Tag: 20th century

Mini-Reviews: Love, Wagering, Demon

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Molly Clavering, Love Comes Home

Jane Cranstoun is having a wonderful time visiting friends in England and has just become secretly engaged to handsome naval officer John Marsh. But now she’s summoned back to Scotland to welcome her younger sister, Love, home from finishing school. Though only 18, Love has very definite opinions and plans for the future – plans that include marrying Jane off to their new neighbor, Peregrine Gilbert, much to Jane’s dismay. The ensuing romantic tangle causes a fair amount of turmoil, but it all turns out right in the end. This was my first book by Molly Clavering, but it won’t be my last; if you like the kinds of books published by Virago, Persephone, etc., you’ll like this one too. I must admit, the plot didn’t go where I was expecting it to, and I wasn’t thrilled about some developments. But overall I found this a pleasant, gentle, and occasionally quite funny read.

Eva Shepherd, Wagering on the Wallflower

Lady Hazel Springfield is a socially awkward bluestocking. Now in her fifth Season, she knows she’s unlikely ever to marry, unless some old and/or impoverished man wants her for her dowry. Enter Lucas Darkwood, an incredibly rich and handsome man with a passion for horse racing and breeding. To win an acquaintance’s exceptional broodmare, he makes a bet that he can find Hazel a beau before the Season is over. To make her seem more attractive to other men, he starts paying attention to her himself, only to find that he’s gotten more than he bargained for. I liked the “She’s All That” premise of this romance, but overall the book is just okay. Hazel and Lucas are nice, but they’re pretty flat stock characters, and I never really got invested in their romance. Oddly, I found Hazel’s siblings more interesting, and I think her two sisters each have their own book…but I’m not sure I care enough to seek them out.

Lois McMaster Bujold, Penric’s Demon

Penric kin Jurald, the younger son of a minor noble, is about to finalize his betrothal to a rich merchant’s daughter when fate takes a hand and changes the course of his life. When he encounters a dying woman on the road, he stops to help and ends up acquiring her demon—which means he’s now a sorcerer, albeit an untrained one, able to do magic. Now Penric is suddenly a person of interest to both the local Temple and certain secular powers, who all have different agendas for the demon’s (and therefore Penric’s) future. I really enjoyed this novella, which introduces new characters to the Five Gods universe, where the Chalion books are also set. The plot is simple yet effective, and Penric and his demon, a.k.a. Desdemona, are great characters whom I’m excited to follow in future installments of the series. Another winner from Bujold!

Mini-Reviews: Lake, Simple, Beg

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John Bude, The Lake District Murder

At an isolated garage in the Lake District, a man is found dead inside a car, with an apparatus indicating that he deliberately killed himself by asphyxiation. But Inspector Meredith notices a few things that aren’t consistent with suicide and soon comes to believe the man was murdered. As Meredith investigates, he also uncovers shady business dealings at the garage and searches for the connection between them and the murder. I love a good Golden Age mystery, but this one was often frustrating for me. The plot doesn’t really present a puzzle for readers to solve; rather, the story plods along with what feels like a minute-by-minute account of Meredith’s investigation. I think Bude was trying to make the point that detective work is often dull routine, not dramatic and glamorous—but that doesn’t make it fun to read about the dull routine! Overall, fans of police procedurals might enjoy this one more than I did, but I found it a slog.

Pamela Morsi, Simple Jess

Althea Winsloe is a young widow with a three-year-old son and a good farm property. Her small, tight-knit community is pressuring her to marry again, but she has no desire to give up her freedom or her farm. Still, she needs a man to help her work the land, so she hires Jesse Best, known to everyone as “Simple Jess” because he has an intellectual disability. As Althea gets to know Jesse, she realizes that despite his limitations, he’s very knowledgeable about farming and hunting – as well as being kind, loyal, and handsome. I think this is a book that might be polarizing; Morsi boldly chooses to tell some of the story from Jesse’s POV, and while I think she portrays him with sensitivity and kindness, it’s certainly a fine line to walk. I was rooting for him from the start, and I also liked the various secondary characters who populate Althea and Jesse’s community. Overall, I really liked this one and appreciated the unique premise, but I don’t think it’s a book for everyone.

