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Rachel Griffin #3
Rachel and the Many-Splendored Dreamland
It's Halloween at the Roanoke Academy for the Sorcerous Arts, and Rachel Griffin is stirring up the dead!
All her life, Rachel has wanted to visit Beaumont Castle in the kingdom of Transylvania, the last known location of her hero, librarian-adventurer "Daring" Northwest. Only falling out of the land of dreams onto her face was not how she had expected to arrive.
Now, the castle is right there, looming over her. Only her best friend, the Princess of Magical Australia does not want to go in, so as to avoid an international incident. But what if the castle holds some clue as to her hero's final fate?
And who was that mysterious figure hanging by the neck she glimpsed in the dreamlands, just before she fell. Could the Dead Men's Ball, where the spooks and ghosts of the Hudson Highland gather once a year on Halloween to dance to the music of some very unexpected musicians, be the key to discovering the hanged man's identity?
All her life, Rachel has wanted to visit Beaumont Castle in the kingdom of Transylvania, the last known location of her hero, librarian-adventurer "Daring" Northwest. Only falling out of the land of dreams onto her face was not how she had expected to arrive.
Now, the castle is right there, looming over her. Only her best friend, the Princess of Magical Australia does not want to go in, so as to avoid an international incident. But what if the castle holds some clue as to her hero's final fate?
And who was that mysterious figure hanging by the neck she glimpsed in the dreamlands, just before she fell. Could the Dead Men's Ball, where the spooks and ghosts of the Hudson Highland gather once a year on Halloween to dance to the music of some very unexpected musicians, be the key to discovering the hanged man's identity?
- GenresFantasyYoung Adult
459 pages, Paperback
First published October 14, 2016
21 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
L. Jagi Lamplighter
69 books120 followers
L. Jagi Lamplighter is a writer of fantasy and children's stories. When not writing, she reverts to her secret ID where she lives in fairytale happiness with her husband, writer John C. Wright, and their four delightful children Orville, Ping-Ping, the Cherubim, and Justinian the Elf King.
For more information, see:
Prospero Lost: A Writer's Odyssey -- an essay about how Prospero Lost came to be, the rigors of the writing life, negotiating the labyrinth of the publishing world, and the Great Agent Hunt.
All About The Wonder: Why I Write Fantasy -- an essay about wonder and the real magic of life.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 4, 2018
Disclaimer: The author will be coming to my store to do a signing (weather permitting, please, no more snow!) in a few weeks, but I completely fell in love with the first book of the series a year or so ago, well before this signing was to take place. The opinions below in no way reflect this visit, but I admit, I might just fangirl when she comes in. Because these books are just THAT darn good! Ok disclaimer over, onto the all over the place, don't know how to put into words the awesome-ness of this book, review. :)
I completely and utterly LOVE this book series. I just want to read more and more so I can get to the end to see how it all works out. Thankfully I have the next book in the series, but WHAT DO I DO AFTER THAT?!?!
Somehow I had this book for a while and didn't realize I had it and I'm kicking myself for not reading it sooner. But at least by waiting, unintentional as it was, I have the next book to read right now! Which I will jump into after I finish a book I am borrowing from a friend. It's a short one, so it will be a breather and not a bother and I won't miss Rachel and her gang too much.
I really don't know what I can say about this book and the rest of the ones in this series other than read them! They really are quite fantastic.
They are similar to Harry Potter, with magic and the real world existing side-by-side, broom riding, a magic academy and a group of preteens who are friends and somehow have to save the world because they are special. Not that the adults are all stupid and incapable, far from it. They do come to the rescue, but they are adults and don't expect children to be able to do anything and need to stay safe, when events happen around and to the children. It's a delicate balance, having children do the fighting, but they tend to run into things, they aren't trying to be the heroes. Well, except Siggy. :)
The characters are great, the foreshadowing is nerve-wracking and the setting is very interesting. I like the dream walking, that seems like fun, but it can also be very scary. Walking into someone else's nightmare is no picnic.
