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powisamy's review
Having loved the first one in the series, I was obviously super excited about reading the sequel. Unfortunately I didn't connect to this one as much.
Don't get me wrong, I still loved the characters and the ending was great for Hugo and Dorian but I didn't love the rest of the story.
I do love that Lauren James made a cli fi story really accessible to a younger audience but I found a lot of it heavy handed. I do know that I am not the target audience so I am sure that it will relate to those who it meant for.
Don't get me wrong, I still loved the characters and the ending was great for Hugo and Dorian but I didn't love the rest of the story.
I do love that Lauren James made a cli fi story really accessible to a younger audience but I found a lot of it heavy handed. I do know that I am not the target audience so I am sure that it will relate to those who it meant for.
ineffablebooks's review
4.0
“All the qualities that Dorian had listed were things he’d thought were weaknesses. But Dorian seemed to think they were his biggest strengths.”
“Dorian made a happy noise and buried his head in Hugo’s neck. Hugo still wasn’t used to this kind of affection, but he was willing to spend the rest of his life trying.”
Brb, crying over how adorable these two are ♥️
“Dorian made a happy noise and buried his head in Hugo’s neck. Hugo still wasn’t used to this kind of affection, but he was willing to spend the rest of his life trying.”
Brb, crying over how adorable these two are ♥️
booksandlemonsquash's review
5.0
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This series may be short but it is oh so sweet. The Deep-Sea Duke is just as heartwarming as it's predecessor, and really ties up everything I was hoping for in The Starlight Watchmaker! It's so pure and lovely.
Hugo continues to be the sweetest marshmallow android ever, and I wanted to hug him every time he had doubts. Dorian is adorable and I love that he loves Hugo. And Ada is just sweet and hilarious - the scenes of her playing with the butterflies was brilliant.
I also love that this book covers so many topics so well. We see the impacts of climate change and the importance of helping others dealt with, as well as including LGBT+ content. Lauren James truly is a fantastic writer to squeeze all that into this short but perfect book.
5 stars.
This series may be short but it is oh so sweet. The Deep-Sea Duke is just as heartwarming as it's predecessor, and really ties up everything I was hoping for in The Starlight Watchmaker! It's so pure and lovely.
Hugo continues to be the sweetest marshmallow android ever, and I wanted to hug him every time he had doubts. Dorian is adorable and I love that he loves Hugo. And Ada is just sweet and hilarious - the scenes of her playing with the butterflies was brilliant.
I also love that this book covers so many topics so well. We see the impacts of climate change and the importance of helping others dealt with, as well as including LGBT+ content. Lauren James truly is a fantastic writer to squeeze all that into this short but perfect book.
5 stars.
bestdressedbookworm's review
5.0
I really hope that the ending leaves the option for Lauren James to write more in this series. As the sequel to The Watchmaker, The Deep-Sea Duke was full of all of the wonderful and weird elements that I have come to expect from the brain this Author. I’m pretty sure these books are not only middle grade but we’re intended to be targeted for people with dyslexia. I read the first one a couple of years ago and it has one of my favourite passages in it of all time so I was excised for the sequel and it delivered. The characters/aliens in this story are so uniquely written to anything else that I have come across. I love that Ada is this walking mini planet that can grow Forrest’s and spew lava, I love that Hugo is an android but can change the decorations on his body to replicate the surrounds and his mood like a chameleon. It’s just all so weird and wonderful!
mgann's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
gattolinos_nerdy_nook's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This is such a cute and cozy read. I loved the first book and this was just as great.
The characters are fun and have some decent development for such a short book. The adventure they have was cute and funny, and had no issues with keeping my attention for the book.
The characters are fun and have some decent development for such a short book. The adventure they have was cute and funny, and had no issues with keeping my attention for the book.
kris7's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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? No
3.5
thebooksareeverywhere's review
4.0
This is such an adorable and imaginative companion to The Starlight Watchmaker. I’m so glad I reread the first one in order to completely connect to this crazy world and lovely characters again, and it definitely helped me fully appreciate this next step on their journey.
Every time I read these books I am blown away by how creative Lauren James is. I can’t even begin to comprehend where the ideas for this amazing world come from, with different planets and species all living and working together. But despite the strange world and planets, I still managed to picture this in all of it’s vivid glory. This reads young, but is also so accessible to all readers and a great introduction to the scifi genre with a focus on the characters. I also particularly enjoyed how climate change is woven throughout this book and brought to the attention of the reader early on.
The characters are so adorable and I loved reading about their relationships with one another. They are so accepting of each other’s quirks and personalities, and this felt like a very important ideal to portray for young readers. They are so well-developed and I really feel for them throughout these stories, which is an impressive feat considering how short these books are.
If you’re looking for an imaginative scifi with a diverse cast of characters and a lovely moral behind their stories, honestly go and pick this Dyslexia friendly (published by Barrington Stoke) series up!
★★★★
4 out of 5 stars
-Beth
May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽
Every time I read these books I am blown away by how creative Lauren James is. I can’t even begin to comprehend where the ideas for this amazing world come from, with different planets and species all living and working together. But despite the strange world and planets, I still managed to picture this in all of it’s vivid glory. This reads young, but is also so accessible to all readers and a great introduction to the scifi genre with a focus on the characters. I also particularly enjoyed how climate change is woven throughout this book and brought to the attention of the reader early on.
The characters are so adorable and I loved reading about their relationships with one another. They are so accepting of each other’s quirks and personalities, and this felt like a very important ideal to portray for young readers. They are so well-developed and I really feel for them throughout these stories, which is an impressive feat considering how short these books are.
If you’re looking for an imaginative scifi with a diverse cast of characters and a lovely moral behind their stories, honestly go and pick this Dyslexia friendly (published by Barrington Stoke) series up!
★★★★
4 out of 5 stars
-Beth
May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