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erinbritt's review against another edition
1.0
Writing and everything was fine I just couldn't get that into the story / plot.
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
5.0
This was a great ending to a really fun duology! I quickly remembered all the players and what was going on in their universe. It was really cool to see another version of the underworld that was a little more lighthearted and, dare I say, fun, than most interpretations of the underworld. I know that goes with the target audience, but it was still a nice change!
The lore and world building was great, and I loved the comparisons drawn between Aalstor and his memories versus what is seen when Alastor returns with Prosper. It truly draws you in and adds to the enjoyment.
The main characters are fantastic. Prosper is a great kid that you just want to root for, Alastor's internal struggle is quite compelling, and Nell is a strong young woman with a complex history. The demons are creative and creepy, which makes this a perfect read for anyone who loves Halloween.
I really enjoyed this book. It had a ton of heart and is perfect to read for any time of the year, but I recommend saving it for Halloween or whenever you're in the mood for a fun, spooky read.
The lore and world building was great, and I loved the comparisons drawn between Aalstor and his memories versus what is seen when Alastor returns with Prosper. It truly draws you in and adds to the enjoyment.
The main characters are fantastic. Prosper is a great kid that you just want to root for, Alastor's internal struggle is quite compelling, and Nell is a strong young woman with a complex history. The demons are creative and creepy, which makes this a perfect read for anyone who loves Halloween.
I really enjoyed this book. It had a ton of heart and is perfect to read for any time of the year, but I recommend saving it for Halloween or whenever you're in the mood for a fun, spooky read.
bookgirl4ever's review against another edition
3.0
Prosper and Alastor follow their sisters Prue and Pyra to the fiend realm. Prosper hopes to save Prue from Pyra; and Alastor, after centuries of being away, wants his kingdom back. But everything has changed including the creation of the Void, which seems to destroy everything it touches. As they travel to the prison, they accumulate a ragtag group of creatures, including a fairy who has an interesting history of all creation. Eventually, the war between human, fairy, and fiends comes to the human realm and Prosper and company must fight to save all they love. A nice conclusion to the duology.
Upper elementary, junior high.
Upper elementary, junior high.
jamsu's review against another edition
3.0
Rating 3.5 stars
The Last Life Of Prince Alastor was the only middle grade book I have been waiting for months to read. There was nothing wrong with the book but I couldn't understand why I wasn't really in the mood of reading it.
Then I finally realized why I was taking my sweet time with it; I didn't care what happened with Prue so their whole quest/ adventure didn't really interest me that much. Prosper loves her sister and I know I should care what happened with her but I can't forgive her how she treated Prosper in the first book. Prosper even talked like his sister sacrificed everything for him over and over again but like when? When she was sick? When she treated him as badly as the rest of his family? When she was kidnapped?
I didn't only love Prosper's friendship with Nell but also how his relationship with Alastor went. Prosper even mentions that if Alastor's a cockroach, his ancestors are the Black Plague. Alastor's name is important for him but he still gave a letter up, so they could find Prosper's sister.
I enjoyed seeing how different the downstairs were from the human world and how things had changed while Alastor was away. I usually hate flashbacks and flash forwards but Bracken wrote the flashbacks very well. Readers could see how Honor changed and why Alastor dislikes Redding family so much besides the whole tricking him part.
It might've taken me forever to read this book but I still loved the characters and friendships it had. I just didn't like how Alastor and Prosper were ready to do anything for their sisters even though they didn't really deserve it. I liked how it ended but I still wish there was another book for the series.
The Last Life Of Prince Alastor was the only middle grade book I have been waiting for months to read. There was nothing wrong with the book but I couldn't understand why I wasn't really in the mood of reading it.
Then I finally realized why I was taking my sweet time with it; I didn't care what happened with Prue so their whole quest/ adventure didn't really interest me that much. Prosper loves her sister and I know I should care what happened with her but I can't forgive her how she treated Prosper in the first book. Prosper even talked like his sister sacrificed everything for him over and over again but like when? When she was sick? When she treated him as badly as the rest of his family? When she was kidnapped?
