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4.48 AVERAGE
4.48 AVERAGE
I love Strike & Robin so any chance to spend any amount of time with them makes me happy and greedy as I am, I was thrilled to have 34 hours.
Overall, I liked this installation far more than the last one, but not as much as the earlier books in the series. I have to applaud JKR and her ability to write epics. The amount of thoughtful detail is, as always, impressive. I also experienced my heart beating fast at times, as if what was happening to Robin happened to me. It boggles my mind just how much JKR transports me somewhere else entirely and makes me truly feel like I'm there, as part of the character. She is alone with this gift, as far as I've ever experienced after reading nearly 3,000 books in my lifetime.
The last book left me rather hungry as there wasn't much Strike or Robin. In this book, Robin really shines and most of the book involves following one of them. Based on the ending and something else that happened as a side story, I feel reasonably certain there will be a #8 but I also fear it may be the last installment (I'm crying already).
The subject matter/case for this book involves a cult. It felt like a cousin to scientology ;)
The narrator deserves an audible award for performance.
If you love this series, or either character, do read this book.
Lastly, while this could be read as a stand alone, I'm not sure it would be as enjoyable. It would probably feel rather long
Overall, I liked this installation far more than the last one, but not as much as the earlier books in the series. I have to applaud JKR and her ability to write epics. The amount of thoughtful detail is, as always, impressive. I also experienced my heart beating fast at times, as if what was happening to Robin happened to me. It boggles my mind just how much JKR transports me somewhere else entirely and makes me truly feel like I'm there, as part of the character. She is alone with this gift, as far as I've ever experienced after reading nearly 3,000 books in my lifetime.
The last book left me rather hungry as there wasn't much Strike or Robin. In this book, Robin really shines and most of the book involves following one of them. Based on the ending and something else that happened as a side story, I feel reasonably certain there will be a #8 but I also fear it may be the last installment (I'm crying already).
The subject matter/case for this book involves a cult. It felt like a cousin to scientology ;)
The narrator deserves an audible award for performance.
If you love this series, or either character, do read this book.
Lastly, while this could be read as a stand alone, I'm not sure it would be as enjoyable. It would probably feel rather long
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
It’s all very good- but that ending…. I need the next one ASAP.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
So I was at a 4 ish mid way thru but the ending changed it all… 952 pages ! The cult topic was so interesting …
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Enjoyable. The central plot is good fun and mysterious. The characters are still good, and the subplots of other investigations are quite fun. I would've liked more of Strike/Robin with the subcontractors tbh. There were plenty of twists and lots of credible questions about who dunnit (and indeed what "it" was). And I certainly got through it quickly enough! I did feel like the bit from Strike figuring it out to the reveal was unnecessarily withholding - I get you want the drama of the confrontation and reveal, but it felt like there were sometimes sentences along the lines of "the man that we are going to speak to about the item that we found at the place at the time" to avoid revealing the solution. Just felt a bit... inelegant, I guess?
I also didn't feel like the ending was as neatly done as other books - it felt like we had the reveal and then straight into an epilogue which was kind of "yep, everything is fine now, all the bad guys got put away and everyone is happy." I'm not sure I would've wanted to needlessly prolong things, but at the same time... yeah, it just felt a bit like a lazy voice-over at the end of a film?
I also have complaints about sending Robin, a rape survivor, undercover into a cult where one of the things they do as part of their religion is rape. I get that it had to happen because otherwise the plot would have been crap. But it just felt quite... odd.
I also still have complaints about Strike and Robin's relationship - every instance "oh I like them but I don't know if they like me and should I like them" just annoys me. I think this is a hangover from Troubled Blood where it felt like that represented about 50% of the book. It's far less here and hopefully maybe we're moving past it in future books?
Far more time spent on complaints than praise, but the complaints are more nitpicks and pet peeves than major issues.
I also didn't feel like the ending was as neatly done as other books - it felt like we had the reveal and then straight into an epilogue which was kind of "yep, everything is fine now, all the bad guys got put away and everyone is happy." I'm not sure I would've wanted to needlessly prolong things, but at the same time... yeah, it just felt a bit like a lazy voice-over at the end of a film?
I also have complaints about sending Robin, a rape survivor, undercover into a cult where one of the things they do as part of their religion is rape. I get that it had to happen because otherwise the plot would have been crap. But it just felt quite... odd.
I also still have complaints about Strike and Robin's relationship - every instance "oh I like them but I don't know if they like me and should I like them" just annoys me. I think this is a hangover from Troubled Blood where it felt like that represented about 50% of the book. It's far less here and hopefully maybe we're moving past it in future books?
Far more time spent on complaints than praise, but the complaints are more nitpicks and pet peeves than major issues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Rape, Sexual assault
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
medium-paced
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture