Scan barcode
everybody's review against another edition
2.0
An incredibly weak and disappointing opening to a second book.
The grieving was very well done. The entire section about demise and the impact of such a loss was very believable. But it was glaringly obvious immediately to the reader that she isn't dead so the entire section had an incredibly hollow feel to it because you know it is all for nought. It goes on and on and on and you know the entire time. It's incredibly frustrating and feels like a huge waste of my time.
The way that the mc doesn't realize what's going on is pathetic as well. The first book convinced us that he was able to rapidly analyze and make good decisions under stress but now this? Everything that happened was extremely suspicious. This is so incredibly unbelievable that I can't even put my frustration into words. Dropped roughly 1/10 in. I skimmed a bit first and it seems 1/5 of this book is just this absurd bs even an oblivious reader will pick up on in the first 10 pages.
Sad.
The grieving was very well done. The entire section about
Spoiler
AlexesThe way that the mc doesn't realize what's going on is pathetic as well. The first book convinced us that he was able to rapidly analyze and make good decisions under stress but now this? Everything that happened was extremely suspicious. This is so incredibly unbelievable that I can't even put my frustration into words. Dropped roughly 1/10 in. I skimmed a bit first and it seems 1/5 of this book is just this absurd bs even an oblivious reader will pick up on in the first 10 pages.
Sad.
thepaperzombie's review against another edition
4.0
I read a few of the reviews before I purchased this book on Amazon. Sometimes I wonder why I do that to myself. The reviews sometimes turn me off of a book at first. I'm glad I ignored the reviews and went with my initial feelings.
One of the reviews basically said the main character whines too much. Maybe we were reading different books or maybe we have seriously different ideas for the definition of whining. All I know is this wasn't the case as far as I could tell. Niall goes through some tough times in this book. He's torn between helping his daughter and following his duty. It takes a bit for him to understand that just running off without a plan is a bad way to help his daughter. He was a bit more stubborn that I'd have liked but I suppose when your daughter is kidnapped by a secret government organization bent on ridding her of her Feyre powers and possibly killing her or driving her mad in the process you might be a bit angry about the situation which would undoubtedly cloud your judgement. He could have made some better choices. That's certainly true though he hadn't even finished all of his Warder training and he's still getting used to being Fey so I suppose I can cut him some slack. He's kind of just thrown into a mission with no explanation as to what is even going on or what he's looking for. Not an ideal first mission but in the grand scheme I think he handled things pretty well.
I thought this was a very good follow up to Sixty-One Nails. This is one of the few times I didn't guess the ending before it happened. Honestly didn't see it coming and fooling me is tough. I usually have a book figured out before I'm halfway through but this one kind of stumped me. The ending was enough of a twist that I was surprised and worried about how it was all going to end.
I was very happy with this book. It has less of the issues with format that the first book did but that could be because there was less dialogue. It's well written and the pacing is perfect. Niall really does need to stop forgetting his sword though. There's a missing girl and you leave your sword on your bed? Not smart. It worked out in the end I suppose but it could have just as easily gotten him killed. Again though he's still not used to being a warder. If you liked the first book, you'll like this one too I think. It's a very good follow up.
One of the reviews basically said the main character whines too much. Maybe we were reading different books or maybe we have seriously different ideas for the definition of whining. All I know is this wasn't the case as far as I could tell. Niall goes through some tough times in this book. He's torn between helping his daughter and following his duty. It takes a bit for him to understand that just running off without a plan is a bad way to help his daughter. He was a bit more stubborn that I'd have liked but I suppose when your daughter is kidnapped by a secret government organization bent on ridding her of her Feyre powers and possibly killing her or driving her mad in the process you might be a bit angry about the situation which would undoubtedly cloud your judgement. He could have made some better choices. That's certainly true though he hadn't even finished all of his Warder training and he's still getting used to being Fey so I suppose I can cut him some slack. He's kind of just thrown into a mission with no explanation as to what is even going on or what he's looking for. Not an ideal first mission but in the grand scheme I think he handled things pretty well.
I thought this was a very good follow up to Sixty-One Nails. This is one of the few times I didn't guess the ending before it happened. Honestly didn't see it coming and fooling me is tough. I usually have a book figured out before I'm halfway through but this one kind of stumped me. The ending was enough of a twist that I was surprised and worried about how it was all going to end.
I was very happy with this book. It has less of the issues with format that the first book did but that could be because there was less dialogue. It's well written and the pacing is perfect. Niall really does need to stop forgetting his sword though. There's a missing girl and you leave your sword on your bed? Not smart. It worked out in the end I suppose but it could have just as easily gotten him killed. Again though he's still not used to being a warder. If you liked the first book, you'll like this one too I think. It's a very good follow up.
git_r_read's review against another edition
5.0
SIXTY-ONE NAILS was about Niall discovering the magical world and his place in it. THE ROAD TO BEDLAM is about family, specifically his daughter who is thought dead in an accident that happened at school, but she has really been taken by an agency to study.