I didn't only love Prosper's friendship with Nell but also how his relationship with Alastor went. Prosper even mentions that if Alastor's a cockroach, his ancestors are the Black Plague. Alastor's name is important for him but he still gave a letter up, so they could find Prosper's sister.
I enjoyed seeing how different the downstairs were from the human world and how things had changed while Alastor was away. I usually hate flashbacks and flash forwards but Bracken wrote the flashbacks very well. Readers could see how Honor changed and why Alastor dislikes Redding family so much besides the whole tricking him part.
It might've taken me forever to read this book but I still loved the characters and friendships it had. I just didn't like how Alastor and Prosper were ready to do anything for their sisters even though they didn't really deserve it. I liked how it ended but I still wish there was another book for the series.
laurenparrott's review against another edition
4.0
"What evil can come from a choice made with a pure heart and the best of intentions?"
If you know me, you know it's essentially impossible for me to talk about books without talking about The Darkest Minds. Ergo, it's impossible for me to talk about my favorite authors without bringing up Alexandra Bracken. From dystopian worlds to time travel troubles to middle-grade Halloween-ish adventures, I've never once walked away from a Bracken book without being absolutely and utterly gobsmacked. And, unsurprisingly, The Last Life of Prince Alastor was no exception.
By the end of The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding (which you can read my full review of here!), we're left with endless questions - most of these pointing to the mysterious world that is the Downstairs. The Last Life of Prince Alastor follows Propser as he attempts to navigate a realm in which he was clearly not invited to, while also following Alastor as he tries to reclaim what he deems as his rightful throne. At this point, I feel like I sound like a broken record because I always seem to suggest that it's best to read an Alexandra Bracken novel blind. But, in my defense, I really do think that in doing so, you're setting yourself up for the best wild ride possible.
"I'd made mistakes, I'd been misled, but I wasn't some helpless victim in this story."
Admittedly, and I think a majority of book lovers can agree, sequels have a way of being incredibly nerve-racking. Personally, my biggest fear with sequels are the dreaded recaps. Even though I'm pretty sure I have the worst memory of all mankind, I don't want to spend 50 or so pages being spoon fed what happened in the last book because it simply becomes repetitive or boring. LLOPA does remind us what happened in the last installment, but only in small side notes and not full chunks of a chapter. This may seem like a small thing to notice, but it already puts the book on my goodside. (That, and the fact that I get to revisit some of my favorite characters with my favorite author. I might just be a little bit biased here).
In the same vein, because we're falling into a whole new realm (we are quite literally falling through an open mirror), some substantial world building has to be done. From the moment we're in the Downstairs with Prosper and Alastor, we're immediately introduced to the off-putting smell, the perpetually-dark sky, and how the land is laid out. We're right there with Prosper as Alastor explains the Downstairs to him and how their overall hierarchy works. And because of Prosper's complete inability to keep himself out of trouble, we meet Ogres, Fiends, and Ghouls along the way. The description to this new world feels natural, realistic, and instantly drew me in.
"I am always right, Alastor said. There are only degrees of how correct I am."
I truly cannot stop thinking about how well Prosper was written as a character. There are countless complexities and realistic tendencies woven into him in this sequel that I can't get over it. Prosper goes through a constant internal pull when he's trying to decide between what's right and wrong, and it just felt so humane. Similarly, there were often two different Prospers because, at times, he felt like he needed to put on a brave face when other times all he really wanted was a little bit of help. Even though I'm now 22, I could relate to so many of the thoughts that Prosper had.
When I read books with the intentions of reviewing them, I take notes in my phone, and my favorite note taken for LLOPA was definitely: "Honestly just talk about how much you love Alastor." As weird as it is to say that I missed reading in the voice of a parasitic malefactor, I really did. I missed his clever insults - some of my favorites from this book being "Gorbellied, crook-plated measle" and "Abominable, crusty thumb" - and his cunning schemes. I can't delve deep into the specifics of why I loved him so much in this book for fear of spoilers, but you've got to trust me on this one; his character development is unreal.
