, I would have cried forever. Not really an exaggeration. So the ending was nice, but I’m a bit mad at Jerome for messing with my otp here. There was so much emotion from all the characters during the aftermath and then Sid and Sadie again. They are so weird. Can’t really elaborate more on that. And the Shadow Cabinet is an organization? That Stephen is a part of. Still fantastic and I loved reading it and I’m excited/nervous for book 4 because Stephen and Rory
Aargh! Why didn't she finish the series? This book was published in 2015, so I hope she's working on the next in the series.
I don't know that these are brilliant, and I don't much like that the narrating character? Rory the Louisiana transplant to England? Occasionally has paragraphs and phrases that end in a query?
I realize that many people speak that way. I notice it more and more on the radio and in news stories, and I notice it most keenly in women. I don't know if I notice it more there because I am a woman, or if it's because women -particularly younger women- do it most. It makes them sound a combination of unsure of their information, seeking approval for what they are saying, or a softening of what could be poorly received by adding questioning tones to what is actually a statement.
I'm trying to watch out for that in my own vocal communication now.
I don't know that these are brilliant, and I don't much like that the narrating character? Rory the Louisiana transplant to England? Occasionally has paragraphs and phrases that end in a query?
I realize that many people speak that way. I notice it more and more on the radio and in news stories, and I notice it most keenly in women. I don't know if I notice it more there because I am a woman, or if it's because women -particularly younger women- do it most. It makes them sound a combination of unsure of their information, seeking approval for what they are saying, or a softening of what could be poorly received by adding questioning tones to what is actually a statement.
I'm trying to watch out for that in my own vocal communication now.