Entries by tag: trilogy
The Blurb On The Back:
Not all are equal.
In a modern Britain, everyone must endure ten years of slavery for a magically-skilled aristocracy.
Here, a teenage boy dreams of rebellion.
His sister thirsts for knowledge and will find love.
And a dangerous young aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts.
Not all will be saved.
One glorious summer, Luke’s family is torn apart. He’s expecting nothing more sinister than exams, while his sister Abi anticipates university. But they’ll be separated to do their slavedays – a decade of labour demanded by law, enforced by a magically-skilled aristocracy.
Luke will dream of rebellion in a barbaric factory town. Abi will navigate the malice of a high-born estate, and find an unlikely love. But the siblings must choose sides as Britain moves from anger to defiance. They’ll become entangled in acts of savagery and magic, as nobles vie for power. No one is safe and none will emerge unscathed. Is there a better way – or will a dangerous young aristocrat remake the world with his dark gifts?
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers):Collapse )
The Verdict:
Vic James’s debut YA novel (the first in a trilogy) combines fantasy with dystopia in a smartly conceived, well-executed world where everyone’s motives are open to interpretation, bad people do good things and the stakes are impressively high. I loved the world-building – James creates a credible world of magic and aristocracy and I really enjoyed the Millmoor scenes (a Dickensian hell with a 1984 vibe). The political system is well developed and James does well at explaining how it works without info-dumping – particularly clever is her use of multiple points of view to flesh out the various factions and their agendas. The downside of the multiple viewpoints is that it left some characters underdeveloped – notably Abi whose intelligence and naivety didn’t quite work for me (I could have done without her insta-love for the bland Jenner as it lacks the page time to justify it) – but the apparent antagonists (particularly Gavar and Silyen) are subtly shaded (sinister and cruel but also capable of good) and promise much in future books. Although some of the plot twists are a little too telegraphed, James doesn’t pull her punches with brutal scenes and the ending promises much in the sequel, which I will definitely be reading.
GILDED CAGE will be released in the United Kingdom on 26th January 2017. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the ARC of this book.
In a modern Britain, everyone must endure ten years of slavery for a magically-skilled aristocracy.
Here, a teenage boy dreams of rebellion.
His sister thirsts for knowledge and will find love.
And a dangerous young aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts.
Not all will be saved.
One glorious summer, Luke’s family is torn apart. He’s expecting nothing more sinister than exams, while his sister Abi anticipates university. But they’ll be separated to do their slavedays – a decade of labour demanded by law, enforced by a magically-skilled aristocracy.
Luke will dream of rebellion in a barbaric factory town. Abi will navigate the malice of a high-born estate, and find an unlikely love. But the siblings must choose sides as Britain moves from anger to defiance. They’ll become entangled in acts of savagery and magic, as nobles vie for power. No one is safe and none will emerge unscathed. Is there a better way – or will a dangerous young aristocrat remake the world with his dark gifts?
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers):Collapse )
The Verdict:
Vic James’s debut YA novel (the first in a trilogy) combines fantasy with dystopia in a smartly conceived, well-executed world where everyone’s motives are open to interpretation, bad people do good things and the stakes are impressively high. I loved the world-building – James creates a credible world of magic and aristocracy and I really enjoyed the Millmoor scenes (a Dickensian hell with a 1984 vibe). The political system is well developed and James does well at explaining how it works without info-dumping – particularly clever is her use of multiple points of view to flesh out the various factions and their agendas. The downside of the multiple viewpoints is that it left some characters underdeveloped – notably Abi whose intelligence and naivety didn’t quite work for me (I could have done without her insta-love for the bland Jenner as it lacks the page time to justify it) – but the apparent antagonists (particularly Gavar and Silyen) are subtly shaded (sinister and cruel but also capable of good) and promise much in future books. Although some of the plot twists are a little too telegraphed, James doesn’t pull her punches with brutal scenes and the ending promises much in the sequel, which I will definitely be reading.
GILDED CAGE will be released in the United Kingdom on 26th January 2017. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the ARC of this book.
