lddecker's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
gwenhwyfar82's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
vangle's review against another edition
5.0
I always love Darren Shan's work. He was my favorite author growing up, particularly the Cirque Du Freak series. I really enjoyed this one as well. The concept was amazing. The characters are interesting. Some moments were occasional info dumps but that is my only real complaint.
kimaii's review against another edition
5.0
Everytime I can pick up a new Darren Shan book, is a good time for me. His books are always immersive, expansive but still to the point.
It's surprising how much worldbuilding Darren Shan can put into a book so thin. The way he describes the areas Archibald visits is so well done, it's easy to visualise, like you were right there with them.
I'm also very impressed by the way Shan integrated trauma into this book, in a way which feels very natural. I've seen books meant for an older audience fail to do this before, so I'm thoroughly impressed.
Overall, I'm pleasantly surprised so far, and I'd love to read more. This is a Shan book in every way, from the gore described in such a way that it almost crosses the line, but it still doesn't. The worlds are foreign, mysterious, but still so familiar at the same time. 5/5, can't wait to read more.
It's surprising how much worldbuilding Darren Shan can put into a book so thin. The way he describes the areas Archibald visits is so well done, it's easy to visualise, like you were right there with them.
I'm also very impressed by the way Shan integrated trauma into this book, in a way which feels very natural. I've seen books meant for an older audience fail to do this before, so I'm thoroughly impressed.
Overall, I'm pleasantly surprised so far, and I'd love to read more. This is a Shan book in every way, from the gore described in such a way that it almost crosses the line, but it still doesn't. The worlds are foreign, mysterious, but still so familiar at the same time. 5/5, can't wait to read more.
odettebrethouwer's review against another edition
5.0
A surprise release by Darren Shan with some new young readers series, well that is just perfect! He made it an early release because of the Corona crisis, a gift to readers, and oh how I will enjoy this. More info, see here. YES THE FIRST BOOK IS FREE GO AND ENJOY THIS!
I enjoyed diving into this world with Archie, knowing just as much about this as he - nothing. I like how we dive into adventure and discover everything in this new and fascinating world. It just all made sense, even with this weird world. How does Darren even came up with this? I love his wild fantasy!
Will definitely be binging book 2 and 3 as well! I already know I cannot wait for the next installments ;)
I have more favorite authors, but somehow Darren will be my favorite of all time. No matter how much I love other author's work, Darren is the only one that really has the effect that I toss out my TBR when something new is released. I don't understand how my brain works, but this is an observation :)
I enjoyed diving into this world with Archie, knowing just as much about this as he - nothing. I like how we dive into adventure and discover everything in this new and fascinating world. It just all made sense, even with this weird world. How does Darren even came up with this? I love his wild fantasy!
Will definitely be binging book 2 and 3 as well! I already know I cannot wait for the next installments ;)
I have more favorite authors, but somehow Darren will be my favorite of all time. No matter how much I love other author's work, Darren is the only one that really has the effect that I toss out my TBR when something new is released. I don't understand how my brain works, but this is an observation :)
rebecamarz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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? No
5.0
fleetwoodmax's review against another edition
4.0
This was like going back to my childhood of reading Demonata and Cirque obsessively, minus all the gore. This is a really great book, a short read but so much adventure, and I love the world. Keen to continue the series and maybe another reread of Demonata.
bookish_bunny98's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first Darren Shan book that I’ve ever truly finished! So it must be worth the read if I’ve finished it, I buddy read this book with my friend Laura who is a die hard fan of Darren Shan so it was another different experience.
According to Laura this book follows all of his key parts if that makes sense, so the first chapter is crazy, some twists, making sense moments and cliff hangers.
This book is about a boy who has just lost someone and is suffering from grief, he feels that he is invisible. He sets off to school one morning earlier than usual because the atmosphere in the house is all doom and gloom, he then gets onto one of the bridges in london when this girl randomly appears and then opens up a borehole with her facial expressions, she is been chased by these two submerged people who have a knife and an ax.
Archie then follows the girl (Inez) into the merge and discovers a whole new world and a whole new part of his life. This new world is great and reading about the different zones and realms within the world is amazing and how it links back to the human world is crazy.
I feel that the characters did develop a bit throughout the book, they started to trust each other more and talked about their pasts with one another. So I do feel that their is a strong friendship developing already.
What has made me rate it 4 stars rather than 5 eventhough I did really enjoy it and it was fast paced, is purely because I didn’t feel that the story developed much, I didn’t know the ins and outs of Archies friend/relative dying, I don’t know why Inez is been hunted. I think the whole point of this first book is to develop the world that he has created and to develop the friendship that he is wanting throughout the series.
According to Laura this book follows all of his key parts if that makes sense, so the first chapter is crazy, some twists, making sense moments and cliff hangers.
This book is about a boy who has just lost someone and is suffering from grief, he feels that he is invisible. He sets off to school one morning earlier than usual because the atmosphere in the house is all doom and gloom, he then gets onto one of the bridges in london when this girl randomly appears and then opens up a borehole with her facial expressions, she is been chased by these two submerged people who have a knife and an ax.
Archie then follows the girl (Inez) into the merge and discovers a whole new world and a whole new part of his life. This new world is great and reading about the different zones and realms within the world is amazing and how it links back to the human world is crazy.
I feel that the characters did develop a bit throughout the book, they started to trust each other more and talked about their pasts with one another. So I do feel that their is a strong friendship developing already.
What has made me rate it 4 stars rather than 5 eventhough I did really enjoy it and it was fast paced, is purely because I didn’t feel that the story developed much, I didn’t know the ins and outs of Archies friend/relative dying, I don’t know why Inez is been hunted. I think the whole point of this first book is to develop the world that he has created and to develop the friendship that he is wanting throughout the series.