Niall will do whatever it takes to rescue her as will the magical community, the good side of the magical community.
Niall is sent on another mission while something else is in play.
Plenty of action, misguided magical use, good intentions, awesome awesome, awesome! Cannot wait to read the next book.
Niall will do whatever it takes to rescue her as will the magical community, the good side of the magical community.
Niall is sent on another mission while something else is in play.
Plenty of action, misguided magical use, good intentions, awesome awesome, awesome! Cannot wait to read the next book.
meiko's review against another edition
3.0
Review note found from a note written 31 May, 2018
Every quarter through the book, I put it down and try to get over the fact that I'm mildly irritated.
Here we are, protagonist in his 40s, acting like Harry Potter the Man Child. Not to mention the capable, strong partner of his that somehow survived for 300 years prior but now that she's pregnant, all caution is thrown to the wind.
I mean, yes, there was a big, traumatic event, but it's like he just gets constantly sidetracked to the point he is just putting everyone and anyone in danger, and all these loose ends are not tied up.
And the author knows they are not tied up, so a couple of ridiculous dialogues between the main characters and other small time side characters are thrown in to attempt at tying the loose ends up.
I'm still intrigued by the story itself but the character is getting less and less likeable. Also, what's with that ending? This is not a long running TV series where you leave a cliff hanger to be tied up in the next book.
Every quarter through the book, I put it down and try to get over the fact that I'm mildly irritated.
Here we are, protagonist in his 40s, acting like Harry Potter the Man Child. Not to mention the capable, strong partner of his that somehow survived for 300 years prior but now that she's pregnant, all caution is thrown to the wind.
I mean, yes, there was a big, traumatic event, but it's like he just gets constantly sidetracked to the point he is just putting everyone and anyone in danger, and all these loose ends are not tied up.
And the author knows they are not tied up, so a couple of ridiculous dialogues between the main characters and other small time side characters are thrown in to attempt at tying the loose ends up.
I'm still intrigued by the story itself but the character is getting less and less likeable. Also, what's with that ending? This is not a long running TV series where you leave a cliff hanger to be tied up in the next book.
texaswolfman's review against another edition
5.0
I liked the first book of this urban fantasy series, 61 Nails. Loved this second installment much more. The groundwork was laid out in the first book and this one just hit the ground running. Very good Dresden File feel!!!
eahaynes's review against another edition
4.0
I may have enjoyed this sequel more than the original. Fast-paced, original, and compelling, I love the idea of a hidden faery world that exists in a Cold War-like relationship with our own. A couple of scenes put this book in the adults only category, so not a bedtime read with the kiddos.
chappellmw90's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
thessilian's review against another edition
3.0
Generally enjoyable, but Blackbird seems to have changed her personality just because she's pregnant. Her actions don't make much sense, and seem a little tacked on and not integral to the story. Still, the universe is solid and I enjoyed the protagonist learning more about himself and his powers.
cupiscent's review against another edition
2.0
Not bad, just not really satisfying at all. I was looking forward to seeing the polish of practice smoothing out some of glitches that marred the first book, but instead they seem to have got worse, and many of the good elements of the first one were not repeated here. This is far less tight that the first one, and where Sixty-one Nails was pretty non-stop and pacey, this spends pages woffling about, as our narrator steps us through moral or mental processes, many of which had been discussed previously anyway. It felt like endlessly churning over the same space, not really moving anything forward. Like a car bogged in the mud.
Separately, both the girls-lost-to-the-sea storyline and the fate-of-his-daughter storyline are fascinating and have some really interesting material - and I can totally see the thematic link in there (I should, he beats us over the head with it explicitly) - but they were never really interwoven in the novel, making it feel more like the seaside story was shoved into the middle to make things longer - and Raffmir popping up at random to Be Portentious didn't help at all. And I was looking forward to some digging into Bedlam and the relationship of insanity to society (especially given the excellent work in the first one with arcane legal ritual and magic), but actually there was just a passing reference.
I am disappoint. Pretty mediocre. Won't be reading further.
Separately, both the girls-lost-to-the-sea storyline and the fate-of-his-daughter storyline are fascinating and have some really interesting material - and I can totally see the thematic link in there (I should, he beats us over the head with it explicitly) - but they were never really interwoven in the novel, making it feel more like the seaside story was shoved into the middle to make things longer - and Raffmir popping up at random to Be Portentious didn't help at all. And I was looking forward to some digging into Bedlam and the relationship of insanity to society (especially given the excellent work in the first one with arcane legal ritual and magic), but actually there was just a passing reference.
I am disappoint. Pretty mediocre. Won't be reading further.