Sarah Adams, Beg, Borrow, or Steal

This is Adams’s third book set in Rome, Kentucky, and the heroine is the oldest Walker sister, Emily. She’s the one who (seemingly) has it all together, who helps her family with terrifying competence and no hesitation. But lately she’s been feeling lonely and dissatisfied—that is, until her longtime nemesis, Jack Bennett, moves back to town. Emily and Jack have always argued, but now their fights are feeling more flirty than genuinely aggressive. They’ll have to overcome some baggage, however, before they can move past their bickering and truly trust each other. I enjoy the enemies-to-lovers trope and think this book does it well. I’m also a fan of prickly heroines who are outwardly competent but inwardly struggling, so Emily particularly appealed to me. Toward the end, I think things got a bit too syrupy-sweet (all the men in this series are annoyingly perfect), but I enjoyed the book and will definitely read the next one when it comes out!

Mini-Reviews: Christmas, Paupers, Garden

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Rupert Latimer, Murder after Christmas

A Christmas house party turns deadly when the guest of honor, Sir Willoughby Keene-Cotton, is found dead on Boxing Day. Uncle Willie was very rich, so plenty of people had a motive to kill him—except that, based on the specific legal circumstances surrounding his demise, it was unclear who would inherit his fortune. Similarly, he died by poisoning—but apparently nothing he ate in the hours before his death could have contained the poison. The increasingly bewildered police must sift through piles of red herrings before they can even verify that a murder has been committed, let alone by whom. This breezy vintage mystery multiplies motives and clues so that it’s nearly impossible to separate the important information from the surrounding camouflage. And that’s what makes it such a fun read—that, and the whimsical characters who needlessly obstruct the investigation. I really enjoyed this one and would recommend it as a good vintage holiday read.

Sheri Cobb South, Of Paupers and Peers

James Weatherly, a poor village curate, is shocked when a London solicitor informs him that he’s the new Duke of Montford. He travels to Montford immediately to claim his title, only to be attacked by thieves and lose his memory in the process. Miss Margaret Darrington finds him at the side of the road and assumes he’s Mr. Fanshawe, the tutor she hired for her teenage brother. James has no reason to doubt her identification and takes up his new tutorial position. But complications ensue when James seems smitten by Margaret’s beautiful sister, Amanda, who must marry a wealthy man — and when Margaret begins to fall for James herself. This is a sweet and steamless Regency romance that I very much enjoyed, despite the fact that it’s not particularly original. I liked that, while there are various moments of mistaken identity, they’re not drawn out too long and are solved promptly with intelligent communication. I’d definitely recommend this to fans of traditional Regencies, and I’ll seek out more by Sheri Cobb South.

Sarah Addison Allen, Garden Spells

In the small town of Bascom, North Carolina, magic is an understood and largely unspoken fact of life. Everyone knows, for instance, that the Waverley family’s garden produces plants that can influence your mood, and that if you eat the apples from their tree, you’ll have a vision of the biggest event in your life. Claire Waverley has embraced her family’s legacy and uses the magic plants in her catering business, while her estranged sister, Sydney, never liked being a Waverley and couldn’t wait to leave town. But when Sydney unexpectedly returns with a five-year-old daughter in tow, Claire’s carefully cultivated life begins to change. I really enjoy Allen’s books, which are tales of family, romance, and female friendship overlaid with a patina of magic. Claire and Sydney’s relationship is the heart of this novel, and I loved how they slowly grew closer despite years of misunderstandings. Recommended if you like books about small towns and the bonds between women.

Mini-Reviews: Bookishly, Arabella, Goodbye

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Mia Page, Bookishly Ever After

Lexi Austen loves her job as the owner of Pemberley Books in Washington, DC. But lately it’s been harder and harder to make ends meet, thanks in part to a rival bookstore that’s begun encroaching on her turf. She concocts a scheme to distract the other bookstore’s owner, Sam Dickens, by making him fall in love with her, using techniques inspired by Jane Austen novels. But as Lexi gets closer to Sam, she soon finds it’s her own heart that’s in danger. I’ve been on kind of a disappointing streak with contemporary romances lately; this one was just okay. Lexi’s plan is obviously ridiculous, but I almost wish she’d gone a bit farther with it; that would have at least made the story a bit more unique. I did enjoy the DC setting, as I live pretty close, and the book mentions several real businesses and neighborhoods. But overall, I was underwhelmed by this one.

