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wendy327 's review for:
The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks
by Mackenzi Lee
I received a free copy from Katherine Tegen Books in exchange for an honest review.
Frightened by the world, aspiring political writer and activist Adrian Montague finds himself in a unique position to enter Parliament when his father Henri resigns his seat. Even as Adrian prepares himself to take on this role, he still grapples with the grief of his mother’s unexpected death nearly a year earlier. When artifacts from her final trip are discovered, Adrian finds himself in possession of a broken spyglass that his mother carried with her at all times. As Adrian undertakes a journey to discover the truth behind the spyglass, he finds himself face-to-face with a brother and sister he never knew.
After going on voyages with Monty and Felicity, it’s Adrian’s turn. And Adrian’s journey doesn’t disappoint. Mackenzi Lee uniquely captures a third Montague voice that is much more raw than Monty and Felicity. Even without the author’s note, it’s clear that Adrian suffers from anxiety with OCD compulsions, and given that the novel is written from his perspective, it makes certain scenes painful as a reader, mostly due to the ability to empathize with his spiraling thoughts. Even though the novel is centered on Adrian, the reader still receives an infusion of the voices we know and love, Monty’s devil-may-care sarcasm and Felicity’s stoic realism.
Most of the novel revolves around the theme of found family. Though Monty and Felicity discovered families beyond their own blood, Adrian has the unique opportunity to not only learn of his siblings' existence but connect with them throughout the novel. And though Monty and Felicity may initially be shy to acknowledge Adrian and the bonds they share, Lee convincingly offers readers an intimate portrait of the complex relationship of siblings. Given that a great deal of the novel is spent around this relationship, the supernatural quest to discover the mystery behind their mother’s spyglass takes a backseat; however, given that one of the common themes of the Montague Siblings series has been finding oneself and connecting to others, this does not harm Adrian’s journey.
With so many characters introduced in the first two novels, it would be difficult to dedicate significant page time to all of them. Though I recognized that this was Adrian’s story, I was a little disappointed that Johanna and Percy received little space, though patient readers are rewarded with a full endgame chapter dedicated to Monty and Percy. Sadly, Scipio was absent due to circumstances that are briefly described in the novel. Sim receives the greatest amount of space given that the secondary plot revolves around the Crown and Cleaver. A few new characters are introduced to the drama, specifically Louisa and Saad, and have their own contributions to add to Adrian’s story.
Overall, I loved Adrian as a character, even in his raw and painful moments, and I felt that his entry into the Montague siblings series was an excellent final entry that wrapped up the quest of all three siblings to find peace and love within themselves and among their blood and found family.
Frightened by the world, aspiring political writer and activist Adrian Montague finds himself in a unique position to enter Parliament when his father Henri resigns his seat. Even as Adrian prepares himself to take on this role, he still grapples with the grief of his mother’s unexpected death nearly a year earlier. When artifacts from her final trip are discovered, Adrian finds himself in possession of a broken spyglass that his mother carried with her at all times. As Adrian undertakes a journey to discover the truth behind the spyglass, he finds himself face-to-face with a brother and sister he never knew.
After going on voyages with Monty and Felicity, it’s Adrian’s turn. And Adrian’s journey doesn’t disappoint. Mackenzi Lee uniquely captures a third Montague voice that is much more raw than Monty and Felicity. Even without the author’s note, it’s clear that Adrian suffers from anxiety with OCD compulsions, and given that the novel is written from his perspective, it makes certain scenes painful as a reader, mostly due to the ability to empathize with his spiraling thoughts. Even though the novel is centered on Adrian, the reader still receives an infusion of the voices we know and love, Monty’s devil-may-care sarcasm and Felicity’s stoic realism.
Most of the novel revolves around the theme of found family. Though Monty and Felicity discovered families beyond their own blood, Adrian has the unique opportunity to not only learn of his siblings' existence but connect with them throughout the novel. And though Monty and Felicity may initially be shy to acknowledge Adrian and the bonds they share, Lee convincingly offers readers an intimate portrait of the complex relationship of siblings. Given that a great deal of the novel is spent around this relationship, the supernatural quest to discover the mystery behind their mother’s spyglass takes a backseat; however, given that one of the common themes of the Montague Siblings series has been finding oneself and connecting to others, this does not harm Adrian’s journey.
With so many characters introduced in the first two novels, it would be difficult to dedicate significant page time to all of them. Though I recognized that this was Adrian’s story, I was a little disappointed that Johanna and Percy received little space, though patient readers are rewarded with a full endgame chapter dedicated to Monty and Percy. Sadly, Scipio was absent due to circumstances that are briefly described in the novel. Sim receives the greatest amount of space given that the secondary plot revolves around the Crown and Cleaver. A few new characters are introduced to the drama, specifically Louisa and Saad, and have their own contributions to add to Adrian’s story.
Overall, I loved Adrian as a character, even in his raw and painful moments, and I felt that his entry into the Montague siblings series was an excellent final entry that wrapped up the quest of all three siblings to find peace and love within themselves and among their blood and found family.