geekcliche's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
lynnedf's review against another edition
1.0
This book was ... chaotic, it felt rushed, it felt unfocused and then almost too obsessive ... it took me almost three weeks to read less than 500 pages and I can say I only finished it because I received a copy from Netgalley and felt an obligation to read it to the bitter end.
Honey was a difficult character to relate to - she seemed paranoid for absolutely no reason and she seemed to become obsessed with events, almost to the point that it felt like the story didn't move along until we hit the 80% mark. And then at that point it almost felt like a completely different story emerged. One that could have been more interesting than the original, but alas, it was too little, too late.
I was initially drawn to this story because it takes place in Bletchley during the second world war, but really, this was a story about a typist who was caught up in past lies. It was muddy and simply didn't do anything for me.
I can't recommend this book.
Honey was a difficult character to relate to - she seemed paranoid for absolutely no reason and she seemed to become obsessed with events, almost to the point that it felt like the story didn't move along until we hit the 80% mark. And then at that point it almost felt like a completely different story emerged. One that could have been more interesting than the original, but alas, it was too little, too late.
I was initially drawn to this story because it takes place in Bletchley during the second world war, but really, this was a story about a typist who was caught up in past lies. It was muddy and simply didn't do anything for me.
I can't recommend this book.
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
3.0
Visit the locations in the novelThe Amber Shadows
If you're looking for a novel about what the work was like at Bletchley Circle and the women especially who worked there then this is a good read. It's very atmospheric and detailed and shows a side to what went on that I hadn't read in this way before. I do think the novel could be shorter and not all of the threads were necessary which I think would have made it snappier and even better.
Claire
If you're looking for a novel about what the work was like at Bletchley Circle and the women especially who worked there then this is a good read. It's very atmospheric and detailed and shows a side to what went on that I hadn't read in this way before. I do think the novel could be shorter and not all of the threads were necessary which I think would have made it snappier and even better.
Claire
ender24's review against another edition
5.0
This book was pretty good! I loved the characters and the setting. It’s not highly rated on here, for I think the ending, but I found it entertaining until the very end! I liked the romance, but I feel like it was a little bit too slow burned for a stand alone book.
herondaleducks's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
disneydaughter's review against another edition
2.0
Contrary to my previous update, I decided to power through and finish this. Whilst it was easy enough to read, the story isn't convincing enough for it to be categorised as either a romance, thriller or historical novel. It's trying to be all of these things at once (which would be fine), but it's just a bit messy - the way in which the mystery progressed was confusing and lacklustre. Ultimately, I was disappointed as I enjoyed "The Hourglass Factory" and was expecting something with a bit more substance.
myadventurewithbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
mirificmoxie's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-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? No
3.5
*A suspenseful but slow WWII mystery*
The downside to spending so much time on Goodreads is that my reading has gotten too over-scheduled. It's almost eliminated any spontaneity in my reading. So the last time I was at the library, I picked up a couple of books at random. The Amber Shadows was one of them.
I have been severely burnt out on WWII novels for several years now. There are too many that are too similar and always cover the same aspects of the war. But The Amber Shadows is set at Bletchley Park and has to do with the code breaking done there during the war. I’ve long been fascinated by the Enigma machine, so I made an exception to my usual avoidance of WWII novels.
The story is about a young woman named Honey Deschamps working at Blethcley Park when she starts receiving mysterious packages with codes in them.
I was worried for a minute because the prologue is written in present tense. But thankfully, the bulk of the story is in past tense. Though it really doesn’t make sense that the prologue and (as it turned out) the epilogue switched to present tense.
The historical setting was well done with a lot of little details. The plot kept me engaged and guessing the whole time even though this is definitely a slow burn story. I liked the suspenseful atmosphere. There was a lot of propaganda during the was specifically made to encourage paranoia. That went double for people working in counter intelligence. “Loose lips sink ships” wasn’t some off the cuff phrase.
But although I liked the atmosphere, I wish there had been more build up to it. When the story opens, Honey has already been working at Bletchley for a while, and her nerves are already on edge. So the first package she receives is enough to send her spiraling into full paranoia. I would have enjoyed a slower buildup to the madness.
That also doesn’t give the reader much opportunity to get to know the main character. Honey isn't the most sympathetic character. It didn't help that the reader doesn't get to know her pre-paranoia. There were times when the constant state of apprehension felt almost monotonous.
Nevertheless, for most of the book, I thought this would end up a four star rating for me. But after all that buildup, the ending felt rushed and a little anticlimactic. There was also this ongoing thing the whole book about what Honey’s real name was; the answer to that ended up being particularly anticlimactic. But while I wish the ending had been more solid, I did enjoy the book overall.
RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 4 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 3 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 4 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars
The downside to spending so much time on Goodreads is that my reading has gotten too over-scheduled. It's almost eliminated any spontaneity in my reading. So the last time I was at the library, I picked up a couple of books at random. The Amber Shadows was one of them.
I have been severely burnt out on WWII novels for several years now. There are too many that are too similar and always cover the same aspects of the war. But The Amber Shadows is set at Bletchley Park and has to do with the code breaking done there during the war. I’ve long been fascinated by the Enigma machine, so I made an exception to my usual avoidance of WWII novels.
The story is about a young woman named Honey Deschamps working at Blethcley Park when she starts receiving mysterious packages with codes in them.
I was worried for a minute because the prologue is written in present tense. But thankfully, the bulk of the story is in past tense. Though it really doesn’t make sense that the prologue and (as it turned out) the epilogue switched to present tense.
The historical setting was well done with a lot of little details. The plot kept me engaged and guessing the whole time even though this is definitely a slow burn story. I liked the suspenseful atmosphere. There was a lot of propaganda during the was specifically made to encourage paranoia. That went double for people working in counter intelligence. “Loose lips sink ships” wasn’t some off the cuff phrase.
But although I liked the atmosphere, I wish there had been more build up to it. When the story opens, Honey has already been working at Bletchley for a while, and her nerves are already on edge. So the first package she receives is enough to send her spiraling into full paranoia. I would have enjoyed a slower buildup to the madness.
That also doesn’t give the reader much opportunity to get to know the main character. Honey isn't the most sympathetic character. It didn't help that the reader doesn't get to know her pre-paranoia. There were times when the constant state of apprehension felt almost monotonous.
Nevertheless, for most of the book, I thought this would end up a four star rating for me. But after all that buildup, the ending felt rushed and a little anticlimactic. There was also this ongoing thing the whole book about what Honey’s real name was; the answer to that ended up being particularly anticlimactic. But while I wish the ending had been more solid, I did enjoy the book overall.
RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 4 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 3 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 4 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars
vanessa1756's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5