Georgette Heyer, Arabella

Arabella, a vicar’s daughter of no fortune, is eager to embark on her first London Season and hopefully marry a well-to-do man. En route, a carriage accident forces her to beg the help of Robert Beaumaris, one of the ton’s most eligible bachelors. When Arabella overhears Beaumaris complaining that she’s undoubtedly trying to trap him into marriage, she indignantly tells him she’s an heiress and has no need to marry for money. But when the rumor of her alleged fortune reaches London society, Arabella finds she needs Beaumaris’s help after all. This was one of my first Heyers, and it was a pleasure to revisit, although I found myself irritated that Beaumaris had so much more power and knowledge of the situation than Arabella did. But the romance is sweet nonetheless, and a mutt named Ulysses provides some fun comedy. Not a top-tier Heyer for me, but still a very good read!

Betty Neels, No Need to Say Goodbye

Louise Payne is a 26-year-old hospital nurse with three younger siblings to care for, and her salary barely allows them to make ends meet. A lucky inheritance from a distant relative provides the family with a country cottage to live in, where Louise finds that her near neighbor is Dr. Arlo van der Linden, with whom she worked in the London hospital. They were never particularly close before, but now Arlo is being friendly and helpful, even giving Louise a new job. Could he be interested in Louise’s pretty sister, Zoë? And if so, can Louise hide the fact that she’s fallen for Arlo herself? This was a quick read with a soothing, timeless atmosphere – I think it was published in the late ’80s or early ’90s but could have taken place much earlier. It’s a sweet though somewhat one-sided romance; Arlo is pretty high-handed, and we don’ know what’s going on in his mind till the very end of the book. I’ve got one more Neels novel on my shelves, and I’ll save it for the next time I want a quick read that doesn’t require any mental energy.

Mini-Reviews: Rules, Witch, Bride

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Sinéad Murphy, The Jane Austen Rules: A Classic Guide to Modern Love

This short book positions itself as a dating guide based on the timeless wisdom of Jane Austen. As a diehard Austen fan, I loved the premise, but I have mixed feelings on the execution. I do think the advice, both about dating and how to be a woman in the modern world, is largely good. The Austen analysis is also interesting; it’s not super deep literary criticism, but some of Murphy’s interpretations are ideas I hadn’t considered before. However, I wasn’t a fan of the writing style, which is trying—and mostly failing—to imitate Austen. Plus, Murphy misquotes the first sentence of Pride and Prejudice, which is frankly inexcusable! So, while I didn’t hate the book, I wouldn’t recommend it either, even for Austen fanatics.

Elizabeth George Speare, The Witch of Blackbird Pond

In 1687, orphan Kit Tyler experiences severe culture shock when she leaves her life of luxury on a Barbados plantation and moves in with her aunt’s family in Connecticut Colony. At first Kit hates her new life: Her uncle is strict, she’s forced to help with the unending household chores, and the broader Puritan community is suspicious and unwelcoming. Gradually she comes to appreciate her new situation, particularly after she befriends an old woman widely reputed to be a witch. But when the town’s hostility toward the “witch” turns ugly, Kit’s own safety is threatened. This was my favorite book for a while growing up, and upon rereading, I was surprised by just how many scenes I remembered. I found it a very enjoyable read that paints a vivid picture of colonial New England, both good and bad. I also loved Kit’s character development, as well as the multiple satisfying love stories. I’m glad I decided to revisit this one!

Cornell Woolrich, The Bride Wore Black

This thriller features a mysterious woman who is systematically murdering men throughout New York City. Her motive is unclear, as she doesn’t seem to know any of the men personally. Beautiful and clever, she’s easily able to gain access to her victims, and she always vanishes directly after the murder without a trace. Eventually, a policeman notices a pattern among the killings and makes it his mission to bring this femme fatale to justice. This is a fascinating, suspenseful novel with a clever structure, following the woman and each of her male victims in turn. As a result, I felt some measure of empathy for every character and was eager to discover the woman’s motive. The ending is both satisfying and heartbreaking—everything is resolved, but none of the characters get what they want. I’d definitely recommend this one to fans of suspense and noir, and I’m interested in reading more by Woolrich.

