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eviebookish 's review for:
The Lair
by Emily McKay
Fast paced, thrilling and intensely captivating, The Lair by Emily McKay is even better than the previous book in the series, The Farm. The characters are way more likeable, the action - even more breathtaking and twisty, and the completely jaw-dropping plot developments are sure to leave you stunned and begging for the next book. I'm so glad I finally got to read the first two books in this awesome series!
I'll be honest with you, I wasn't particularly impressed with The Farm. I really enjoyed the unique take on the vampire lore, combined with Mckay's truly blood-chilling dystopian vision, but I really hated the lead character, Lilly. I couldn't get past her annoying attitude. She was always picking fights, complaining and sabotaging every plan Carter came up with along the way. Stubborn and often times completely irrational, she made it very difficult for me to really enjoy the awesome plot and creepy atmosphere of The Farm. And Carter, while definitely better that Lily, wasn't perfect either. Some of the things he said really bothered me and I ended up disliking him by the end of the first book. That being said, I was extremely happy to see that all these characters - Lily, Carter, even McKenna and Mel - were so much better in The Lair. Sure, Carter and Lily still argued sometimes, but it wasn't pointless bickering anymore, it was simply two strong characters having different opinions. And, considering everything that happened at the end of The Farm, and everything we learned about Lily and Mel, it all made so much more sense now! Carter was way overprotective of Lily, but he had his reasons, and it wasn't just that he had feelings for her, it was more than that. Most importantly, Mel wasn't the guarded, bitchy Ms. I Know Better Than Everyone Else, she was more rational in her decisions, more thoughtful and more mindful of the people around her. She was still opinionated and fierce, but there was finally some logic to her behavior now.
The narration is still divided between three characters - Lily, Carter and Mel, with Carter's now being in first person's POV. I liked the shift. I was really tired of being in Lily's head, it was too messy in there, too tiring. Plus, being able to see the world through his eyes, and learn more about him and his relationship with Sebastian, provided me with some priceless insight and made the plot even more interesting to follow. I thought this was a brilliant move on McKay's part!
Then there's also the new Mel. In The Farm, Mel was probably my favorite character. Struggling with autism, she saw the world differently and her strong connection with Lily was fascinating to me. At the same time, while so rich on the inside, she was boxed in, trapped inside her brilliant mind, unable to fully express herself. The chapters dedicated to her character were very short and often times too bizarre and confusing for my taste. In The Lair, we meet a new Mel. I can't really talk about her transformation in detail without giving away some very important things about the plot, but I can say that overall, I was happy with all the changes. It was a bold and risky move on McKay's part, but personally I think it all worked out very well for the story.
The plot itself was completely mind-blowing. Full of unexpected twists and shocking betrayals, it was deliciously readable. I breezed through this instalment in a little over one afternoon, and I was completely absorbed in the events. On top of that, McKay's writing style improved so much! It was more captivating, more beautiful and evocative. It wasn't all focused on describing what was happening anymore. It was more reflective, filled with thoughts and passages I'd re-read over and over again, simply because they were meaningful and worth remembering. I was really impressed.
Overall, this was a fantastic sequel! If you enjoyed The Farm, you will love The Lair even more. And just like me, you'll be left begging for the third book in the series!
I'll be honest with you, I wasn't particularly impressed with The Farm. I really enjoyed the unique take on the vampire lore, combined with Mckay's truly blood-chilling dystopian vision, but I really hated the lead character, Lilly. I couldn't get past her annoying attitude. She was always picking fights, complaining and sabotaging every plan Carter came up with along the way. Stubborn and often times completely irrational, she made it very difficult for me to really enjoy the awesome plot and creepy atmosphere of The Farm. And Carter, while definitely better that Lily, wasn't perfect either. Some of the things he said really bothered me and I ended up disliking him by the end of the first book. That being said, I was extremely happy to see that all these characters - Lily, Carter, even McKenna and Mel - were so much better in The Lair. Sure, Carter and Lily still argued sometimes, but it wasn't pointless bickering anymore, it was simply two strong characters having different opinions. And, considering everything that happened at the end of The Farm, and everything we learned about Lily and Mel, it all made so much more sense now! Carter was way overprotective of Lily, but he had his reasons, and it wasn't just that he had feelings for her, it was more than that. Most importantly, Mel wasn't the guarded, bitchy Ms. I Know Better Than Everyone Else, she was more rational in her decisions, more thoughtful and more mindful of the people around her. She was still opinionated and fierce, but there was finally some logic to her behavior now.
The narration is still divided between three characters - Lily, Carter and Mel, with Carter's now being in first person's POV. I liked the shift. I was really tired of being in Lily's head, it was too messy in there, too tiring. Plus, being able to see the world through his eyes, and learn more about him and his relationship with Sebastian, provided me with some priceless insight and made the plot even more interesting to follow. I thought this was a brilliant move on McKay's part!
Then there's also the new Mel. In The Farm, Mel was probably my favorite character. Struggling with autism, she saw the world differently and her strong connection with Lily was fascinating to me. At the same time, while so rich on the inside, she was boxed in, trapped inside her brilliant mind, unable to fully express herself. The chapters dedicated to her character were very short and often times too bizarre and confusing for my taste. In The Lair, we meet a new Mel. I can't really talk about her transformation in detail without giving away some very important things about the plot, but I can say that overall, I was happy with all the changes. It was a bold and risky move on McKay's part, but personally I think it all worked out very well for the story.
The plot itself was completely mind-blowing. Full of unexpected twists and shocking betrayals, it was deliciously readable. I breezed through this instalment in a little over one afternoon, and I was completely absorbed in the events. On top of that, McKay's writing style improved so much! It was more captivating, more beautiful and evocative. It wasn't all focused on describing what was happening anymore. It was more reflective, filled with thoughts and passages I'd re-read over and over again, simply because they were meaningful and worth remembering. I was really impressed.
Overall, this was a fantastic sequel! If you enjoyed The Farm, you will love The Lair even more. And just like me, you'll be left begging for the third book in the series!