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A review by peculiarb
Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist by Liz Kessler
2.0
My problem with these books is that everything happens very fast in a small amount of pages so it tends to feel rushed, there isn’t much character development, and I personally don’t get as attached to the characters as I’d like to, and Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist was no exception to this. While I liked the second book in the series a lot, this one didn’t particularly stand out for me since it was so similar to the first book in how the plot unfolded (which could’ve been intentional but would the target audience really notice?) :
Emily inevitably kicks off the plot by doing something illegal in her world
Emily decides she doesn’t need any help from older characters
Emily meets a new character who becomes a permanent fixture later
Emily pulls off a miracle
Neptune forgives Emily’s transgressions because brings out his humanity (bad choice of words, I know)
Everyone lives happily ever after
This dynamic isn’t limited to the plot as the characters are also rather static with Emily and Shona going off on their own without even notifying Millie, who obviously ends up worried sick when she can’t find them (can you tell I’m a bit miffed at this behaviour? Because I am). I felt like Aaron’s introduction was a breath of fresh air because he was an entirely new character, but he ultimately left no lasting impression on me.
(just like the romance aspect actually)
The book did have one redeeming quality however: it really showed how this new life impacted Emily’s family after their honeymoon phase in the second book. Emily’s parents are virtually stranger after 12 years apart and this is finally felt, while Emily prefers spending her time in the sea, where her mother can’t follow; understandably this is hard on her, and I wish there was a section devoted to how Emily’s parents coped with her latest adventure because that gap weakened the ending.
All in all, I found the book rather bland. While I would recommend it to its target audience, I don’t think it would hold the interest of older readers because of its incredible similarity to The Tail of Emily Windsnap.
Emily inevitably kicks off the plot by doing something illegal in her world
Emily decides she doesn’t need any help from older characters
Emily meets a new character who becomes a permanent fixture later
Emily pulls off a miracle
Neptune forgives Emily’s transgressions because brings out his humanity (bad choice of words, I know)
Everyone lives happily ever after
This dynamic isn’t limited to the plot as the characters are also rather static with Emily and Shona going off on their own without even notifying Millie, who obviously ends up worried sick when she can’t find them (can you tell I’m a bit miffed at this behaviour? Because I am). I felt like Aaron’s introduction was a breath of fresh air because he was an entirely new character, but he ultimately left no lasting impression on me.
(just like the romance aspect actually)
The book did have one redeeming quality however: it really showed how this new life impacted Emily’s family after their honeymoon phase in the second book. Emily’s parents are virtually stranger after 12 years apart and this is finally felt, while Emily prefers spending her time in the sea, where her mother can’t follow; understandably this is hard on her, and I wish there was a section devoted to how Emily’s parents coped with her latest adventure because that gap weakened the ending.
All in all, I found the book rather bland. While I would recommend it to its target audience, I don’t think it would hold the interest of older readers because of its incredible similarity to The Tail of Emily Windsnap.