Mini-Reviews: Love, None, Hedges

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Sheila Simonson, Love and Folly

Twins Jean and Maggie Conway are about to start their first London Season, but the death of King George III and the subsequent political unrest delay their come-out. However, the girls don’t need a Season to find romance: Jean is smitten with Owen Davies, a radical poet, while Maggie falls for Johnny Dyott, her cousin’s private secretary. But when Owen’s poetry runs afoul of the sedition laws, the whole Conway family must band together to protect both him and themselves. This book is a sequel to Lady Elizabeth’s Comet, which I loved, but it also features characters from The Bar Sinister, which I haven’t read. And while Simonson gives enough background that readers won’t be totally confused, I don’t think they will care much about these characters unless they’ve read the previous two books. Also, if you’re expecting a romance, you’ll be disappointed; the love story between Maggie and Johnny is brief and barely developed. This novel is well written and well researched, but for me it was disappointing, especially compared with Lady Elizabeth’s Comet.

Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None

Ten people of different ages, genders, and walks of life are summoned to an island off the coast of Devon. They’ve been invited under various pretexts, but the real reason becomes clear after dinner on their first night, when a recorded voice accuses them all of murder. Then the guests start dying one by one, in ways that echo a sinister nursery rhyme displayed in each of their bedrooms. Who is behind these deaths, and will anyone make it off the island alive? This is one of Christie’s most famous mysteries, and also in my opinion one of her creepiest! The setup—a mysterious murderer on the rampage in an isolated location—is straight out of a horror novel, and the tension builds wonderfully as the guests each face their inevitable fate. To be honest, it’s so dark that it isn’t one of my favorites by Christie, but it’s masterfully done and I admire the way she pulled it off!

Side note: Newer versions of this book have understandably used this title rather than the far more problematic Ten Little Indians (and, before that, Ten Little N—–s). I don’t fault the publisher for that, but I do wish this edition had acknowledged that changes were made, not only to the title but to the rhyme itself and several lines of dialogue. If I’m reading something different from the originally published version, I want to know about it!

Lish McBride, Rough around the Hedges

Will and Vanessa have been best friends for years, and he’s been in love with her the entire time. Van has only ever seen him as a friend—until their mutual friend group unintentionally spills the beans. Now she’s seeing him in a whole new light, but because of her cold, manipulative father and horrible upbringing, she’s scared to take a chance on love. Meanwhile, Van wants to enroll in courses to become a hedge witch, but her father, an esteemed professor, may throw a wrench in her plans. This book is a sequel to A Little Too Familiar, which I remember liking, but this one didn’t work as well for me. The world is so black and white—the good characters are all perfectly understanding and emotionally fluent, while the bad characters are irredeemably awful. Will in particular is flawless (unless you count the fact that he’s been lying to his supposed best friend for their entire relationship) and just doesn’t feel believable as a person to me. Overall, a very “meh” read.

Mini-Reviews: Afterlife, Thirteen, Crime

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Kirsty Greenwood, The Love of My Afterlife

When twentysomething Delphie chokes on a microwavable hamburger and dies, she finds herself in a strange version of the afterlife. She’s greeted by Merritt, a quirky and enthusiastic “afterlife coach,” and also meets a handsome man named Jonah who isn’t dead, just unconscious during a dental surgery. Merritt, a lover of romance novels, decides to give Delphie a second chance: She claims that Delphie and Jonah are soulmates, and if she can find him on Earth and get him to kiss her within 10 days, she’ll get her life back. Finding Jonah is more difficult than Delphie expected, but as she looks for him, she also starts to see her life and the people around her in a new light. I stayed up way too late to read this book in a single sitting, and I’d definitely recommend it to romantic comedy fans! But it’s a surprisingly emotional book, too; Delphie’s initial loneliness is heart-wrenching, and it’s satisfying to see her slowly open up to the people in her life. Overall, I liked this one a lot and will look out for more by Greenwood.

J. Jefferson Farjeon, Thirteen Guests

Lord Aveling has invited 12 guests to his country house for a hunting party. They’re a strange assortment that includes a politician, an actress, a painter, a journalist, and a rich tradesman’s family. A last-minute 13th guest observes various tensions among the group—tensions that come to a head with vandalism, a dead dog, and finally murder. I liked a lot of things about this book: The plot is twisty without being overly complicated, and several of the characters are three-dimensional and interesting. However, it’s hard to know whom to care about or root for because there’s no clear protagonist. At first it seems like the 13th guest, John Foss, and his love interest are the main characters, but they’re largely abandoned in the middle for the police inspector and a few sleuths among the guests. I found the shifts in focus distracting and frustrating, and I also didn’t love the ultimate solution of the mystery. Overall, a decent read, but I’m not eager to read more by Farjeon.