The Blurb On The Back:
Labrys Town, home to a million humans cut off from the rest of the universe, has been invaded. Those who protected it have been deposed.
The Relic Guild are scattered across the worlds of the Aelfir. Many of them are dead or dying. The Genii control everything. The war is almost over.
Clara, a young woman barely able to control her werewolf side, has seen her friends and mentors killed in front of her. She is the last hope for Labrys Town.
But someone is watching her …
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers):Collapse )
The Verdict:
The last book in Edward Cox’s fantasy trilogy ties up all the plot threads and time lines in a satisfying way and although it suffers from two-dimensional antagonists (with the exception of Fabian Moor who’s given more depth), the world building and pacing makes it a satisfying conclusion. I particularly admire the way Cox is able to run two separate time lines in this novel, which enables him to show the development of his Relic Guild characters (from Sam’s cynicism and disillusionment to Marney’s relationship with Van Bam and the impact of her adventures on her own personality). Cox is also excellent at keeping his different plot lines running, which lends pace and I enjoyed the slow reveal of secret plans and how they tie in with points from the previous books. The big problem is that the antagonists are two-dimensional at best, particularly Lord Spiral who is little more than a cartoon villain. Fabian Moor’s disillusionment does offset that to a degree, but while he’s fleshed out more here I’m not convinced that it was enough to give credence to his crisis of faith. Ultimately I think that this is a solid conclusion to the trilogy with the overall story working well over the 3 books and on that basis, I will definitely check out what Cox writes next.
Labrys Town, home to a million humans cut off from the rest of the universe, has been invaded. Those who protected it have been deposed.
The Relic Guild are scattered across the worlds of the Aelfir. Many of them are dead or dying. The Genii control everything. The war is almost over.
Clara, a young woman barely able to control her werewolf side, has seen her friends and mentors killed in front of her. She is the last hope for Labrys Town.
But someone is watching her …
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers):Collapse )
The Verdict:
The last book in Edward Cox’s fantasy trilogy ties up all the plot threads and time lines in a satisfying way and although it suffers from two-dimensional antagonists (with the exception of Fabian Moor who’s given more depth), the world building and pacing makes it a satisfying conclusion. I particularly admire the way Cox is able to run two separate time lines in this novel, which enables him to show the development of his Relic Guild characters (from Sam’s cynicism and disillusionment to Marney’s relationship with Van Bam and the impact of her adventures on her own personality). Cox is also excellent at keeping his different plot lines running, which lends pace and I enjoyed the slow reveal of secret plans and how they tie in with points from the previous books. The big problem is that the antagonists are two-dimensional at best, particularly Lord Spiral who is little more than a cartoon villain. Fabian Moor’s disillusionment does offset that to a degree, but while he’s fleshed out more here I’m not convinced that it was enough to give credence to his crisis of faith. Ultimately I think that this is a solid conclusion to the trilogy with the overall story working well over the 3 books and on that basis, I will definitely check out what Cox writes next.
The Blurb On The Back:
Ray is the perfect detective – tireless, logical and efficient, with a knack for wry one-liners. He’s also the last robot on Earth – turns out people just don’t like robots, even if they like the idea of them.
As the lone employee of the Electromatic Detective Agency – except for Ada, office gal and supercomputer, the constant voice in Ray’s inner ear – Ray prefers to stay out of sight. So when a familiar-looking woman arrives at the agency wanting to hire Ray to find a missing actor, he’s inclined to tell her to take a hike. But she has the cold, hard gold – and Ray was programmed to make a profit. Plunged into a glittering world of fame, fortune and secrecy, Ray uncovers a sinister plot that goes much deeper than the silver screen – and this robot is in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers):Collapse )
The Verdict:
Adam Christopher’s novel (the first in a trilogy) combines alternate history, science fiction and hard-boiled pulp crime fiction to mixed effect. Christopher’s starting point was to imagine what would happen if Raymond Chandler wrote science fiction (a genre that Chandler did not rate). I thought the novel captured Chandler’s cynical, hard-boiled voice and I enjoyed the world building - particularly the alternate history ideas (e.g. Kennedy doing a deal with Cuba to host American missiles). I also enjoyed Ray’s relationship with Ada (which inverts the pulp fiction relationship between PI and secretary) and the incorporation of B-movie SF elements, which are a lot of fun. However, Ray isn’t as interesting as he should be. Part of the problem is that Ray is more observer and explainer than investigator, which means that he doesn’t really drive his story while the fact that his memory’s wiped every 24 hours means that there’s a certain amount of repetition to his story, which bored me after a while and all in all there’s a lot of set-up without a big enough pay off. This is a shame because the foundations are good and Ray is a character with a lot of promise – certainly enough to ensure that I will be checking out the sequel.
