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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
Solid but very much a bridging book. Alex has not really developed as a character while everyone else around him has. This is the book equivalent of when a TV series changes from 'monster of the week' to 'overarching giant conspiracy theories and political machinations' which is fine, but let's face it, 'monster of the week' is way more fun.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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:
Complicated
Excellent, as I've come to expect from this series. The characters, the plot, the settings: cleanly and wondrously realized.
Number 5 of the Alex Verus series about a London based Mage that can predict the future to a limited extent. His attempts to save a friend, a life Mage called Anne when she is kidnapped was good fast paced action and For the first time in an age, as I neared the end I felt compelled to stay up until the book was finished. Throughly enjoyed and would give 4.5 stars if I could. Not quite a 5 star read but will definitely be looking out for number 6
A long awaited sequel of the adventure of Alex Verus.
I loved how this one focused on the connection between Alex and Anne. In internet terms, I'm 'shipping' this pair pretty hard.
I was left feeling pretty dejected after the last entry, where although we got to explore more of Alex's past, there ended up being a rift between him and Anne (and Sonder, but then he was just an interesting romantic interest for Luna and well, she's clearly not into him) (and I dislike series where everyone ends up paired up).
This is one of my light reads, guaranteed quick finish and immense entertainment value. Fantasy with some believable elements and none of that absurdness that often befalls fantasies.
I remember once reading a book where it set out to be a 'normal' romantic drama that ended up having sparks flying and spells being cast.
If they had started outright saying there'd be spells flying, I would have been much less put off by it (I forgot the name of the book). I mean, yes, it did set out to have the term 'witch' somewhere in its title (I think), but the whole three fourth of it was just a normal story.
Then sparks went flying.
I mean, it's like the author just got lazy and thought, 'well, that can be fixed with abracadabra!'.
And there I was looking forward of to the end of things where they told me that witches are everyday happentance and you don't need to have cool Harry Potter spells to become a witch. That'd be refreshing.
Anyway, I digress.
Either way, yes, none of that kind of absurd plot twists here. In fact, you can see the efforts made in connecting with normal life and that is sort of awesome for this genre. I mean, urban fantasies is all about people going about their extraordinary lives and trying to stay grounded, isn't it?
Though after finishing this I began to hope my authors would somehow speed up their writing. One book a year is a bit of a torture.
I loved how this one focused on the connection between Alex and Anne. In internet terms, I'm 'shipping' this pair pretty hard.
I was left feeling pretty dejected after the last entry, where although we got to explore more of Alex's past, there ended up being a rift between him and Anne (and Sonder, but then he was just an interesting romantic interest for Luna and well, she's clearly not into him) (and I dislike series where everyone ends up paired up).
This is one of my light reads, guaranteed quick finish and immense entertainment value. Fantasy with some believable elements and none of that absurdness that often befalls fantasies.
I remember once reading a book where it set out to be a 'normal' romantic drama that ended up having sparks flying and spells being cast.
If they had started outright saying there'd be spells flying, I would have been much less put off by it (I forgot the name of the book). I mean, yes, it did set out to have the term 'witch' somewhere in its title (I think), but the whole three fourth of it was just a normal story.
Then sparks went flying.
I mean, it's like the author just got lazy and thought, 'well, that can be fixed with abracadabra!'.
And there I was looking forward of to the end of things where they told me that witches are everyday happentance and you don't need to have cool Harry Potter spells to become a witch. That'd be refreshing.
Anyway, I digress.
Either way, yes, none of that kind of absurd plot twists here. In fact, you can see the efforts made in connecting with normal life and that is sort of awesome for this genre. I mean, urban fantasies is all about people going about their extraordinary lives and trying to stay grounded, isn't it?
Though after finishing this I began to hope my authors would somehow speed up their writing. One book a year is a bit of a torture.
Things are starting to rock along now for Alex Verus. Nine months out from the last book finds him dealing with some fractured relationships. I can understand everyone's point of view and no one is really "wrong" but it's still sad to see. We also see the past come back to bite a couple of characters in the you-know-what. Suddenly, the future is not looking so bright for our favorite English mage. Intensifying stakes, well written magic battles, and some over due insight into at least one of the secondary characters makes this a standout for me in this series and ensures that I will continue to follow Alex on his adventures.