This "trilogy" is really just one book split into three parts - so here is my review for the whole thing: seriously exceeded my expectations. This is a very solid fantasy adventure, complete with riveting fight scenes, stunning feats of magic, and characters that honestly surprised me. The romance is woven very well into a larger plot that explores prejudice, trauma, and politics, and hits all the right spots for fantasy readers in search of a good old tale. And I genuinely loved the depiction of dark and necromantic magic as well - perfect balance of eerie, unsettling, and majestic in its own way.

This really is a romance novel though, and the romance is well-developed despite falling back on an instant attraction and bond between protagonists Sairis and Roland to kick it off; they are both fully realised characters that grow and evolve in relation to and because of their dynamic.

I had an unusual reading process here - I listened to the first and third installments as audiobooks and read the second as text. Kirt Graves' narration elevates the novel. I can't critique the accuracy of his accents but he had a different accent (as well as overall tone and personality) per character, and was consistent with them across the whole novel. Reading the text exposed some weakness and clunkiness in the prose that I honestly did not sense listening to the audiobook. I would definitely recommend the audiobook experience.

The Sea by A.H. Lee

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

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dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Echoing another reviewer - I had kind of brushed this book aside as I am not generally interested in animal-oriented stories in any genre, nor do I particularly care for zombies in horror. But I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by how simply GOOD this novel was. King's prose is excellent, very immersive and evocative but still neat and tight, without bloat.

I find the greatest strength of the book to be the sheer power and punch of the story's emotional beats. I am not typically scared by horror but I connected very strongly with the depictions of dread in the early part of the novel

(Paxcow's death and Creed's succeeding nighttime stroll, the sense of wrongness and hints of possible deception or ill intent from Jud)

. And the reveal that

Gage would die in less than 2 months

literally knocked the wind out of me - what a perfect set-up of emotional high to emotional low. The sheer human ugliness and depth of the family's

grief

afterwards is genuinely gutting.

At the end of the day the true horror of the book is in the fact that it is a tragedy, and like all the best tragedies, you simply cannot look away.

Like Creed himself,

you try to convince yourself up to the very end that maybe things will be different this time, but you probably already know how this story will end.

I do find the actual Pet Sematary to be kind of underutilized by simply being the "front door," so to speak, to the true cemetery. The lore and mysticism could have been better-developed. However, truly a great and standout horror novel. I get the hype now.

Content Warnings

The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Review for the series as a whole - I had stopped reading The Trials of Apollo after the 3rd book, largely because I was getting a bit burnt out on Riordan's relentless, wise-cracking, action-packed style. Returning to finish the series after a couple of years, I have a renewed appreciation for the humor and heart of this story and world.

The prose expertly combines the universe's trademark contemporary, irreverent comedy with genuinely beautiful turns of phrase (I was reminded many times through Apollo's first-person narration that he really is the god of poetry) and real depth of character and themes. This series especially explores abusive parent-child relationships, recovering and rebuilding from loss and trauma, and new beginnings in ways that feel poignant and authentic without taking away from the breakneck pace of constant action and adventure. It strikes a great balance that makes for an undeniably fun and exciting read that is also emotionally satisfying. The prose and storytelling are not particularly complex, but honestly, that is probably just right for this world and audience.

A sure recommendation for the middle-grade to teen audience as well as for any adults who just want to have a good time.

The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington

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adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I picked this book up due to seeing it recommended multiple times on the r/Fantasy subreddit, and knowing it was Islignton's debut novel (Redditors noted the plot twists and shouted out a few great characters). While this is a solid fantasy novel with all the genre's favorite tropes, it also was clear that this is not a seasoned author's work.

The plot twists WERE genuinely surprising without feeling like cop-outs, and the book often took darker turns than I expected. The characters, however, were all rather bland and generally not very distinct. The novel does a great job of having the characters progress in terms of their roles in the story; they all end up in very different places from where they began in quite natural ways. However there is a lack of real personality across the board. This is definitely a work where events drive the story forward much more than character choices and motivations. The story does keep you curious enough that you are not really reading for the characters anyway.

Ultimately this was an enjoyable enough read, but it did not leave much of a mark.

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cursedepub's reviews 368 reviews

cursedepub's reviews
368 reviews