alissabar's review
3.0
I was so excited for this sequel since I loved the first one. This one was a good story and continuation of the series, but very different than the first. Instead of infiltrating and bringing down a criminal, it was more about the organization that Jack works for. I'm curious to see where the series is headed, so I'll be picking up the next one when it comes out.
ambergold's review
1.0
I LOVED the first book in this series so much that I'm crushed to tell you that this one is just nonsensical and silly to a degree I can't explain. While the first one I felt hugged the line between young adult and adult, this one had a decidedly young adult tone, while completely untethering itself from reality plot-wise :( I don't mind urban fantasy (also known as fantasy set in the real world) but this just played relentlessly with and clearly *wanted* to be fantasy yet constantly insisted that the fantastical skills and events depicted have a real-world explanation, however shoddy and ridiculous. It stretches the reader's suspension of disbelief to such a degree that mine snapped and ceased to exist only half way through. SIGH. If you like the fun, breezy tone of this and the compelling characters, but want those in a world and plot that are coherent (and in the fantasy context they deserve), go for Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series.
allieryanreads's review
5.0
This was one of those books that grips you until you finish (I certainly kept sneaking in time throughout the day to keep reading). I loved it!
Pimpernel: Royal Ball follows the characters introduced in the first Pimpernel book, Claire, Kali, and Jack. Claire, upon finding herself alone and left in the dark for the current mission, realizes that this was a test of sorts to see if she could help Jack and his team. Breaking into her own office to find out where Jack went, she realizes that she’s not alone. A mysterious man welcomes her there. After giving her the offer of a lifetime, he whisks her off to a night like no other, the location of the Royal Ball. One night changed everything.
Royal Ball takes the best from what Sheralyn Pratt has to offer, crafting tale that is a mental thrill ride. This book has action, but not in the traditional sense. In a way, Royal Ball is like a chess game, but the rules keep shifting and the reader, working along with the three POV characters, Claire, Kali, and Jack, goes along for the ride. Plenty of twists and turns, and those a-ha moments where things click and fall into place. I could see myself competing with the characters to see if I could figure things out before they did.
Roll action, intrigue, puzzles, pretty costumes (it is a Ball after all), and a touch of romance together to create Pimpernel: Royal Ball.
Definitely recommend reading Pimpernel first. Highly recommend Walk of Infamy for Kali’s backstory (and the rest of the Rhea Jensen series if you have time since they are great reads), but this is not critical for understanding the story.
Can’t wait for more of the Pimpernel world!
Pimpernel: Royal Ball follows the characters introduced in the first Pimpernel book, Claire, Kali, and Jack. Claire, upon finding herself alone and left in the dark for the current mission, realizes that this was a test of sorts to see if she could help Jack and his team. Breaking into her own office to find out where Jack went, she realizes that she’s not alone. A mysterious man welcomes her there. After giving her the offer of a lifetime, he whisks her off to a night like no other, the location of the Royal Ball. One night changed everything.
Royal Ball takes the best from what Sheralyn Pratt has to offer, crafting tale that is a mental thrill ride. This book has action, but not in the traditional sense. In a way, Royal Ball is like a chess game, but the rules keep shifting and the reader, working along with the three POV characters, Claire, Kali, and Jack, goes along for the ride. Plenty of twists and turns, and those a-ha moments where things click and fall into place. I could see myself competing with the characters to see if I could figure things out before they did.
Roll action, intrigue, puzzles, pretty costumes (it is a Ball after all), and a touch of romance together to create Pimpernel: Royal Ball.
Definitely recommend reading Pimpernel first. Highly recommend Walk of Infamy for Kali’s backstory (and the rest of the Rhea Jensen series if you have time since they are great reads), but this is not critical for understanding the story.
Can’t wait for more of the Pimpernel world!
holtfan's review
4.0
Michelle prepped me too well for this one. I went in with 0 expectations...maybe even less. Negative expectations.
Except I really did enjoy it! This book proved unexpectedly delightful...or perhaps more precisely, imaginative.
The things I liked:
*Creative world building that doesn't info-dump
*Everything taking place in only a few hours
*The morally ambiguous Malachi
*The characters from different myths and legends
*The scene where Jack one-ups that punk kid
*The little King
*His Mom
Things I feel meh about:
*It doesn't feel much like the first book. This could easily be a separate series that coincidentally shares characters with the same names. But at the same time, you need the first book for clarity.
*This isn't much of a stand-alone. It really just sets up for future books. Less fluffy-fun, more doom-n-gloom & save-the-world-from-evil-and-fate.
*Dang, way to throw a wrench into poor Margot's love life.
In conclusion, somewhat mixed feelings, mostly positive, looking forward to the third one.
Except I really did enjoy it! This book proved unexpectedly delightful...or perhaps more precisely, imaginative.
The things I liked:
*Creative world building that doesn't info-dump
*Everything taking place in only a few hours
*The morally ambiguous Malachi
*The characters from different myths and legends
*The scene where Jack one-ups that punk kid
*The little King
*His Mom
Things I feel meh about:
*It doesn't feel much like the first book. This could easily be a separate series that coincidentally shares characters with the same names. But at the same time, you need the first book for clarity.
*This isn't much of a stand-alone. It really just sets up for future books. Less fluffy-fun, more doom-n-gloom & save-the-world-from-evil-and-fate.
*Dang, way to throw a wrench into poor Margot's love life.
In conclusion, somewhat mixed feelings, mostly positive, looking forward to the third one.
lefthandedbibliophile's review
4.0
The book opens with some unknown entity heading to some unknown destination (I more or less didn’t care at that particular moment)
Now
The book opens with our female protag, who is suffering from the affliction of any sane thinking person-Curiosity. But we all know what happens to those who suffer from that!
YES!!! And that is exactly what happens. She or should I say I fell into the proverbial rabbit hole. It all is impressively crazy from here on. There would be times when I asked myself
Book Said:
There would be moments of sheer brilliance with mind boggling analogies and parlour tricks, involving....I kid you not!
But it all came together in the end (or I would like to think so)
This book is like one of the characters (of the book), which another character describes about that (aforementioned) character, “..it all makes sense in retrospect”
I kept scratching my head and feeling like a fool the entire time I read the book.
I seriously don’t know how to rate this book. Do I give it 1 star for making me feel that I have the IQ of a fly or do I give it 5 stars for the author being so brilliant and bla bla bla
I’l go with 3.75 and be gone with it.
P.S.- The place with which the book opens has an implication in “retrospect”. JFYI.
Now
The book opens with our female protag, who is suffering from the affliction of any sane thinking person-Curiosity. But we all know what happens to those who suffer from that!
YES!!! And that is exactly what happens. She or should I say I fell into the proverbial rabbit hole. It all is impressively crazy from here on. There would be times when I asked myself
Book Said:
There would be moments of sheer brilliance with mind boggling analogies and parlour tricks, involving....I kid you not!
But it all came together in the end (or I would like to think so)
This book is like one of the characters (of the book), which another character describes about that (aforementioned) character, “..it all makes sense in retrospect”
I seriously don’t know how to rate this book. Do I give it 1 star for making me feel that I have the IQ of a fly or do I give it 5 stars for the author being so brilliant and bla bla bla
I’l go with 3.75 and be gone with it.
P.S.- The place with which the book opens has an implication in “retrospect”. JFYI.
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