Ray is the perfect detective – tireless, logical and efficient, with a knack for wry one-liners. He’s also the last robot on Earth – turns out people just don’t like robots, even if they like the idea of them.
As the lone employee of the Electromatic Detective Agency – except for Ada, office gal and supercomputer, the constant voice in Ray’s inner ear – Ray prefers to stay out of sight. So when a familiar-looking woman arrives at the agency wanting to hire Ray to find a missing actor, he’s inclined to tell her to take a hike. But she has the cold, hard gold – and Ray was programmed to make a profit. Plunged into a glittering world of fame, fortune and secrecy, Ray uncovers a sinister plot that goes much deeper than the silver screen – and this robot is in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers):Collapse )
The Verdict:
Adam Christopher’s novel (the first in a trilogy) combines alternate history, science fiction and hard-boiled pulp crime fiction to mixed effect. Christopher’s starting point was to imagine what would happen if Raymond Chandler wrote science fiction (a genre that Chandler did not rate). I thought the novel captured Chandler’s cynical, hard-boiled voice and I enjoyed the world building - particularly the alternate history ideas (e.g. Kennedy doing a deal with Cuba to host American missiles). I also enjoyed Ray’s relationship with Ada (which inverts the pulp fiction relationship between PI and secretary) and the incorporation of B-movie SF elements, which are a lot of fun. However, Ray isn’t as interesting as he should be. Part of the problem is that Ray is more observer and explainer than investigator, which means that he doesn’t really drive his story while the fact that his memory’s wiped every 24 hours means that there’s a certain amount of repetition to his story, which bored me after a while and all in all there’s a lot of set-up without a big enough pay off. This is a shame because the foundations are good and Ray is a character with a lot of promise – certainly enough to ensure that I will be checking out the sequel.
The Blurb On The Back:
English magic faces its darkest hour.
In Regency London, Zacharias Wythe is England’s first African Sorcerer Royal. But how can he enjoy his position while a faction schemes to remove him? He’s also haunted by his dead mentor, and the Fairy Court is refusing to supply England with magic … just when the government demands it for their blasted French war.
Ambitious orphan Prunella is determined to escape a life of drudgery. So when the beleaguered Sorcerer Royal visits the school where she works, she seizes her opportunity. Prunella’s stumbled upon the greatest magic discovery in centuries – and intends to use it. The last thing Zacharias needs is a female magical prodigy! But together, they could change sorcery forever.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers):Collapse )
The Verdict:
Zen Cho’s debut fantasy novel (the first in a trilogy) has a lot going for it in terms of diversity and a strong central character in Zacharias who feels true to his time but Prunella didn’t ring true for me and as a result, threw me out of the story. There’s a great narrative voice (which reminded me a lot of Jane Austen) and the society function scenes are well choreographed and feel authentic. I loved Zacharias – a man who knows that he has to be more of a gentleman than those around him but will never belong and yet who thirsts to drive societal change that makes the most of magical talent regardless of who wields it. Unfortunately Prunella is a woman out of her time – I like strong female characters but Prunella is oblivious to the standards of her time and rides roughshod over them in a way that didn’t ring true for me given her background and social status. I also found the plot a little loose with a gotcha revelation that came out of nowhere and annoyed rather than delighted me. For all this, there’s enough here to make me read on and I look forward to checking out the sequel.
In Regency London, Zacharias Wythe is England’s first African Sorcerer Royal. But how can he enjoy his position while a faction schemes to remove him? He’s also haunted by his dead mentor, and the Fairy Court is refusing to supply England with magic … just when the government demands it for their blasted French war.
