juliawo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- 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
3.75
jakobitz's review against another edition
3.0
This one gave off big X-Files vibes, and I loooved the X-Files… but it didn’t cleanly land for me. The characters are intriguing, and the premise enticing, but the story ended up feeling overly long for the actual content provided. The story left me with high hopes for what could come next, but a little nonplused by the book I’d just read. 2.5 stars
sam_is_reading's review against another edition
dark
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? It's complicated
3.75
was absolutely enthralled by this story! It’s not quite horror and not quite fantasy - fans of Guillermo Del Toro might be disappointed if that’s what they’re looking for - but functions more as a speculative procedural cop story, and I really enjoyed it! The characters were interesting and the worldbuilding was simple but significant.
Hope there are more in the series!
Hope there are more in the series!
becka6131's review against another edition
2.0
This started off promising and then quickly went downhill - as soon as Blackwood actually appeared as a characters, things got very caricaturish and silly. Bad! Clearly the jump from screenwriting to novel writing is not necessarily an easy one.
kaelim's review against another edition
2.0
Good, but forgettable. Definitely a quick read.
Interesting story, and with potential, but fell short to captivate; to pull me in. The rhythm and pacing seemed off, the characters –almost without exception – were bland in a way that made it impossible to really connect with them. Not that they were bad, but the prose and narrative failed to have me care for any of them. Blackwood, perhaps, being the one exception. To me, he was the most fleshed out character of the cast.
The prose itself was decent. Slightly above average and enjoyable. It didn't stand out much, but did not "ruin" the experience. I'm sure the authors have the potential to improve, they have something interesting going on, and simply need (again, in my personal opinion) to work some kinks.
For me, fixing the pacing and rhythm of the story would make a world's difference. I believe it would help on many fronts: drawing the readers in, and character development.
All in all, it was intriguing and interesting enough to keep me going through the novel, but I am left uncertain whether I will read the next entry. Glad I read it, doubtful I'll re-read it.
Interesting story, and with potential, but fell short to captivate; to pull me in. The rhythm and pacing seemed off, the characters –almost without exception – were bland in a way that made it impossible to really connect with them. Not that they were bad, but the prose and narrative failed to have me care for any of them. Blackwood, perhaps, being the one exception. To me, he was the most fleshed out character of the cast.
The prose itself was decent. Slightly above average and enjoyable. It didn't stand out much, but did not "ruin" the experience. I'm sure the authors have the potential to improve, they have something interesting going on, and simply need (again, in my personal opinion) to work some kinks.
For me, fixing the pacing and rhythm of the story would make a world's difference. I believe it would help on many fronts: drawing the readers in, and character development.
All in all, it was intriguing and interesting enough to keep me going through the novel, but I am left uncertain whether I will read the next entry. Glad I read it, doubtful I'll re-read it.
angelvt's review against another edition
4.0
A novel that blends together the structure of a mystery with the somber undertones of a ghost story. It reads both as a cautionary tale advising against reaching farther into the spiritual realm than we ought to and as a reminder that you need to reconcile with your demons before you can move on. Reading through this, I'm reminded of gothic literature but with a modern twist that gives you the distinct impression that this book could be a movie, which I'm not mad at.
yaredimpp's review against another edition
3.0
Cómo buena Jalisquilla, en cuanto supe del nuevo libro de Guillermo del Toro lo tuve que tener, aunque iba con cautela por las malas calificaciones.
Creo que la idea es buena se nota la mano de Del Toro en los monstruos y los capítulos narrados por ellos, aunque son muy pocos y breves. Fue lo que más me gustó.
Sin embargo creo que le hizo falta pulirlo mucho más. Creo que es el 4 libro de ellos 2 en conjunto, sino fuera porque ya leí su trilogía anterior creería que este es su primer libro como dúo.
Otro punto a favor se lee en una sentada, ni sientes que son más de 300 páginas.
Creo que la idea es buena se nota la mano de Del Toro en los monstruos y los capítulos narrados por ellos, aunque son muy pocos y breves. Fue lo que más me gustó.
Sin embargo creo que le hizo falta pulirlo mucho más. Creo que es el 4 libro de ellos 2 en conjunto, sino fuera porque ya leí su trilogía anterior creería que este es su primer libro como dúo.
Otro punto a favor se lee en una sentada, ni sientes que son más de 300 páginas.