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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
What a fun listen! The characters are amusing and the story was fascinating.
I didn’t enjoy this as much as book 1. I didn’t really care for Violet. And the romance wasn’t as intense or central. It had a HFN ending and no L words were used. It would have felt too soon.
I was also disappointed that the entire book, aside from the epilogue, took place on the ship. And there was only one very small appearance by Robin and Edwin in the epilogue. And they didn’t even get to meet Violet.
I spent most of the time wanting to see more of Hawthorne. We met Hawthorne in book 1. He was Edwin’s ex. But he seemed like a jerk. We got to know him much more in this one and I am already so intrigued. Book 3 will be Hawthorne’s book and I can’t wait!
I was also disappointed that the entire book, aside from the epilogue, took place on the ship. And there was only one very small appearance by Robin and Edwin in the epilogue. And they didn’t even get to meet Violet.
I spent most of the time wanting to see more of Hawthorne. We met Hawthorne in book 1. He was Edwin’s ex. But he seemed like a jerk. We got to know him much more in this one and I am already so intrigued. Book 3 will be Hawthorne’s book and I can’t wait!
A really fun whodunnit to continue the series. I liked the continuity with the first in the series with Maud taking the lead and the introduction of Violet as the last piece of the puzzle. The villains were well done and interesting and I liked getting to know Lord Hawthorne more.
Actually 3.5
I was sooo excited for this book! I absolutely adored the first one in the series. Loved: Violet, the parrot, the smaller side characters. Didn’t love: the setting, the mystery, the big showdown at the end, Maud (liked her more in this book than the first but still she’s a challenging narrator) the pacing of the plot. Will definitely read the next one, but this was was a bit of a let down. Excellent execution, but a bit boring.
I was sooo excited for this book! I absolutely adored the first one in the series. Loved: Violet, the parrot, the smaller side characters. Didn’t love: the setting, the mystery, the big showdown at the end, Maud (liked her more in this book than the first but still she’s a challenging narrator) the pacing of the plot. Will definitely read the next one, but this was was a bit of a let down. Excellent execution, but a bit boring.
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Had to take a long pause in the middle of reading this due to running out of time on a Libby hold but it was well worth the wait to finish the last third on New Year’s Day! While not quite as compelling as the first book in the series (I’d give this a 4.5 to that one’s 5 star rating) I absolutely loved so much about this—especially the ghosts and murder mystery and crimes aboard ship of it all. A gem! Salivating to start the final book as soon as possible.
I enjoyed how the story unfolded then tied to the prior story. I think it would have been better if I hadn’t waited so long in between the first and second book. I wouldn’t recommend it as a stand alone story.
Graphic sex on page
Graphic sex on page
Oh my, I may have enjoyed this one even more than the first one. Maud and Violet were a truly delightful pair of main characters, but watching them flummox their male allies was also a true delight. I’m glad Maud got to become her own person in this one. I also love that the series continues to balance fantasy, romance, and mystery in such a wonderful concoction.
Maud Blyth has spent her life as a proper young lady, but with her parents gone, she is joining the cause to save the magicians of Britain.
This book picks up a few months after the end of “A Marvelous Light,” Maud has found the next member of the Forsythia Club in America and is bringing her back to England. When her charge is murdered by an unknown Magician on board their ship it leaves Maud scrambling for clues. Thankfully her brother Robin’s foresight provided a few hints in the form of a beautiful blonde he believes is destined to help them. Starving off boredom while crossing an ocean to declare her inheritance, Violet agrees to join Mauds game and help locate the missing contract.
This book felt like a great partner to the first. It showcases different characters but seamlessly continues the plot, and sets us up for book 3. I cannot wait to see Edwin and Robin, with Maud and Violet.
From a genre perspective it feels a little more like a game of clue. Both Maud and Violet are witty outgoing characters, and as leads they make the book feel a little more fun. Unlike the first book a large part of the characters are not magicians, and this creates an interesting inside joke dynamic when they have to use magic in public.
In the romance department this book lives up to its predecessor, Violet and Maud click together from the start. While Violet is the more experienced, Maud quickly becomes the aggressor and it causes an interesting push and pull between their physical and emotional relationship.
This book picks up a few months after the end of “A Marvelous Light,” Maud has found the next member of the Forsythia Club in America and is bringing her back to England. When her charge is murdered by an unknown Magician on board their ship it leaves Maud scrambling for clues. Thankfully her brother Robin’s foresight provided a few hints in the form of a beautiful blonde he believes is destined to help them. Starving off boredom while crossing an ocean to declare her inheritance, Violet agrees to join Mauds game and help locate the missing contract.
This book felt like a great partner to the first. It showcases different characters but seamlessly continues the plot, and sets us up for book 3. I cannot wait to see Edwin and Robin, with Maud and Violet.
From a genre perspective it feels a little more like a game of clue. Both Maud and Violet are witty outgoing characters, and as leads they make the book feel a little more fun. Unlike the first book a large part of the characters are not magicians, and this creates an interesting inside joke dynamic when they have to use magic in public.
In the romance department this book lives up to its predecessor, Violet and Maud click together from the start. While Violet is the more experienced, Maud quickly becomes the aggressor and it causes an interesting push and pull between their physical and emotional relationship.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
✨Queer Representation
✨Easy Read
Cons:
✨Predictable Mystery
It took me a moment to get into this one since we switched protagonists from the first book. By the end, though, I enjoyed Maud and Violet, and thought their dynamic was just as lovely as Edwin and Robin’s from the first novel. We didn’t build much on the magic system or the world in this installment, and while I normally love a locked door murder mystery, this hampered that concept by revealing the murderer early on. Then this became a weird cat and mouse, scavenger hunt type plot. It wasn’t my favorite and it dragged. I was also disappointed in the sex scenes because they didn’t feel important to the relationship or the characters’ development. They were just included to be included, which deviated from the first and third books in the trilogy. I did like these characters, but everything else was average and a bit of a let-down after the first book. Still, not a bad read!
✨Easy Read
Cons:
✨Predictable Mystery
It took me a moment to get into this one since we switched protagonists from the first book. By the end, though, I enjoyed Maud and Violet, and thought their dynamic was just as lovely as Edwin and Robin’s from the first novel. We didn’t build much on the magic system or the world in this installment, and while I normally love a locked door murder mystery, this hampered that concept by revealing the murderer early on. Then this became a weird cat and mouse, scavenger hunt type plot. It wasn’t my favorite and it dragged. I was also disappointed in the sex scenes because they didn’t feel important to the relationship or the characters’ development. They were just included to be included, which deviated from the first and third books in the trilogy. I did like these characters, but everything else was average and a bit of a let-down after the first book. Still, not a bad read!