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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.75 ⭐️
•
Broke the pattern of reading spooky books only in the fall.
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I liked the base plot of a sister seeking answers, although I’m not always impressed with “who done it” stories.
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Lena was a neutral lead character; didn’t love her, didn’t hate her. The lesbian element for her and Vaudelein was good for the fact it was 1870 and unconventional.
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I was most impressed with the historical aspect of gentlemen’s societies in Paris and the general concept of spiritual groups scamming vulnerable people for money and prestige.
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The authors note at the end about women being more successful in that business for being empathetic and more submissive was an interesting fact.
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Didn’t quite predict the reveal. I thought Evie wasn’t really dead and faked her death to hide.
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Overall, the second half of the book flew by quickly but it was a bit of a slow start which is why I didn’t give it a 4 star.
•
Broke the pattern of reading spooky books only in the fall.
•
I liked the base plot of a sister seeking answers, although I’m not always impressed with “who done it” stories.
•
Lena was a neutral lead character; didn’t love her, didn’t hate her. The lesbian element for her and Vaudelein was good for the fact it was 1870 and unconventional.
•
I was most impressed with the historical aspect of gentlemen’s societies in Paris and the general concept of spiritual groups scamming vulnerable people for money and prestige.
•
The authors note at the end about women being more successful in that business for being empathetic and more submissive was an interesting fact.
•
Didn’t quite predict the reveal. I thought Evie wasn’t really dead and faked her death to hide.
•
Overall, the second half of the book flew by quickly but it was a bit of a slow start which is why I didn’t give it a 4 star.
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I could barely get through the audiobook - the male narrator is TERRIBLE. He's got this sing-song cadence to every sentence, it drove me absolutely bonkers. I'll make sure to look out for his name in the future - won't be listening to anything else by him. 🙇 The book itself was enjoyable, although The Lost Apothecary and The Amalfi Curse were much better. I felt like the main character's arc was a bit inconsistent - at some points she couldn't put pieces together that were right in front of her, and at others she figured things out too quickly. Overall, worth a read, especially if you Like Penner's other books.
Admittedly, this one took me a bit to really dig into, but once I was in I was HOOKED! Great for fans of The Lost Apothecary, Penner presents us with a dashing historical fiction steeped in the supernatural, seances, and of course, major feminine energy.
I loved the way she was able to weave together various POVs in laying out the mystery without sacrificing character development.
I loved the way she was able to weave together various POVs in laying out the mystery without sacrificing character development.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I was on the edge of my seat the whole book, many twists and turns. Penner elaborated on the thoughts of many characters in scenes adding to the tension.
I was incredibly disappointed in this book. The mystery predictable, the characters poorly developed and bland. The most interesting character was Evie, the main character's dead sister. The murderer was the second most interesting character. The romance seemed...forced almost. It was unnecessary and the characters were not unique enough to make even a remotely compelling romance. The characters together were so bland that they might as well have been the same person. It didn't help that the reader missed their initial meeting and was just put in the middle of their budding relationship. Oh, they like each other. Okay. I wasn't invested in it at all. In fairness, I was not interested in them as characters either. They had the potential to be so interesting...but they weren't.
Then there was the stupid decisions they made. At one point, Lenna, the main character, traps the antagonist in a closet. She runs out of the building, speaks to a man who was friends with her deceased sister, runs back in the building to find documents (without asking the helpful man to stand guard or help her in any way), and proceeds to read everything after finding the documents IN THE HOUSE. So of course she is caught. I almost didn't finish the book and put it down then.
The only saving grace was the ending. It was predictable, but interesting. I would have liked to see more seances. We got two and the first one was just a flop.
There was also the weird choice to tell one perspective in third person and another perspective in first person.
Then there was the stupid decisions they made. At one point, Lenna, the main character, traps the antagonist in a closet. She runs out of the building, speaks to a man who was friends with her deceased sister, runs back in the building to find documents (without asking the helpful man to stand guard or help her in any way), and proceeds to read everything after finding the documents IN THE HOUSE. So of course she is caught. I almost didn't finish the book and put it down then.
The only saving grace was the ending. It was predictable, but interesting. I would have liked to see more seances. We got two and the first one was just a flop.
There was also the weird choice to tell one perspective in third person and another perspective in first person.
I honestly feel really let down after giving five starts to The Lost Apothecary. I had high hopes for this. It was a book I read fast to get it over with since I hate not finishing books.
Character Breakdown:
- Vaudeline ~ well-known spiritualist who performs séances
- Lenna ~ goes to Paris to find more information about her sister’s death
- Mr, Volckman ~ big bad guy, dead
- Mr. Morley ~ side kick, dead
- Evie ~ Lenna’s sister, dead
- Eloise ~ Evie’s friend, dead
The best part was the idea of the London Séance Society. It was very ominous. A group of people performing séances, but they’re actually just evil and want money.
Other than a cool society, I was disconnected.
Character Breakdown:
- Vaudeline ~ well-known spiritualist who performs séances
- Lenna ~ goes to Paris to find more information about her sister’s death
- Mr, Volckman ~ big bad guy, dead
- Mr. Morley ~ side kick, dead
- Evie ~ Lenna’s sister, dead
- Eloise ~ Evie’s friend, dead
The best part was the idea of the London Séance Society. It was very ominous. A group of people performing séances, but they’re actually just evil and want money.
Other than a cool society, I was disconnected.