Ally Carter, The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year

Maggie Chase is a successful writer of cozy mysteries. Ethan Wyatt writes blockbuster thrillers for the same publisher. She’s hated him for years, viewing him as a golden boy who’s able to coast through life, while he continually calls her Marcie. But the two find themselves unlikely allies when they’re both invited to the estate of Eleanor Ashley, the world’s greatest living mystery writer, for Christmas. When Eleanor disappears from a locked room—and many of her guests have a motive for wanting her gone—Maggie and Ethan team up to solve the mystery, and perhaps to find love in the process. I enjoyed this book, but it didn’t give me the same sense of pure, unadulterated glee as The Blonde Identity. There was just a little too much going on between Eleanor’s disappearance, Maggie’s and Ethan’s individual pasts, and their budding romance. It’s definitely heavier than the fun Christmas caper I was expecting. I did like the book overall, but sadly not quite as much as I was hoping to.

Mini-Reviews: Appointment, Doctor, Invisible

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Mimi Matthews, Appointment in Bath

Meg Burton-Smythe is a shy wallflower with unfashionable red hair, freckles, and a stammer. Her neighbor Ivo Beresford, by contrast, is handsome, well off, and worldly. He’d never look at her twice—especially because their parents have been enemies since before she was born (as detailed in Gentleman Jim). So when Ivo goes out of his way to befriend her, Meg is suspicious at first but soon comes to hope that he might actually be interested in her. But will their parents’ feud quash their budding romance? Mimi Matthews continues to be one of my go-to authors for steamless historical romance, and I really enjoyed this book! I love a wallflower heroine, and Meg’s loneliness is especially poignant when contrasted with Ivo’s boisterous, loving family. I was rooting for her happily-ever-after and liked seeing her gain confidence throughout the book. Now I’m even more excited for the next installment of the series!

P.G. Wodehouse, Doctor Sally

This short comic novel features Sally Smith, a doctor whom no one takes seriously because she’s a young and attractive woman. “Doctor Sally” has no interest in falling in love, but her resolve is tested when Bill Bannister is instantly smitten with her. Unfortunately, he’s trying to extract himself from a previous romantic entanglement with a lower-class woman who isn’t willing to let him go. Luckily, Bill’s affable but dimwitted friend, Lord Tidmouth, is on hand to come to the rescue. This little book is pure delight—Wodehouse is an absolute master of comic farce, and Lord Tidmouth is a lovable idiot worthy of Bertie Wooster. If you’re looking for a nice quick read that will make you laugh out loud, I highly recommend this one!

Genevieve Cogman, The Invisible Library

Irene works for the Library, a secret organization that collects rare and unique books throughout the multiverse. Her latest mission is to retrieve a particular Grimm manuscript from an alternate Victorian world, and her partner will be a student assistant, Kai, who hasn’t been on a mission yet. What should be a fairly routine retrieval immediately goes awry: The manuscript has been stolen, and they’re not the only ones trying to find it. Not to mention, a rogue Librarian seems bent on destroying both this world and the Library itself—unless Irene and Kai can stop him first. This is a fun read with a lot of action and interesting world-building. The writing style is confident and made me feel like the author knows what she’s doing. I do think this book barely scratches the surface of the possibilities of this world, but fortunately there are several more books in the series! I’m excited to continue with book #2 next month.

Mini-Reviews: Bookshop, Notebooks, Vampire

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Madeline Martin, The Last Bookshop in London

Grace and her best friend Viv are excited to move to London from the countryside, both of them dreaming of working in a fashionable clothing shop. But the only job Grace can get is as an assistant at the disorganized and overcrowded Primrose Hill Books. At first she just wants to work there long enough to get a good reference, but gradually she comes to find fulfillment in her job, as well as a new love of literature. However, her joy in her work is tempered by the onset of World War II, in which she experiences the horrors of the Blitz firsthand. I have to say, much as I enjoy a book set during the Blitz, this one did nothing for me. The writing style felt awkward and unpolished, and while the author obviously did some research, it intruded on the narrative rather than being subtly incorporated. I wasn’t impressed with this one and won’t seek out more by this author.