Alex aways somehow finds a way to introduce side characters that embellish the story and add to the main characters, not take away from them. We meet elves, shades, new changelings (friendly reminder that I still love Toad with my whole heart), and they each add a new level to the story. And with that, they add even more plot twists that will be sure to leave your jaw on the floor. Furthermore, Alexandra Bracken brings in her ability to discuss big problems readers of this genre might encounter in their own lives, but she stays on track with the plot; it doesn't feel forced whatsoever. There's one plot point with Nell that I really think every single reader can relate to; I know I can.
"You're a good friend, Prosper Redding."
"You're a better friend, Nell Bishop."
It's important for a story to be entertaining. It's fun to escape to a world that's not like your own, but it starts to get really impressive when an author can include elements of our world into a fictional one. Even in a world filled with monsters threatening to take over the human realm, we can still afford a lesson of how we should treat others even when they're different than us.
And again, without giving too much away, the plot is so intricately planned and executed. When you think your questions are close to being answered and the story is going to start wrapping up, yet another plot twist hits you in the face and pushes you forward. You're right there with Prosper as he looks for answers to his questions and tries to make his own connections. The twists will even keep you guessing until the very end.
"When a castle is crumbling, you do not stop to find the crack that began it all, you try to hold all of the fracturing walls together in any manner you can, to the best of your ability."
The fantastical elements of this book are nothing short of amazing but, what really grounded this story for me, where the natural moments between Prosper and Nell. There were small conversations of reassurance and general friend banter that made them feel like real people. I could even see myself having these same chats with some of my own friends. Nell also even has an incredibly realistic experience with a Barbie Flower which genuinely had me thinking, "that's me! that's me!"
AH! I keep having to press the delete button on so many sections of this review because I don't want to spoil anything, but there is just so much I could talk about. This could probably easily turn into a 7 page, MLA formatted literary analysis. So please, please, please go pick it up so we can talk about THAT ENDING, and I can stop rambling about it here.
The Last Life of Prince Alastor officially comes out on February 5, so make sure you run out to your local bookstores or place a preorder!
The absolute BIGGEST thank you to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for providing me with an arc to review!
Overall: 4.5 white foxes out of 5.
Want to talk about this book or see me review your favorite? Just let me know!
If you know me, you know it's essentially impossible for me to talk about books without talking about The Darkest Minds. Ergo, it's impossible for me to talk about my favorite authors without bringing up Alexandra Bracken. From dystopian worlds to time travel troubles to middle-grade Halloween-ish adventures, I've never once walked away from a Bracken book without being absolutely and utterly gobsmacked. And, unsurprisingly, The Last Life of Prince Alastor was no exception.
By the end of The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding (which you can read my full review of here!), we're left with endless questions - most of these pointing to the mysterious world that is the Downstairs. The Last Life of Prince Alastor follows Propser as he attempts to navigate a realm in which he was clearly not invited to, while also following Alastor as he tries to reclaim what he deems as his rightful throne. At this point, I feel like I sound like a broken record because I always seem to suggest that it's best to read an Alexandra Bracken novel blind. But, in my defense, I really do think that in doing so, you're setting yourself up for the best wild ride possible.
"I'd made mistakes, I'd been misled, but I wasn't some helpless victim in this story."
Admittedly, and I think a majority of book lovers can agree, sequels have a way of being incredibly nerve-racking. Personally, my biggest fear with sequels are the dreaded recaps. Even though I'm pretty sure I have the worst memory of all mankind, I don't want to spend 50 or so pages being spoon fed what happened in the last book because it simply becomes repetitive or boring. LLOPA does remind us what happened in the last installment, but only in small side notes and not full chunks of a chapter. This may seem like a small thing to notice, but it already puts the book on my goodside. (That, and the fact that I get to revisit some of my favorite characters with my favorite author. I might just be a little bit biased here).
