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chrystinielsen's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
staceace11's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
daniellesshelves12's review against another edition
5.0
The end made me cry. It takes a lot to mess with my emotions, so 5/5.
fiction_aficionado's review against another edition
4.0
Okay, first things first: What was that ending?! Second: when will the next book be out?
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let me tell you one of the main reasons I’ve enjoyed each of the books in this series so far: the characters. Not just Samuel Hill and Trudi Coffey (in fact, Trudi had to grow on me a bit) but the other primary characters in each of the books. They’re definitely not your run-of-the-mill characters, but neither do they feel like they’re deliberately unusual. They just are who they are, and that’s a key part of what has made each story an intriguing read.
In the case of Dream, part of the intrigue lies in the fact that he’s blocking some of his memories as a result of the trauma he’s experienced. He also comes across as lost, vague, down-and-out, and a passive victim of circumstance, and yet as the story goes on, we find out he’s actually stronger than he appears. And then that ending… I don’t want to give anything away, but, come again? I really do need to read it again to try and sort out what happened. But anyway, as with Annabel Lee and The Raven from the previous books in the series, I loved the uniqueness of his character.
Samuel Hill and Trudi Coffey remind me a little bit of Nick and Nora with their banter, except that while Nick and Nora are happily married, Sam and Trudi are happily divorced. Kind of. At least, that’s what Trudi has been telling herself. I’m not sure Samuel was ever really on board, but he can’t blame her, either. He’s created quite the mess, and that’s part of what this story is about, even if it’s largely in the background. I have a feeling that will change in the next book… And as flawed as he may be as a human being, he’s a fascinating character to watch when he’s in his element as an agent/private detective. Bold, brash, cheeky, and just downright entertaining. And Trudi and Eula (her assistant) don’t pull any punches either.
When it comes to the stories themselves, you kind of just hang on for the ride once you start, and you never know what’s going to happen next. I did feel as though the story got a little bit muddied at times, as there were references to people they’d encountered in previous stories whom I didn’t remember particularly well, and I wasn’t sure exactly how they fitted into this story. I get the feeling there’s a bigger picture I’m not quite seeing yet, but I’m not sure whether that’s deliberate on the part of the authors or just me needing to read the stories again to take in all the relevant details. Or maybe I’m just wrong altogether. It has been known to happen.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let me tell you one of the main reasons I’ve enjoyed each of the books in this series so far: the characters. Not just Samuel Hill and Trudi Coffey (in fact, Trudi had to grow on me a bit) but the other primary characters in each of the books. They’re definitely not your run-of-the-mill characters, but neither do they feel like they’re deliberately unusual. They just are who they are, and that’s a key part of what has made each story an intriguing read.
In the case of Dream, part of the intrigue lies in the fact that he’s blocking some of his memories as a result of the trauma he’s experienced. He also comes across as lost, vague, down-and-out, and a passive victim of circumstance, and yet as the story goes on, we find out he’s actually stronger than he appears. And then that ending… I don’t want to give anything away, but, come again? I really do need to read it again to try and sort out what happened. But anyway, as with Annabel Lee and The Raven from the previous books in the series, I loved the uniqueness of his character.
Samuel Hill and Trudi Coffey remind me a little bit of Nick and Nora with their banter, except that while Nick and Nora are happily married, Sam and Trudi are happily divorced. Kind of. At least, that’s what Trudi has been telling herself. I’m not sure Samuel was ever really on board, but he can’t blame her, either. He’s created quite the mess, and that’s part of what this story is about, even if it’s largely in the background. I have a feeling that will change in the next book… And as flawed as he may be as a human being, he’s a fascinating character to watch when he’s in his element as an agent/private detective. Bold, brash, cheeky, and just downright entertaining. And Trudi and Eula (her assistant) don’t pull any punches either.
When it comes to the stories themselves, you kind of just hang on for the ride once you start, and you never know what’s going to happen next. I did feel as though the story got a little bit muddied at times, as there were references to people they’d encountered in previous stories whom I didn’t remember particularly well, and I wasn’t sure exactly how they fitted into this story. I get the feeling there’s a bigger picture I’m not quite seeing yet, but I’m not sure whether that’s deliberate on the part of the authors or just me needing to read the stories again to take in all the relevant details. Or maybe I’m just wrong altogether. It has been known to happen.
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