Ambitious orphan Prunella is determined to escape a life of drudgery. So when the beleaguered Sorcerer Royal visits the school where she works, she seizes her opportunity. Prunella’s stumbled upon the greatest magic discovery in centuries – and intends to use it. The last thing Zacharias needs is a female magical prodigy! But together, they could change sorcery forever.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers):Collapse )
The Verdict:
Zen Cho’s debut fantasy novel (the first in a trilogy) has a lot going for it in terms of diversity and a strong central character in Zacharias who feels true to his time but Prunella didn’t ring true for me and as a result, threw me out of the story. There’s a great narrative voice (which reminded me a lot of Jane Austen) and the society function scenes are well choreographed and feel authentic. I loved Zacharias – a man who knows that he has to be more of a gentleman than those around him but will never belong and yet who thirsts to drive societal change that makes the most of magical talent regardless of who wields it. Unfortunately Prunella is a woman out of her time – I like strong female characters but Prunella is oblivious to the standards of her time and rides roughshod over them in a way that didn’t ring true for me given her background and social status. I also found the plot a little loose with a gotcha revelation that came out of nowhere and annoyed rather than delighted me. For all this, there’s enough here to make me read on and I look forward to checking out the sequel.
The Blurb On The Back:
Seventeen-year-old Charlaina knows she has exceptional but perilous powers.
In the far future, in a land controlled by an aged and ruthless queen, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. Even acknowledging a member of the ruling class while they are speaking their native tongue is punishable by death. Charlie can understand all languages, a secret she must protect to stay alive.
When she meets the alluringly handsome Max, who speaks in a language she hasn’t heard before, she is intensely attracted to him. Max believes that Charlie is the key to something bigger and he pledges to protect her. But as war descends, can she trust him?
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers):Collapse )
The Verdict:
Kimberly Derting’s YA dystopian novel (the first in a trilogy) has some great ideas – particularly those about language and communication and how it can both bring people together and keep them apart – but the romance element is shallow (essentially based on love at first sight) and the rebellion plot doesn’t have enough time to develop, relying on a number of plot jumps and reveals that didn’t really satisfy me. This is a shame because there is some good writing – notably the relationship between Charlaina and her younger sister, Angelina and Charlaina’s friendship with Brook. Unfortunately I found Max to be an underdeveloped character – there’s no real basis shown for his feelings for Charlaina or his motivation in protecting her. Similarly, I found the resistance underdeveloped and I wasn’t completely sure what they planned to achieve after overthrowing the Queen (who I found two-dimensional). I have to admit to also being a little bored the idea that only a queen could rule the country and wished that there had been more exploration of ways to make democracy work (although this may come in later books). I’m not sure whether I’d continue with this trilogy but I will check out Derting’s other work.
In the far future, in a land controlled by an aged and ruthless queen, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. Even acknowledging a member of the ruling class while they are speaking their native tongue is punishable by death. Charlie can understand all languages, a secret she must protect to stay alive.
When she meets the alluringly handsome Max, who speaks in a language she hasn’t heard before, she is intensely attracted to him. Max believes that Charlie is the key to something bigger and he pledges to protect her. But as war descends, can she trust him?
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers):Collapse )
The Verdict:
Kimberly Derting’s YA dystopian novel (the first in a trilogy) has some great ideas – particularly those about language and communication and how it can both bring people together and keep them apart – but the romance element is shallow (essentially based on love at first sight) and the rebellion plot doesn’t have enough time to develop, relying on a number of plot jumps and reveals that didn’t really satisfy me. This is a shame because there is some good writing – notably the relationship between Charlaina and her younger sister, Angelina and Charlaina’s friendship with Brook. Unfortunately I found Max to be an underdeveloped character – there’s no real basis shown for his feelings for Charlaina or his motivation in protecting her. Similarly, I found the resistance underdeveloped and I wasn’t completely sure what they planned to achieve after overthrowing the Queen (who I found two-dimensional). I have to admit to also being a little bored the idea that only a queen could rule the country and wished that there had been more exploration of ways to make democracy work (although this may come in later books). I’m not sure whether I’d continue with this trilogy but I will check out Derting’s other work.
