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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Very similar to Stephen King's The Outsider. A fine book, but I perhaps didn't enjoy it as much, reading it within a year or 2 of Outsider. I much prefered del Toro's The Strain Trilogy.
challenging
slow-paced
I almost stopped reading cause this book
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I haven’t watched many GDT movies, but I know he has a large following that enjoy them. I didn’t know what to expect going into this book aside from he’ll probably be an engaging story. I was curious based off his dedication to Algernon Blackwood and the book being a paranormal detective story. I really enjoyed it though. The events and the characters really came together for an entertaining story. Intriguing concepts like using the court astrologist John Dee from the 1500s as the reason for the Hollow Ones, and the use of history with one of the first black FBI agents.
That being said I definitely still have some questions like, one needs to summon the hollow ones to the location? Or they’ve just always been around because of what John Dee and Hugo Blackwood did in the past? Like why bring up Palo religion if it didn’t have any impact on their quest to find the Hollow Ones?
That being said I definitely still have some questions like, one needs to summon the hollow ones to the location? Or they’ve just always been around because of what John Dee and Hugo Blackwood did in the past? Like why bring up Palo religion if it didn’t have any impact on their quest to find the Hollow Ones?
This was predictable and flat, with a sloppy deus ex machina at the end. Maybe it was a product of the audiobook narrator, but I was really fed up with the protagonist's single personality trait of irritating indignation.
I was expecting more from Del Toro. Specifically the horror/creepiness and the action. But overall it was good. It was definitely giving a Sherlock x Watson: Sam x Dean Winchester vibe that I loved. But the not forthcoming schtick got old fast especially in the last third of the book. Also Blackwood seems unconvincing as a character because he’s been doing this for so long and yet had no plan going in. The end fight was also anti-climatic. And the subplot with the Priestess was pointless because her character/backstory was unexplored. I’m lost as to how the cauldrons/religion factor in with the hollow ones? Or what the point was.
I also feel like it was trying so hard to make a point about race but ended up hitting absolutely nothing. In fact, the only people who ended up suffering or losing was POC.not even the KKK lost . But maybe I’m asking for an American-esque marvel victory.
Overall, it felt like a half baked book. The bones are really good and interesting but nothing is really explored or used as commentary.
I also feel like it was trying so hard to make a point about race but ended up hitting absolutely nothing. In fact, the only people who ended up suffering or losing was POC.
Overall, it felt like a half baked book. The bones are really good and interesting but nothing is really explored or used as commentary.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4,5 ✨
Okkultismus, Beschwörungen, Geister, Riten und Dämonen - Wer hier einen normalen Thriller erwartet wird (zum Glück) enttäuscht, denn "Die Schatten" ist eine blockbustermäßige Horror- und Suspensegeschichte, die süchtig macht.
Bei dem Duo Guillermo del Toro und Chuck Hogan weiß ich eigentlich von vornherein, dass die Bücher an Spannung einiges auffahren und eine Atmosphäre wie im Kino schaffen werden. Und so ist es auch hier: Kein Buch zum Lesen, sondern zum Erleben!
Klare Leseempfehlung
Okkultismus, Beschwörungen, Geister, Riten und Dämonen - Wer hier einen normalen Thriller erwartet wird (zum Glück) enttäuscht, denn "Die Schatten" ist eine blockbustermäßige Horror- und Suspensegeschichte, die süchtig macht.
Bei dem Duo Guillermo del Toro und Chuck Hogan weiß ich eigentlich von vornherein, dass die Bücher an Spannung einiges auffahren und eine Atmosphäre wie im Kino schaffen werden. Und so ist es auch hier: Kein Buch zum Lesen, sondern zum Erleben!
Klare Leseempfehlung
Unfortunately, this really feels like half a novel, but not in the way of 'this will become better in a series.' Rather, it's like there's half a good idea in there, glimmers of del Toro's classic creations and monster sensibilities beneath far too many layers of generic CIA spy thriller bullshit. Characters feel underdeveloped, with only small glimpses of their personality, and the plot sometimes takes nonsensical leaps and bounds that leave you scratching your head going "Why." The series could improve, I suppose, but as it stands, this was a hard pass for me.
Could not put it down. After The Strain trilogy I can't wait to see what they do with this.