John Curran, Agatha Christie’s Secret Notebooks: Fifty Years of Mysteries in the Making

This book is based on a collection of Agatha Christie’s notebooks, in which she jotted down the ideas and worked out the plots that would eventually become her published novels, stories, and plays. Curran, obviously a huge fan, compares Christie’s notes with her finished works and thereby paints a picture of her creative process. I think Christie aficionados would enjoy this book, but it’s definitely not for the casual fan as it assumes in-depth knowledge of her work (though Curran does provide spoiler warnings). Many of the notes aren’t particularly detailed or interesting, though they do shed a fun light on Christie’s somewhat haphazard process. The book also feels disorganized, with photos of the notebooks and little informational boxes interrupting the main narrative, sometimes for several pages. Basically, I’d only recommend this one to the true die-hard fans, but it did make me want to go back and reread some of my favorite Christie novels!

Jenna Levine, My Roommate Is a Vampire

Struggling artist Cassie is about to be evicted, so when she sees a “roommate wanted” ad on Craigslist for a great apartment with a suspiciously low rent, she’s desperate enough to check it out. Her would-be roommate, Frederick J. Fitzwilliam, seems strange and old-fashioned but harmless – that is, until she discovers the bags of human blood in the refrigerator. Yes, Frederick is a vampire, and he needs Cassie’s help to navigate the modern world. A romance soon develops between them, but people from Frederick’s past seek to keep them apart. I liked the premise of this book and found it a fun read, but I was unable to suspend my disbelief about Frederick’s situation. There are too many inconsistencies in what he knows about the modern world vs. what he doesn’t, and very little time is spent on what vampire life is like, whether Cassie will be “turned” and what that will mean for her, etc. Those hoping for a modern vampire story that makes sense will be disappointed, but if you’re just looking for a cute contemporary romance with paranormal trappings, you might like this one.

Mini-Reviews: Spade, Satterthwaite, Conjuring

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Alan Bradley, What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust

Passionate chemist and adolescent sleuth Flavia de Luce is back on the case when Buckshaw’s cook, Mrs. Mullet, is accused of killing a Bishop’s Lacey resident with poisoned mushrooms. Flavia knows Mrs. Mullet is innocent and decides to clear her name. The dead man, Major Greyleigh, seemed reasonably well liked, so who had a motive to kill him? As Flavia digs deeper, she uncovers a shocking secret that will upend her whole life. I’ve read every book in this series, which I enjoy for Flavia’s breezy, often hilarious narration (though I’m not convinced she’s a realistic or even a coherent character). But the mysteries tend to be weak, and that’s certainly the case here. I also don’t love the direction in which this book seems to be taking the series; it doubles down on some of my least favorite plot elements from previous books. Overall, it’s mid, as the kids say. But if another Flavia book comes out, I’ll most likely read it!

Mimi Matthews, Return to Satterthwaite Court

This Victorian romance centers around Lieutenant Charles Heywood, son of the couple from The Work of Art, and Lady Katherine Beresford, daughter of the couple from Gentleman Jim. They meet in passing and are instantly smitten, and their relationship develops as they investigate an anonymous letter that hints at a past wrongdoing involving Charles’s mother. Much as I love Mimi Matthews, this is not one of my favorites by her. The central romance just seemed a bit bland to me; Charles and Kate didn’t feel like fully fleshed out characters, though I did like that Kate knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it. Still, I found myself much more interested in the hints of romance among the secondary characters—two of Kate’s brothers are the heroes of the next two books in the series. It’s a perfectly good (and steamless!) historical romance, and I did enjoy reading it, but it didn’t blow me away.

V.E. Schwab, A Conjuring of Light

Immediately after the events of A Gathering of Shadows, Kell finds himself in White London being confronted by Osaron, a god (or demon) whose magic threatens to ruin everything in its path. Kell defies Osaron, but the latter still manages to get to Red London, where he promptly enslaves or murders most of its residents. It’s up to Kell, Lila, Rhy, Alucard et al. to stop Osaron before he destroys their entire world—and perhaps the neighboring worlds as well. This conclusion to the Shades of Magic trilogy is huge—my hardcover is more than 600 pages long, and the margins are small—but it’s also a page-turner. That said, I would have preferred a shorter book; we didn’t really need all the flashbacks, nor the chapters from non-protagonist POVs. I did enjoy the story and think this book gives a satisfying ending to the series (though I believe the author has since written more books in this world). Overall, I’m glad I finally read this whole trilogy, but it’s not a keeper for me.