The Blurb On The Back:
Divided, hunted and short on resources, the surviving members of the Relic Guild are in real trouble. Their old enemy the Genii and their resurrected master have infiltrated Labrys Town and taken over the city.
So the Relic Guild must flee their home on a dangerous journey across the worlds of the Aelfir. One that will lead them to a weapon which might destroy the Genii. Or the whole universe …
And forty years before all this, the war which led to the fall of the Genii continues. And what happened to the Relic Guild then will change the course of their desperate future flight.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers):Collapse )
The Verdict:
The second in Edward Cox’s fantasy trilogy shows off more of his imaginative, well-structured world with another action-filled plot divided between two time periods (the current fight against the Genii and the war against Lord Spiral held 40 years ago). There is more character development here for Van Bam, Hamir (who has fast become my favourite), Denton and Marney and Sam is given new layers, which continue to hold my interest. I also found Fabian Moor to have more depth in this story, particularly in a scene where his faith in his plan is severely shaken, but his fellow Genii remain stock characters at best, and two-dimensional evil doers at worse. The time shifts worked better for me as Cox starts to draw out how the events from 40 years ago have shaped those happening today – I particularly enjoyed the slow reveal of Denton and Marney’s mission and the effect this has on them although Van Bam’s earlier adventure has a telegraphed reveal (despite the welcome introduction of new players, the Nephilim) – and I enjoyed seeing the return of side characters from those old missions in the Relic Guild’s current flight. Once again, Cox opts to finish the novel with another cliff hanger (a personal bug bear of mine) but the complexity of the plot lines coupled with the development of a number of the characters guarantees that I will check out the last book.
Thanks to Amazon Vine for the review copy of this book.
Divided, hunted and short on resources, the surviving members of the Relic Guild are in real trouble. Their old enemy the Genii and their resurrected master have infiltrated Labrys Town and taken over the city.
So the Relic Guild must flee their home on a dangerous journey across the worlds of the Aelfir. One that will lead them to a weapon which might destroy the Genii. Or the whole universe …
And forty years before all this, the war which led to the fall of the Genii continues. And what happened to the Relic Guild then will change the course of their desperate future flight.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers):Collapse )
The Verdict:
The second in Edward Cox’s fantasy trilogy shows off more of his imaginative, well-structured world with another action-filled plot divided between two time periods (the current fight against the Genii and the war against Lord Spiral held 40 years ago). There is more character development here for Van Bam, Hamir (who has fast become my favourite), Denton and Marney and Sam is given new layers, which continue to hold my interest. I also found Fabian Moor to have more depth in this story, particularly in a scene where his faith in his plan is severely shaken, but his fellow Genii remain stock characters at best, and two-dimensional evil doers at worse. The time shifts worked better for me as Cox starts to draw out how the events from 40 years ago have shaped those happening today – I particularly enjoyed the slow reveal of Denton and Marney’s mission and the effect this has on them although Van Bam’s earlier adventure has a telegraphed reveal (despite the welcome introduction of new players, the Nephilim) – and I enjoyed seeing the return of side characters from those old missions in the Relic Guild’s current flight. Once again, Cox opts to finish the novel with another cliff hanger (a personal bug bear of mine) but the complexity of the plot lines coupled with the development of a number of the characters guarantees that I will check out the last book.
Thanks to Amazon Vine for the review copy of this book.
The Blurb On The Back:
Thomas is thirty-two.
He comes from the small town of Barkley.
He has a wife there, Sarah, and a child, Mary; good solid names from the Good Book. And he is on his way home from the war, where he has been serving as a conscripted soldier.
Thomas is also dead – he is one of the Walkin’.
