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quinlanoconnor's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
oliviasantioni's review against another edition
1.0
This book has been a nightmare to read. The first book had at least a story of some sort to keep me reading and Diana and Matthew (at least in the beginning) were interesting and likeable characters. This sequel is awful. Diana and Matthew are idealized creations--they have all the best talents, they are supremely unique, Matthew knows everyone and is a member of all sorts of secret organizations as well as a spy. They are too perfect and have no real obstacles to overcome aside from their own stupidity and inability to follow a simple plan. Which is a huge contradiction because of how otherwise amazing they are.
It takes until over half way through the book for anything to happen. I don’t count getting married and aimlessly meandering through the 1590’s. At one point Diana complained about being bored.. girl me too! Even when things happened like we spent this whole book for her to get pregnant and find out she is a weaver. Like that’s really all that happened. Everything else just seemed like fluff.
The number of historical figures who make appearances in this book is overwhelming. The historical name-dropping is annoying. Making Christopher Marlowe a daemon and Walter Raleigh a knight in the Order of Lazarus added nothing to the novel. In fact, the addition of all the historical figures did nothing for the novel whatsoever. They didn't move the plot forward (again, what's the plot?) and these historical people popped up so often it became a game of Historical Where’s Waldo. I hated how the author tied these people into her characters' lives. Like much of the novel's contents, there was no need for it.
With this novel, the author seems to have created her idealized version of an extended family, her idealized version of herself and her perfect mate, and as a historian she of course added into the novel all of her favorite historical figures. (Well, maybe she didn't like Christopher Marlowe since he was such a jerk.) But she stuffed the novel with a multitude of meaningless events, too many forgettable characters and pages and pages of boring food and clothing descriptions. What she neglected was a compelling plot. our author seems to have written this novel merely to please herself and her interests and forgot about her readers. This is a self-indulgent book written by an author who is spoiled by a lack of editorial oversight. An editor with any sense and skill could have shaped this shapeless lump of a novel into a compelling, suspenseful read with intriguing characters. Instead we got this mess. There's no way in hell I will suffer through the next novel. Life's too short to read another book like this.
It takes until over half way through the book for anything to happen. I don’t count getting married and aimlessly meandering through the 1590’s. At one point Diana complained about being bored.. girl me too! Even when things happened like we spent this whole book for her to get pregnant and find out she is a weaver. Like that’s really all that happened. Everything else just seemed like fluff.
The number of historical figures who make appearances in this book is overwhelming. The historical name-dropping is annoying. Making Christopher Marlowe a daemon and Walter Raleigh a knight in the Order of Lazarus added nothing to the novel. In fact, the addition of all the historical figures did nothing for the novel whatsoever. They didn't move the plot forward (again, what's the plot?) and these historical people popped up so often it became a game of Historical Where’s Waldo. I hated how the author tied these people into her characters' lives. Like much of the novel's contents, there was no need for it.
With this novel, the author seems to have created her idealized version of an extended family, her idealized version of herself and her perfect mate, and as a historian she of course added into the novel all of her favorite historical figures. (Well, maybe she didn't like Christopher Marlowe since he was such a jerk.) But she stuffed the novel with a multitude of meaningless events, too many forgettable characters and pages and pages of boring food and clothing descriptions. What she neglected was a compelling plot. our author seems to have written this novel merely to please herself and her interests and forgot about her readers. This is a self-indulgent book written by an author who is spoiled by a lack of editorial oversight. An editor with any sense and skill could have shaped this shapeless lump of a novel into a compelling, suspenseful read with intriguing characters. Instead we got this mess. There's no way in hell I will suffer through the next novel. Life's too short to read another book like this.
hollyschnicke's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoy the series, but i am missing so many of the important historical references.
spillie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? No
4.5
The narrator, Jennifer Ikdea, adds another layer to the story with her vocal characterizations. It’s been a while since I read the book and I was thrilled to rediscover the novel through this medium. Like other adaptations, I think of the books as parallel but different. Strongly recommended.
tgreads_71's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
fkshg8465's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this one just a little bit less than the previous, but that’s because I generally get annoyed even famous historical figures are reimagined in time travel tropes. My brain also tends to try to work out all the knots created with time travel that trickle back through the ages into the present storyline. So I tend to spend too much time overthinking something that has no need of my energy, given that it’s fiction. There were a few other things that bothered me, but to get into them would be giving away spoilers.
Excited to read the third installment as well as the prequel as soon as they come off hold at my library.
Excited to read the third installment as well as the prequel as soon as they come off hold at my library.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
milliemary's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
kimschouwenaar's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
10/10 for the historical snippets, whether they were entirely accurate or not, diana, gallowglass, annie and jack, the magic, and a ton of other characters
4/10 for matthew and kit
I could not stand matthew this book, and I do not care that he is a wearh and supposedly very protective and possessive. he could barely let diana speak for herself, was a hypocrite when it came to having secrets and leaving the house, and had a self-consciousness you'd expect of an adolescent boy, not a centuries-old vampire.
that being said, it was a absolute joy to spend time in elizabethan england, experience philippe as a father, and get a glimpse of sixteenth-century prague. you can clearly see Dr Harkness's experience as a historian and it has me aching to be back at university discussing literary analyses with other students.
generally, I adored the story, so will be continuing the trilogy.
4/10 for matthew and kit
I could not stand matthew this book, and I do not care that he is a wearh and supposedly very protective and possessive. he could barely let diana speak for herself, was a hypocrite when it came to having secrets and leaving the house, and had a self-consciousness you'd expect of an adolescent boy, not a centuries-old vampire.
that being said, it was a absolute joy to spend time in elizabethan england, experience philippe as a father, and get a glimpse of sixteenth-century prague. you can clearly see Dr Harkness's experience as a historian and it has me aching to be back at university discussing literary analyses with other students.
generally, I adored the story, so will be continuing the trilogy.