ybnickels's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
kjboldon's review against another edition
4.0
I am gobbling down 460 page book adaptations of comics I've already read--I really like this series! I feel like this is a both/and thing. If you're not into comics but like steampunk fantasy, then these books are fun, fast reads. If you've already read the comics and enjoy them, then these are a good complement, plus they have additional Easter eggs. (Like, when the Baron is in the hospital after Agatha dropped a clank on him in the last book, he tells Gil to watch out for the Skifandrian princess. This book drops a bunch of hints; now I am excited for when they get to this backstory, and some jokes hit different.)
Each Agatha H novel adhere to adapting about 3 volumes of the comic, and this one ends awkwardly, with some main conflicts tied up, then a huge cliffhanger. I think it would have helped this book to stand alone if the main conflicts (against the castle, with an illness) would have been more decisively ended, leaving the cliffhanger as a short, tantalizing lead-in to the next book. The pacing and weight of a long running web comic doesn't always translate to a book series in the same way, and I'd have preferred them to have been handled differently and not as a straight adaptation
Each Agatha H novel adhere to adapting about 3 volumes of the comic, and this one ends awkwardly, with some main conflicts tied up, then a huge cliffhanger. I think it would have helped this book to stand alone if the main conflicts (against the castle, with an illness) would have been more decisively ended, leaving the cliffhanger as a short, tantalizing lead-in to the next book. The pacing and weight of a long running web comic doesn't always translate to a book series in the same way, and I'd have preferred them to have been handled differently and not as a straight adaptation
jennyrpotter's review against another edition
4.0
Better than book number one, but not quite as entertaining for me as book number two. I'm enjoying this series of steampunk and am looking forward to the fourth installment!
fbone's review against another edition
3.0
I thought this was the weakest one so far. Too much flirting for my taste, fourth grade style. Not enough action. It seemed the storyline was hung up in one plot roadblock; two steps forward one step back. It left me irritated. This might have worked better in the comics but not when converted into a novel. And the book ends on a cliffhanger with no sequel in sight.
erikars's review against another edition
3.0
This third volume of the novelization of the Girl Genius comic continues to be an entertaining addition to the canon. That said, like the comic its self, this third novel started to slow down. The full thing covered a period of less than 24 hours.
While I do enjoy the additional insights into the characters thoughts that the novelization provides, I do sometimes wish that the authors strayed slightly more from the comic itself. In particular, the comic makes great use of visual cues to convey information and mood. Instead of using methods more appropriate to a novel to achieve that, many scenes throughout this book just transcribe the visual cues used in the comic. It's not bad, but it certainly weakens the narrative.
While I do enjoy the additional insights into the characters thoughts that the novelization provides, I do sometimes wish that the authors strayed slightly more from the comic itself. In particular, the comic makes great use of visual cues to convey information and mood. Instead of using methods more appropriate to a novel to achieve that, many scenes throughout this book just transcribe the visual cues used in the comic. It's not bad, but it certainly weakens the narrative.
onceandfuturelaura's review against another edition
4.0
In which our heroine and her chums do home repairs.
abetterjulie's review against another edition
4.0
I read this series when it was online and loved it. This novel version was on sale for the Kindle, so I bought it. The Jagers are my favorite, and the writing retains its humor from the graphic series. I hope to own the whole series one day.
a_h_haga's review against another edition
5.0
And I ended up reading book 3 in the Girl Genius novelizations this month as well!
I don't often read so many books in the same series in a month, so this is a good thing!
It means the story is captivating, the language easy and good, and I like the characters.
There isn't much negative to say about this book.
There is some subterfuge and drama, like in the 2nd, but not as bad as that, and I think it is better done in this book. It has a purpous, you know?
The characters are growing, and that is interesting, I like seeing where they're going.
As I've read the comic, I know most of what is going to happen, but I actually feel I get to know the characters a lot better in these books. I get to take part in some of their thinking, and I learn a lot of new stuff about them. During this book it was places where I felt I almost got an answer to mysteries from the comic, that I haven't had a clue about before. And that is also good!
Also, the language has gotten better.
In the two last books I've had a small problem with some of the sentences seeming more like notes than actuall sentences. I didn't once notice any of them in this book!
A lot of fun!
I don't often read so many books in the same series in a month, so this is a good thing!
It means the story is captivating, the language easy and good, and I like the characters.
There isn't much negative to say about this book.
There is some subterfuge and drama, like in the 2nd, but not as bad as that, and I think it is better done in this book. It has a purpous, you know?
The characters are growing, and that is interesting, I like seeing where they're going.
As I've read the comic, I know most of what is going to happen, but I actually feel I get to know the characters a lot better in these books. I get to take part in some of their thinking, and I learn a lot of new stuff about them. During this book it was places where I felt I almost got an answer to mysteries from the comic, that I haven't had a clue about before. And that is also good!
Also, the language has gotten better.
In the two last books I've had a small problem with some of the sentences seeming more like notes than actuall sentences. I didn't once notice any of them in this book!
A lot of fun!
count_zero's review against another edition
4.0
This is an excellent book, and the reader is fantastic. However, the audiobook omits the "To be Continued in Agatha H. and the Siege of Mechanicsburg" chunk that comes after the cliffhanger, which is rather frustrating.
Also, this book ends on a cliffhanger, and Agatha H and the Siege of Mechanicsburg isn't out yet, so keep that under consideration - though considering that arc of the comics also ends on a cliffhanger, you may even want to wait until the 5th novel, and then binge on the three of them. That way you're on a good stopping place while you wait for "Agatha H. and the Master of Paris." or whatever book 6 will be titled.
Also, this book ends on a cliffhanger, and Agatha H and the Siege of Mechanicsburg isn't out yet, so keep that under consideration - though considering that arc of the comics also ends on a cliffhanger, you may even want to wait until the 5th novel, and then binge on the three of them. That way you're on a good stopping place while you wait for "Agatha H. and the Master of Paris." or whatever book 6 will be titled.
cgreenstein's review against another edition
3.0
Fun, entertaining, creative. I thought this was the last in the series and it's not, so now I have to wait for the next one :(