And Barklay does not suffer the wicked to live.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers):Collapse )
The Verdict:
David Towsey’s first novel (the first in a horror trilogy) adds a slow burning character study to the crowded zombie genre. I liked the idea of the zombies retaining their memories and personalities and Towsey does well at showing Sarah’s and Mary’s conflicted emotions at seeing Thomas again when their religion tells them that they shouldn’t and also how Nathaniel, the grave keeper, struggles to deal with having allowed his first wife to leave as a Walkin’ and how that impacts on his second marriage. I also enjoyed the hints at a society of Walkin’ that they’ve built for themselves in the Black Mountain with Towsey touching on the impact that their elongated lives have on how they view the world. However Thomas didn’t particularly grip me as a character and I found the religious elements two dimensional – particularly Pastor Grey who is a ho-hum fire and brimstone type who uses his control of the congregation to try and gain political power over the town while his acolyte, Luke Morris is similarly thinly characterised and his extreme devotion and fondness for violence in the Lord’s name didn’t hold my interest. There also wasn’t enough plot here for my taste (which is purely a personal thing) as it basically amounts to a chase with a predictable finish. Although I’m usually a fan of zombie novels, this one didn’t have enough to grip me and as such I won’t be reading on with this trilogy but I will read Towsey’s other work.
Thanks to Quercus for the review copy of this book.
He comes from the small town of Barkley.
He has a wife there, Sarah, and a child, Mary; good solid names from the Good Book. And he is on his way home from the war, where he has been serving as a conscripted soldier.
And Barklay does not suffer the wicked to live.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers):Collapse )
The Verdict:
David Towsey’s first novel (the first in a horror trilogy) adds a slow burning character study to the crowded zombie genre. I liked the idea of the zombies retaining their memories and personalities and Towsey does well at showing Sarah’s and Mary’s conflicted emotions at seeing Thomas again when their religion tells them that they shouldn’t and also how Nathaniel, the grave keeper, struggles to deal with having allowed his first wife to leave as a Walkin’ and how that impacts on his second marriage. I also enjoyed the hints at a society of Walkin’ that they’ve built for themselves in the Black Mountain with Towsey touching on the impact that their elongated lives have on how they view the world. However Thomas didn’t particularly grip me as a character and I found the religious elements two dimensional – particularly Pastor Grey who is a ho-hum fire and brimstone type who uses his control of the congregation to try and gain political power over the town while his acolyte, Luke Morris is similarly thinly characterised and his extreme devotion and fondness for violence in the Lord’s name didn’t hold my interest. There also wasn’t enough plot here for my taste (which is purely a personal thing) as it basically amounts to a chase with a predictable finish. Although I’m usually a fan of zombie novels, this one didn’t have enough to grip me and as such I won’t be reading on with this trilogy but I will read Towsey’s other work.
Thanks to Quercus for the review copy of this book.
The Blurb On The Back:
”Happy birthday, Stanly. We hope you like your present …”
Cynical, solitary Stanly Bird is a fairly typical teenager – unless you count the fact that his best friend is a talking beagle named Daryl, and that he gained the powers of flight and telekinesis when he turned sixteen.
Unfortunately, his rural Welsh home town is not exactly crying out for its very own superhero. London is calling – but what Stanly finds there is a good deal weirder and more terrifying than anything he could have imagined. Perhaps he should have stayed in Wales …
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The Verdict:
Stefan Mohamed’s debut YA fantasy (the first in a trilogy) has a great first person voice, a lot of humour and an interesting take on the superhero genre but the story really sags in places and the meaty action doesn’t get started until the final quarter and is rather rushed. This is a shame because there is a lot to like in this book. Stanly’s a great character and I loved his sense of humour, his self-awareness and his friendship with Darryl (which revolves around a mutual love of classic movies) – in fact I really wanted more of him and Darryl, who’s treated completely normally despite being a talking dog and less of Kloe as it plays out like any other stereotypical romance. The big problem is the pacing – the first half of the book is basically set-up and entertaining though it is, I kept waiting for the main action, which doesn’t come until Stanly moves to London. I wanted more of the other powered people and their relationship, the sinister group monitoring them and definitely more about the sinister creatures they battle – what there is is rushed and at times, muddled. Ultimately there’s more enough here for me to want to read the next in the trilogy but I’m hoping for more action and development in the plot.
