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A review by tessa_talks_books
Long Past Dues by James J. Butcher
5.0
I thought Dead Man’s Hand - the first book in this series - was exceptional, but Long Past Dues took the story up ten notches to absolute perfection.
Starting with the end, I have to say that the ending of this story is so impactful that I shed a tear or two. It wasn’t what I expected, but it was just right for the story and leaves plenty of room for more books in the series. It’s a thought-provoking, bittersweet, soft conclusion that had me thinking about it long after I finished the book.
I love the character development, particularly of Grimsby and Mayflower - it goes beyond so many other stories. As a character-driven story, I want to see good character development, but I don’t know if I have seen it on quite this level. Grimsby is the green Auditor (detective) who only wants to help people, and Mayflower is the older, hardened Hunter who has seen it all and had to make hard choices more times than he wants to remember - a combination we’ve all seen many times over. But the moral complexities of good versus evil/right versus wrong these two face together are handled authentically and developed at the right pace to hit home with me at every turn.
I also love the world-building, the fast-pace, and the quirky humor in both of the stories. Long Past Dues didn’t have those laugh-out-loud moments that the first book did, but there were still plenty of snickers and smiles as I made my way through the story. The world-building is incredible, and for an urban fantasy, it is exceptional. The many details and nuances make me forget that the book is set in Boston.
This is a series I will continue to follow, as I can’t wait to see what happens next, particularly where the character development goes.
Starting with the end, I have to say that the ending of this story is so impactful that I shed a tear or two. It wasn’t what I expected, but it was just right for the story and leaves plenty of room for more books in the series. It’s a thought-provoking, bittersweet, soft conclusion that had me thinking about it long after I finished the book.
I love the character development, particularly of Grimsby and Mayflower - it goes beyond so many other stories. As a character-driven story, I want to see good character development, but I don’t know if I have seen it on quite this level. Grimsby is the green Auditor (detective) who only wants to help people, and Mayflower is the older, hardened Hunter who has seen it all and had to make hard choices more times than he wants to remember - a combination we’ve all seen many times over. But the moral complexities of good versus evil/right versus wrong these two face together are handled authentically and developed at the right pace to hit home with me at every turn.
I also love the world-building, the fast-pace, and the quirky humor in both of the stories. Long Past Dues didn’t have those laugh-out-loud moments that the first book did, but there were still plenty of snickers and smiles as I made my way through the story. The world-building is incredible, and for an urban fantasy, it is exceptional. The many details and nuances make me forget that the book is set in Boston.
This is a series I will continue to follow, as I can’t wait to see what happens next, particularly where the character development goes.