daria_nedelcu19's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Enjoyment ★★★☆☆
Concept ★★★☆☆
Writing Style ★★★☆☆
Characters ★★☆☆☆
Plot ★★★☆☆
Pacing ★★★★★
World Building ★★★☆☆
Ending ★★★☆☆
Concept ★★★☆☆
Writing Style ★★★☆☆
Characters ★★☆☆☆
Plot ★★★☆☆
Pacing ★★★★★
World Building ★★★☆☆
Ending ★★★☆☆
anywiebs's review against another edition
2.0
A disappointing conclusion to The Book of Dead Days. The atmosphere is less dark, the story predictable and slow. And there are too many repitions. Sad. I expected more.
doriastories's review against another edition
2.0
A very disappointing sequel to what seemed like a promising series.
si0bhan's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted this one to win me over, to improve upon the first book. Sadly, such a thing did not happen. If anything, I enjoyed the first book more – at least in that books there were moments where I considered giving it three stars.
This book continues on where the last one left off, continuing the story forward. However, it really doesn’t add much to the story. We’re given an answer as to who Boy actually is, an answer you can figure out simply by reading the prologue. Oh, don’t worry there are some other aspects to the story – but most are pushed aside as Boy circles his pit of self-pity in the search for who he truly is.
As with the first book, so little happens. I know it is a short book – yet that means, to me, the action should be throughout rather than limited to small occasions. Whilst there seemed to be fewer standstills than there were in book one, they still existed to lull the story into a near snooze pace.
It was an okay addition, a nice way to bring things to a close, yet at the same time it felt as though I could have done without reading it.
This book continues on where the last one left off, continuing the story forward. However, it really doesn’t add much to the story. We’re given an answer as to who Boy actually is, an answer you can figure out simply by reading the prologue. Oh, don’t worry there are some other aspects to the story – but most are pushed aside as Boy circles his pit of self-pity in the search for who he truly is.
As with the first book, so little happens. I know it is a short book – yet that means, to me, the action should be throughout rather than limited to small occasions. Whilst there seemed to be fewer standstills than there were in book one, they still existed to lull the story into a near snooze pace.
It was an okay addition, a nice way to bring things to a close, yet at the same time it felt as though I could have done without reading it.
evalynex's review against another edition
3.0
I really like the ending to this book but the beginning was really slow and kinda listless. I feel that instead of a second book, it should have been worked into the first for a better overall experience. This book just didn't really feel substantial enough on it's own, especially since The Book of Dead Days works rather well as a standalone.
hollowspine's review
3.0
Even though I was disappointed in the death of Valerian in the last book, I did go on to read the conclusion to find out what becomes of Boy. I'm sure many people did get to the conclusion that Boy was really the son of the king I was surprised (though I did get it before Boy himself realized). For the most part I believed Kepler, that Boy was Valerian's son. The book had some interesting twists and as with the first book a very interesting title and theme. I enjoyed the villains of the book, complex people with interesting motivations, unlike most dastardly people represented in YA lit. I also enjoyed the relationship between Boy and Willow, which although romantic doesn't represent Willow as the damsel in distress or only as the love interest for the more important and powerful main male character as is often the case in most such books (YA and Adult). It was nice for once that the character's personalities mattered more than their genders.
caidyn's review
3.0
Everything came together in this book, though it still wasn't something I expected. No foreshadowing. It didn't feel a genuine ending, really. But, it was a nicely told tale.
kaikamahine's review
3.0
Even as a teenager with questionable critical reasoning skills, I was able to identify the convenient plot points of this sequel to The Book of Dead Days, but its gothic, dark, Halloween-esque tone was enough to keep me reading.
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