Cynical, solitary Stanly Bird is a fairly typical teenager – unless you count the fact that his best friend is a talking beagle named Daryl, and that he gained the powers of flight and telekinesis when he turned sixteen.
Unfortunately, his rural Welsh home town is not exactly crying out for its very own superhero. London is calling – but what Stanly finds there is a good deal weirder and more terrifying than anything he could have imagined. Perhaps he should have stayed in Wales …
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers):Collapse )
The Verdict:
Stefan Mohamed’s debut YA fantasy (the first in a trilogy) has a great first person voice, a lot of humour and an interesting take on the superhero genre but the story really sags in places and the meaty action doesn’t get started until the final quarter and is rather rushed. This is a shame because there is a lot to like in this book. Stanly’s a great character and I loved his sense of humour, his self-awareness and his friendship with Darryl (which revolves around a mutual love of classic movies) – in fact I really wanted more of him and Darryl, who’s treated completely normally despite being a talking dog and less of Kloe as it plays out like any other stereotypical romance. The big problem is the pacing – the first half of the book is basically set-up and entertaining though it is, I kept waiting for the main action, which doesn’t come until Stanly moves to London. I wanted more of the other powered people and their relationship, the sinister group monitoring them and definitely more about the sinister creatures they battle – what there is is rushed and at times, muddled. Ultimately there’s more enough here for me to want to read the next in the trilogy but I’m hoping for more action and development in the plot.
The Blurb On The Back:
The Blackhart Code: Never give up and never look back.
There’s never a dull day on Kit’s watch, as her job involves solving crimes – the supernatural kind. She’s up against it as Glow, a Fae-created drug, goes viral. Kit, Aiden and Dante must somehow shut down the suppliers before people get badly hurt.
In the Otherwhere, Fae prince Thorn stumbles across a deadly secret. The Veil separating our human world from the Fae realms is weakening. If it fails, madness and chaos will devastate both lands – so Thorn turns to Kit for help.
Torn between the Glow case and her feelings for Thorn, Kit faces terrible choices. But she and Thorn must use their powers to avert disaster, whatever the cost; for failure will shatter two worlds.
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The Verdict:
The conclusion to Liz de Jager’s YA fantasy trilogy is an action-packed but undisciplined affair that ties up the plot strands. The fight scenes are particularly strong and have a lot of energy – I especially enjoyed how de Jager incorporates the use of magic and shows its effects on Kit (which I wanted more of as much is made of the detrimental effect her magic has on her, including migraines and nosebleeds – at times this seems to be building to something significant but ultimately peters out). I also enjoyed the developing relationship between Dante and the Aiden, which feels natural and has some witty and heartfelt dialogue but Kit’s romance with Thorn lacks emotional depth and after 3 books I’m still not sure what draws them together. I was disappointed with the Glow storyline, which was hinted at in VOWED but doesn’t really get the development it deserves and at times there’s a lack of discipline in the writing with a lot of repetition and dead page time. The reintroduction of the wider Blackhart clan confused me as their lack of page time makes them little more than names on a page (but I did enjoy one of them calling out Kit on her bratty behaviour, which was long overdue). Ultimately although this trilogy didn’t quite work for me, there’s enough potential for me to want to read de Jager’s next work.
There’s never a dull day on Kit’s watch, as her job involves solving crimes – the supernatural kind. She’s up against it as Glow, a Fae-created drug, goes viral. Kit, Aiden and Dante must somehow shut down the suppliers before people get badly hurt.
In the Otherwhere, Fae prince Thorn stumbles across a deadly secret. The Veil separating our human world from the Fae realms is weakening. If it fails, madness and chaos will devastate both lands – so Thorn turns to Kit for help.
