bertrandlm's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
mvvre's review
3.0
This was a quick and easy read, as these books always are, but there was a character called Abbadon -a male angel- which contradicts Abbadon in the series who is a female knight of hell. Other than that it was a nice basic read.
heather_rushforth's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is one of the best books in the SPN series so far. It was surprisingly about the core challenge of season5 (most books have been MOW- monster of the week). But then I read the author was Kripke assistant for the first 5 seasons and helped write an episode, it made sense. She also wrote the next book so I am excited to read it too.
This one focuses on the boys traveling back in time to try to find a missing pages of a Dead Sea scroll to try to stop Lucifer. The wrap up and reasoning was a bit convoluted. And involved a character Abaddon (Angel) who actually appears in the show 3 years later as a demon. Guess the writers of season 8 don’t consider these books canon! But Sam and Dean are true to character and allude to other hunters and networks (which also foreshadows developments in future years in the show)
This one focuses on the boys traveling back in time to try to find a missing pages of a Dead Sea scroll to try to stop Lucifer. The wrap up and reasoning was a bit convoluted. And involved a character Abaddon (Angel) who actually appears in the show 3 years later as a demon. Guess the writers of season 8 don’t consider these books canon! But Sam and Dean are true to character and allude to other hunters and networks (which also foreshadows developments in future years in the show)
saphirablue's review
1.0
Why is the book that was written by two Authors who actually wrote episodes for the show is the one with the most OOC moments? :( Sam had to fend for himself when they were little? Sam lets himself be willingly possessed by a wife of Lucifer (quite apart from the fact that he has a tattoo that prevents possession!)? The boys just trust Don and later Julia and her father without even saying once "Christo" even though they know something is strange?!
Also, that book was clearly written by a Sam lover. Yes, I'm a Dean girl but when watching the show and reading the tie-in novels I'm all for both of them and cheer, mourn, hurt and suffer with both of them. I might favour Dean but I enjoy Sam too! So, I really don't like it when tie-in novels do the job that is reserved for fanfic and favour a character or ship which the show doesn't (a reason why I'm not reading the SGA "Legacy" books and didn't like "Endgame" very much - the John/Teyla UST/ship. That's something for fanfic when it wasn't featured in the show (or at that point of the show the book is set) but not for an (officially) tie-in novel!).
That and some other things (like shifting POVs) made me not enjoy this book.
Also, that book was clearly written by a Sam lover. Yes, I'm a Dean girl but when watching the show and reading the tie-in novels I'm all for both of them and cheer, mourn, hurt and suffer with both of them. I might favour Dean but I enjoy Sam too! So, I really don't like it when tie-in novels do the job that is reserved for fanfic and favour a character or ship which the show doesn't (a reason why I'm not reading the SGA "Legacy" books and didn't like "Endgame" very much - the John/Teyla UST/ship. That's something for fanfic when it wasn't featured in the show (or at that point of the show the book is set) but not for an (officially) tie-in novel!).
That and some other things (like shifting POVs) made me not enjoy this book.
claire1044's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
krisha's review
2.0
TV show tie in novels are tough to review. They're never going to be great works of art so I never set the bar too high. At the same time they need to live up to two pretty basic requirements for to really enjoy them.
First they need to capture the voice of the series. This is something that the Veronica Mars books do really well. War of the Sons tries really hard to capture the voice of the series. It does it much better than [b:Nevermore|850432|Nevermore (Supernatural, #1)|Keith R.A. DeCandido|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347441675s/850432.jpg|835943]. Still there were parts, especially towards the end, where I was so distracted by trying to force the book into how it should sound that I wasn't even paying attention to the story. However there were bits of dialogue that fit really well, Dean's snarky personality and pop culture references were on full display here. However,
The second thing that tie in novels need is to at least attempt to stay within cannon. This book fell so far outside of canon it was hard for me to think of it as anything other than particularly good fanfiction. Also, it's Cas NOT Cass thankyouverymuch.
Despite all of that I enjoyed the story. I love anything that takes me back to the days of the Apocalypse and I'm sucker for time travel. Taken as a work outside of canon it was a fun read.
First they need to capture the voice of the series. This is something that the Veronica Mars books do really well. War of the Sons tries really hard to capture the voice of the series. It does it much better than [b:Nevermore|850432|Nevermore (Supernatural, #1)|Keith R.A. DeCandido|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347441675s/850432.jpg|835943]. Still there were parts, especially towards the end, where I was so distracted by trying to force the book into how it should sound that I wasn't even paying attention to the story. However there were bits of dialogue that fit really well, Dean's snarky personality and pop culture references were on full display here. However,
Spoiler
to even suggest that Dean was in love with Julia was mildly ridiculous and completely out of character.The second thing that tie in novels need is to at least attempt to stay within cannon. This book fell so far outside of canon it was hard for me to think of it as anything other than particularly good fanfiction.
Spoiler
In particular it was hard to go along with Abaddon as an angel since at these point we all know the Abaddon of the TV series.Despite all of that I enjoyed the story. I love anything that takes me back to the days of the Apocalypse and I'm sucker for time travel. Taken as a work outside of canon it was a fun read.
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