Reviews with content warning for Forced institutionalization - Die Spiegelreisende Band 4 - Im Sturm der Echos

I wanted so badly to love this conclusion... but there is a huge pacing issue between this book and the previous one. It felt like these super complex, interweaving plotlines that had taken entire chapters (sometimes entire books!) to set up were resolved extremely quickly, so that the events - when they happened - weren't as emotionally gripping or even shocking at all. Dabos abuses devices until it gets to a point where you expect the plot twist to come from somewhere, which deprives it of any effect entirely.

It really bothers me, because I really enjoyed the rest of the series, even as it got increasingly weirder and more complex. I kind of wish Dabos had stuck with the arranged marriage/forced adaption to a hostile environment plotline and kept it simpler.

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grimmdark's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging mysterious tense fast-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

3.75

MY PHONE GLITCHED AND ERASED THE ENTIRE REVIEW FOR THIS I JUST WROTE. i guess i'll have to come back in the morning because i'm not typing all of that again at 3 am. really satisfied to have finally finished this series tho.

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claudiamacpherson's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.0

Ophelia has finally reunited with Thorn, but to find the answers they are looking for regarding God and the Other, she must submit herself to the Deviations observatory, a place everyone has warned her against.

I love Ophelia and Thorn, as well as many other side characters, so I enjoyed reading this book in order to spend more time with them. Unfortunately, the explanations and resolutions were far too complicated and not particularly fun to read. By the end, I was still confused but had no desire to read any more backstory. I usually love worldbuilding details, but in this case it was too dense.

Unlike many other readers, I didn’t mind the ending between Ophelia and Thorn.

Of course I wanted them to end up together and have their own “happily ever after,” but this more open-ended finale fit with the tone of this series. I am also a sucker for one person being willing to risk danger for their partner, so Ophelia diving through the mirror to go after Thorn was perfect for me. The determination of both Thorn and Ophelia as well as their devotion to each other give me complete confidence that they will find each other and make their way home.

Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the vibe of the ending):

Not fully happy, but definitely hopeful. It is rather open-ended, though this is meant to be the final book in the series.

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burnt_amber89's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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