A review by amibunk
A New Darkness by Joseph Delaney

3.0

I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest review.
3.5 stars
While this book does not feel as magical first few books in the Last Apprentice series, it was a big improvement on the latter books.
What worked for me? Several things. First I liked that this wasn't simply a plot driven novel. While there is plenty of action, there was also some character development going on with my favorite spook, Tom. Additionally, I enjoyed that the majority of this book took place inside the County. For me, it made for deeper world building which is always a good thing. Finally, I love the idea of a female spook apprentice. It just feels right.
What didn't work for me? Despite having a few chapters told from Jenny's point of view, I didn't really form a connection with her. She does not come across as a dynamic character in any way and as the apprentice she should be the one growing the most. I also think the pacing of this novel was a bit off. I wish a little more time had been spent on the relationship between Tom and Jenny. As the book stands I don't feel like they're very connected to each other at all: Jenny appears to be only using Tom for her own future benefit while Tom seems to be using Jenny to fill the void left in his life by the death of John Gregory and Alice's betrayal.
Finally the incredible cliff hanger at the end of the novel felt a like a cheap shot. Delaney hasn't resorted to this sort of tactic in the past which makes me grumble quite a bit.
Still, over all, this is a good read and I found myself quite caught up in A New Darkness. I hope the next installment proves even better.