In the same vein, because we're falling into a whole new realm (we are quite literally falling through an open mirror), some substantial world building has to be done. From the moment we're in the Downstairs with Prosper and Alastor, we're immediately introduced to the off-putting smell, the perpetually-dark sky, and how the land is laid out. We're right there with Prosper as Alastor explains the Downstairs to him and how their overall hierarchy works. And because of Prosper's complete inability to keep himself out of trouble, we meet Ogres, Fiends, and Ghouls along the way. The description to this new world feels natural, realistic, and instantly drew me in.
"I am always right, Alastor said. There are only degrees of how correct I am."
I truly cannot stop thinking about how well Prosper was written as a character. There are countless complexities and realistic tendencies woven into him in this sequel that I can't get over it. Prosper goes through a constant internal pull when he's trying to decide between what's right and wrong, and it just felt so humane. Similarly, there were often two different Prospers because, at times, he felt like he needed to put on a brave face when other times all he really wanted was a little bit of help. Even though I'm now 22, I could relate to so many of the thoughts that Prosper had.
When I read books with the intentions of reviewing them, I take notes in my phone, and my favorite note taken for LLOPA was definitely: "Honestly just talk about how much you love Alastor." As weird as it is to say that I missed reading in the voice of a parasitic malefactor, I really did. I missed his clever insults - some of my favorites from this book being "Gorbellied, crook-plated measle" and "Abominable, crusty thumb" - and his cunning schemes. I can't delve deep into the specifics of why I loved him so much in this book for fear of spoilers, but you've got to trust me on this one; his character development is unreal.
Alex aways somehow finds a way to introduce side characters that embellish the story and add to the main characters, not take away from them. We meet elves, shades, new changelings (friendly reminder that I still love Toad with my whole heart), and they each add a new level to the story. And with that, they add even more plot twists that will be sure to leave your jaw on the floor. Furthermore, Alexandra Bracken brings in her ability to discuss big problems readers of this genre might encounter in their own lives, but she stays on track with the plot; it doesn't feel forced whatsoever. There's one plot point with Nell that I really think every single reader can relate to; I know I can.
"You're a good friend, Prosper Redding."
"You're a better friend, Nell Bishop."
It's important for a story to be entertaining. It's fun to escape to a world that's not like your own, but it starts to get really impressive when an author can include elements of our world into a fictional one. Even in a world filled with monsters threatening to take over the human realm, we can still afford a lesson of how we should treat others even when they're different than us.
And again, without giving too much away, the plot is so intricately planned and executed. When you think your questions are close to being answered and the story is going to start wrapping up, yet another plot twist hits you in the face and pushes you forward. You're right there with Prosper as he looks for answers to his questions and tries to make his own connections. The twists will even keep you guessing until the very end.
"When a castle is crumbling, you do not stop to find the crack that began it all, you try to hold all of the fracturing walls together in any manner you can, to the best of your ability."
The fantastical elements of this book are nothing short of amazing but, what really grounded this story for me, where the natural moments between Prosper and Nell. There were small conversations of reassurance and general friend banter that made them feel like real people. I could even see myself having these same chats with some of my own friends. Nell also even has an incredibly realistic experience with a Barbie Flower which genuinely had me thinking, "that's me! that's me!"
AH! I keep having to press the delete button on so many sections of this review because I don't want to spoil anything, but there is just so much I could talk about. This could probably easily turn into a 7 page, MLA formatted literary analysis. So please, please, please go pick it up so we can talk about THAT ENDING, and I can stop rambling about it here.
The Last Life of Prince Alastor officially comes out on February 5, so make sure you run out to your local bookstores or place a preorder!
The absolute BIGGEST thank you to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for providing me with an arc to review!
Overall: 4.5 white foxes out of 5.
Want to talk about this book or see me review your favorite? Just let me know!
lucyfer412's review against another edition
3.0
That fact that it took me literal years to get throught this... I found it very overly complicated for a middle grade
mariethelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
a cool and original ending to this tale i must say