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A review by abigaillb
Unlocked by Shannon Messenger
2.0
This series... it's gone on way to long. I loved the world Shannon Messenger has created, the elves live in just about the coolest place ever. However, the whole "war" with the Neverseen has been dragged out to the max. But this book was definitely a good way to transition from the ages of buildup we've had in the last few books, to hopefully what will become a grand finale.
spoiler alert!
Summary This book is basically a way to stall for time before book 9. However, that being said, I still enjoyed reading it. The artwork in the center was also beautiful. I'll admit, I skipped a lot of the 'bonus material' but from what I did read, it seemed pretty well thought out and interesting (at least to someone who may be more invested in the series ). As for the actual novella, it was pretty good. Essentially, Keefe gets a new ability that's super powerful, and Sophie is attempting to find Kenric's old fancy secret box.
Parts I liked
~Biana: She gets better every book. Unlike her brother. I'm a sucker for a good, non- backstabbing female friendship. Biana & Sophie's friendly banter is always a win in my book.
~Fitz/Sophie Improvement: I'm gonna say it. The love triangle in this book is painful to read. Keefe/Sophie doesn't work; Fitz/Sophie doesn't work... But in this book, we return to the better dynamic they had at the very beginning of the series. I loved both Fitz and Sophie at the beginning of the series... and I loved their friendship. Even Sophie's crush on him was pretty cute. But as the series progressed it got so tiring watching the whole will they/won't they drama. Especially when Keefe entered the mix. And especially when Fitz's entire character fell apart. In the novella however, I actually saw some development. They were more open with each other, and it was so much more fun to read. Hopefully this continues. I can't take another book that returns to whatever Legacy was.
~Keefe/Dex Friendship!: loved their whole dynamic, and both remain great characters.
~Actual Series Moving Forward: this is a big one. I'm so thrilled that the war that's been brewing is official. The little "oh no what a fatal blow this is but we're actually fine" wreck the Black Swan has been in with the Neverseen is hopefully over. I really need some cool, ability using battles. Because that's what drives me mad about this series... the unused potential.
Parts I Disliked
~Potential: Maybe Shannon Messenger is saving it all to the end. Maybe the end books will be full of exhilarating, incredible battles. Or... maybe not. This series has been so caught up in the "love triangle" and "drama" that it has completely forgotten there's supposed to be a WAR of some kind going on. I mean, where are the super exciting battles with tons of fancy elf abilities?! Why is there only 1-2 per book? And why are the insanely powerful characters so underused?! Wheeerrree are Linh & Marella? Like if I were the Black Swan, special ol' Sophie wouldn't be theMocking jay Moonlark. It would be Linh. I'd find all the Neverseen hideouts, fly her in in some type of attack helicopter (don't tell me the fancy elves have no helicopters or that Dex couldn't invent one) and have her flood the whole place. She's such a powerful character. And yet she's so underused.
The Attempt at Romance: There's potential with the Keefe/Fitz/Sophie thing. However, instead of having me root for one or the other I'm firmly sided with neither. It's simple as this. Sophie doesn't deserve either of them. Keefe & Fitz are so dedicated to her, and she's just... not. The whole breakup with Fitz really bothered me. It was so forced. I can 100% tell the author just needed to break the up to bring back the love triangle. And then there's Keefe... who is just so head over heels for Sophie. And I'm sure she has some idea about it! But she just keeps dragging him along because she can't choose. And where is the romance with the other characters? We've had hints of Tam/Biana and Linh/Wylie (also Dex?) but that's it! I really would rather read about those pairs than the disastrous Sophie-Fitz-Keefe triangle.
spoiler alert!
Summary This book is basically a way to stall for time before book 9. However, that being said, I still enjoyed reading it. The artwork in the center was also beautiful. I'll admit, I skipped a lot of the 'bonus material' but from what I did read, it seemed pretty well thought out and interesting (at least to someone who may be more invested in the series ). As for the actual novella, it was pretty good. Essentially, Keefe gets a new ability that's super powerful, and Sophie is attempting to find Kenric's old fancy secret box.
Parts I liked
~Biana: She gets better every book. Unlike her brother. I'm a sucker for a good, non- backstabbing female friendship. Biana & Sophie's friendly banter is always a win in my book.
~Fitz/Sophie Improvement: I'm gonna say it. The love triangle in this book is painful to read. Keefe/Sophie doesn't work; Fitz/Sophie doesn't work... But in this book, we return to the better dynamic they had at the very beginning of the series. I loved both Fitz and Sophie at the beginning of the series... and I loved their friendship. Even Sophie's crush on him was pretty cute. But as the series progressed it got so tiring watching the whole will they/won't they drama. Especially when Keefe entered the mix. And especially when Fitz's entire character fell apart. In the novella however, I actually saw some development. They were more open with each other, and it was so much more fun to read. Hopefully this continues. I can't take another book that returns to whatever Legacy was.
~Keefe/Dex Friendship!: loved their whole dynamic, and both remain great characters.
~Actual Series Moving Forward: this is a big one. I'm so thrilled that the war that's been brewing is official. The little "oh no what a fatal blow this is but we're actually fine" wreck the Black Swan has been in with the Neverseen is hopefully over. I really need some cool, ability using battles. Because that's what drives me mad about this series... the unused potential.
Parts I Disliked
~Potential: Maybe Shannon Messenger is saving it all to the end. Maybe the end books will be full of exhilarating, incredible battles. Or... maybe not. This series has been so caught up in the "love triangle" and "drama" that it has completely forgotten there's supposed to be a WAR of some kind going on. I mean, where are the super exciting battles with tons of fancy elf abilities?! Why is there only 1-2 per book? And why are the insanely powerful characters so underused?! Wheeerrree are Linh & Marella? Like if I were the Black Swan, special ol' Sophie wouldn't be the
The Attempt at Romance: There's potential with the Keefe/Fitz/Sophie thing. However, instead of having me root for one or the other I'm firmly sided with neither. It's simple as this. Sophie doesn't deserve either of them. Keefe & Fitz are so dedicated to her, and she's just... not. The whole breakup with Fitz really bothered me. It was so forced. I can 100% tell the author just needed to break the up to bring back the love triangle. And then there's Keefe... who is just so head over heels for Sophie. And I'm sure she has some idea about it! But she just keeps dragging him along because she can't choose. And where is the romance with the other characters? We've had hints of Tam/Biana and Linh/Wylie (also Dex?) but that's it! I really would rather read about those pairs than the disastrous Sophie-Fitz-Keefe triangle.