Torn between the Glow case and her feelings for Thorn, Kit faces terrible choices. But she and Thorn must use their powers to avert disaster, whatever the cost; for failure will shatter two worlds.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers):Collapse )
The Verdict:
The conclusion to Liz de Jager’s YA fantasy trilogy is an action-packed but undisciplined affair that ties up the plot strands. The fight scenes are particularly strong and have a lot of energy – I especially enjoyed how de Jager incorporates the use of magic and shows its effects on Kit (which I wanted more of as much is made of the detrimental effect her magic has on her, including migraines and nosebleeds – at times this seems to be building to something significant but ultimately peters out). I also enjoyed the developing relationship between Dante and the Aiden, which feels natural and has some witty and heartfelt dialogue but Kit’s romance with Thorn lacks emotional depth and after 3 books I’m still not sure what draws them together. I was disappointed with the Glow storyline, which was hinted at in VOWED but doesn’t really get the development it deserves and at times there’s a lack of discipline in the writing with a lot of repetition and dead page time. The reintroduction of the wider Blackhart clan confused me as their lack of page time makes them little more than names on a page (but I did enjoy one of them calling out Kit on her bratty behaviour, which was long overdue). Ultimately although this trilogy didn’t quite work for me, there’s enough potential for me to want to read de Jager’s next work.
The Blurb On The Back:
It was said the Labyrinth had once been the great meeting place, a sprawling city at the heart of an endless maze where a million humans hosted the Houses of the Aelfir.
But when the Thaumaturgists, overlords of human and Aelfir alike, went to war, everything was ruined and the Labyrinth became an abandoned prison. The surviving humans were trapped behind boundary walls a hundred feet high, and all magic was forbidden.
And now the war is returning. The Relic Guild are all that stand against the end of the city. But they are old, scattered and week, and the enemy is growing in strength …
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers):Collapse )
The Verdict:
Edward Cox’s debut fantasy (the first in a trilogy) is set in an imaginative, well structured world and has an action-filled plot divided between two time periods (the original Relic Guild’s struggle against Fabian Moor and Clara’s attempts to deal with her magic and join the remaining Guild members). I loved the fact that Labrys Town isn’t another cod medieval fantasy world – the technology included power stones for guns and trams that take people to the different areas. However, the split plots slowed the pace and it was difficult to work out when we were and what was happening. I didn’t see why Clara needed to be a prostitute and with the exception of Old Man Sam, the Relic Guild are comprised of rather stock characters. Also two dimensional are Fabian Moor and the Genii, who don’t have much depth and are standard evil fare. My biggest issue with the book though is the abruptness of the ending, which leaves a lot of things hanging without resolution (although presumably these will be picked up in the next book). Ultimately it’s an okay read and there’s enough for me to want to read the sequel but I’m hoping that the characters can transcend the stereotypes going forward.
Thanks to Amazon Vine for the review copy of this book.
It was said the Labyrinth had once been the great meeting place, a sprawling city at the heart of an endless maze where a million humans hosted the Houses of the Aelfir.
But when the Thaumaturgists, overlords of human and Aelfir alike, went to war, everything was ruined and the Labyrinth became an abandoned prison. The surviving humans were trapped behind boundary walls a hundred feet high, and all magic was forbidden.
And now the war is returning. The Relic Guild are all that stand against the end of the city. But they are old, scattered and week, and the enemy is growing in strength …
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers):Collapse )
The Verdict:
Edward Cox’s debut fantasy (the first in a trilogy) is set in an imaginative, well structured world and has an action-filled plot divided between two time periods (the original Relic Guild’s struggle against Fabian Moor and Clara’s attempts to deal with her magic and join the remaining Guild members). I loved the fact that Labrys Town isn’t another cod medieval fantasy world – the technology included power stones for guns and trams that take people to the different areas. However, the split plots slowed the pace and it was difficult to work out when we were and what was happening. I didn’t see why Clara needed to be a prostitute and with the exception of Old Man Sam, the Relic Guild are comprised of rather stock characters. Also two dimensional are Fabian Moor and the Genii, who don’t have much depth and are standard evil fare. My biggest issue with the book though is the abruptness of the ending, which leaves a lot of things hanging without resolution (although presumably these will be picked up in the next book). Ultimately it’s an okay read and there’s enough for me to want to read the sequel but I’m hoping that the characters can transcend the stereotypes going forward.
Thanks to Amazon Vine for the review copy of this book.
Comments
The version I got was a tie in with Waterstones, which had a short story at the back. To be honest, I didn't think much…