The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
hjcomic's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Death, War, Murder, and Sexual content
Moderate: Trafficking and Slavery
Minor: Genocide and Violence
This book isn't my favourite among the Rivers series, as the characters and their relationships are still developing. However the A and B plots are gripping and haunting and disturbing in a way that really stays with you.noonjinx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Really well done. The characters are great. The writing is cool, sharp and funny. The action is well handled and the scene in the strip club of Dr Moreau is downright creepy!
What's happened to Leslie is brutal. Unfortunately I suspect any fix will come at a major cost :/
This is the second book in the series and I thought it was just as good as the first of one so I already have number three lined up.
What's happened to Leslie is brutal. Unfortunately I suspect any fix will come at a major cost :/
This is the second book in the series and I thought it was just as good as the first of one so I already have number three lined up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence and Violence
ptaradactyl's review
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I really like the universe and Peter’s voice. It didn’t go where I expected with Simone, and I appreciated it all the more for the twist.Â
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Gore
asourceoffiction's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love Peter Grant; he's green and slightly bumbling so he's easy to relate to, but he's also incredibly insightful which makes for interesting revelations. Throw in the occasional idiotic mistake (particularly when it comes to his romantic partners) and you've got a winning protagonist.
The second book in this series is fun, engaging, easy to read and really clever. But I have found with both books so far, there are so many characters, sub-plots and mysteries (which often connect and intertwine) that my head is swimming a bit by the end. I followed along ok, but felt at times like I could do with my own investigatory notepad to keep everything straight in my head.
That said, this has a great ending and the makings of several long-gestating stories to come. I'm utterly hooked and have already ordered a secondhand copy of Whispers Underground!
The second book in this series is fun, engaging, easy to read and really clever. But I have found with both books so far, there are so many characters, sub-plots and mysteries (which often connect and intertwine) that my head is swimming a bit by the end. I followed along ok, but felt at times like I could do with my own investigatory notepad to keep everything straight in my head.
That said, this has a great ending and the makings of several long-gestating stories to come. I'm utterly hooked and have already ordered a secondhand copy of Whispers Underground!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Murder, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content
numbat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Violence
catalyst226's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This one got some genuine chuckles out of me. I'm really enjoying the world building that comes with a longer series of novels. It's nice to have the book's plot plus a few subplots set up to go through to the next novel. The narrator is wonderful at adding a lot of flair to the performance as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Violence
Minor: Suicide
mags_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Gun violence, Blood, Body horror, Suicide, Murder, and Trafficking
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Medical trauma, Animal death, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Medical content
purplepenning's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Trafficking, Violence, Grief, Gore, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcoholism, Cursing, Alcohol, Lesbophobia, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, Drug abuse, and Homophobia
mar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Transphobia, Ableism, Suicide, Trafficking, and Misogyny
Minor: Drug use, Gore, Sexual violence, and Racism
sshabein's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
I was interested enough to see how the story shook out in the end, and there were several amusing moments, but I didn't like this one as much as the previous book. There's also a brief moment with a side character that feels transphobic in 2021 (and should've been in 2011) that just didn't sit right with me — "Are you a man?" the main guy asks, once he notices there are no boobs attached to this semi-naked person he was previously referring to as "she", and the person answers, "Only biologically." It isn't written well enough to where one could say, "Oh it was just someone done up in a feminine way, but there's more to it than that." Also? It was so irrelevant to the plot that it felt more like it was being played as a bio-essentialist joke. If that's not the intent, fine, but write it better. So hopefully future books do not have this sort of not-getting-it attempt at "Look we're so wild and crazy in Soho!"
Also, though I know there are later-revealed reasons for the new relationship in the book happening has weirdly fast and all-in as it was, before that reveal (or the reader just figuring it out later), it all just reads as "Wait, WTF, shouldn't this person be more of a suspect than a new girlfriend? How... did this happen exactly?" And there IS a reason, but not enough foreshadowing, I guess.
That said, I am in no particular rush to carry on with the series just yet. Plenty of other things to read.
Also, though I know there are later-revealed reasons for the new relationship in the book happening has weirdly fast and all-in as it was, before that reveal (or the reader just figuring it out later), it all just reads as "Wait, WTF, shouldn't this person be more of a suspect than a new girlfriend? How... did this happen exactly?" And there IS a reason, but not enough foreshadowing, I guess.
That said, I am in no particular rush to carry on with the series just yet. Plenty of other things to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Racism and Transphobia