A review by sociotom
ArchEnemy by Frank Beddor

4.0

I think this was as good an end to the Looking Glass Wars as I could have hoped for. It was certainly the one I was expecting, so it was nice to see myself not disappointed, in a way. It had been a while since I had read Seeing Redd, so I was a bit thrown off by some of what was said and what was happening, but that was more my fault than the story's. Beddor clearly dedicated himself to the characters and their world and stuck to it, making the rather clear assumption that you would know what was going on, if due only to having read the prequels.

This is a young adult book, and it is impossible to forget it as you go along. The chapters are short, the dialogue and descriptions are relatively short and clear, and occasionally something in phrased in an eye rolling sort of way. But, ultimately, it was still an enjoyable story (although in all honesty, there are a few things I would have liked to have seen fleshed out a bit more - a few scenes here and there felt too abrupt, like Beddor wanted to just get on with it, and they didn't do the characters justice).

If you've read the first too books and enjoyed them, I suspect you'll enjoy this one too. Your kids might even enjoy them more.