I'm on the fence about the Princess Natasha, she is really a stickler for the rules and it gets on my nerves, BUT she has a point when the others try to dig deeper, as she doesn't explain the "why" behind her decisions unless asked. She is Royalty and as such, she has rules that she HAS to follow, or things like discord between her country and another can happen. It must be a very lonely and frustrating way to live, so I try to give her the benefit of the doubt, but she is un-bending. I wish I saw her interact with Rachel more. They seem to have drifted apart a bit.
And WHAT is the Crow? I'm STILL trying to figure it out, as well as a host of other things. I know all will be revealed and I can't WAIT to see how it all ties together. I have my suspicions, but I find it more pleasurable to just go along for the ride, rather than try to figure it all out. I have faith it will work out, so no stress!
5, huge, glad I have the next book right now, stars! :)
I completely and utterly LOVE this book series. I just want to read more and more so I can get to the end to see how it all works out. Thankfully I have the next book in the series, but WHAT DO I DO AFTER THAT?!?!
Somehow I had this book for a while and didn't realize I had it and I'm kicking myself for not reading it sooner. But at least by waiting, unintentional as it was, I have the next book to read right now! Which I will jump into after I finish a book I am borrowing from a friend. It's a short one, so it will be a breather and not a bother and I won't miss Rachel and her gang too much.
I really don't know what I can say about this book and the rest of the ones in this series other than read them! They really are quite fantastic.
They are similar to Harry Potter, with magic and the real world existing side-by-side, broom riding, a magic academy and a group of preteens who are friends and somehow have to save the world because they are special. Not that the adults are all stupid and incapable, far from it. They do come to the rescue, but they are adults and don't expect children to be able to do anything and need to stay safe, when events happen around and to the children. It's a delicate balance, having children do the fighting, but they tend to run into things, they aren't trying to be the heroes. Well, except Siggy. :)
The characters are great, the foreshadowing is nerve-wracking and the setting is very interesting. I like the dream walking, that seems like fun, but it can also be very scary. Walking into someone else's nightmare is no picnic.
I'm on the fence about the Princess Natasha, she is really a stickler for the rules and it gets on my nerves, BUT she has a point when the others try to dig deeper, as she doesn't explain the "why" behind her decisions unless asked. She is Royalty and as such, she has rules that she HAS to follow, or things like discord between her country and another can happen. It must be a very lonely and frustrating way to live, so I try to give her the benefit of the doubt, but she is un-bending. I wish I saw her interact with Rachel more. They seem to have drifted apart a bit.
And WHAT is the Crow? I'm STILL trying to figure it out, as well as a host of other things. I know all will be revealed and I can't WAIT to see how it all ties together. I have my suspicions, but I find it more pleasurable to just go along for the ride, rather than try to figure it all out. I have faith it will work out, so no stress!
5, huge, glad I have the next book right now, stars! :)
August 31, 2020
Rachel and the Many-Splendored Dreamland continues the adventures of Rachel Griffin, a 13-year-old witch in a Harry Potter world with the serial numbers filed off and tossed in a blender with Deities & Demigods and The Chronicles of Narnia.
Rachel is the daughter of the Duke of Devon, who is very, very rich and British and aristocratic, but also a dashing action hero for the Wisecraft's magical law enforcement, and married to Rachel's mother, who's a beautiful Korean woman, which results in a number of references to Rachel's mother and sisters being extra hot because of that spicy Asian flavor. While poor Rachel, who's dating a boy several years older than her, worries that he'll lose attraction to her if she shows weakness, and also because of her lack of boobs. Ahem. There is a lot of teen drama and girly angst in this book.
The charm of the first book in the Rachel Griffin series has been enough to keep me going, but book three, while it had its moments, seemed to be retreading what happened in book two. The pacing of this series is really becoming a slog. As I have mentioned in reviews of the previous two books, the author has been very open about the fact that this series is based on her home RPG campaign, and she seems to be literally writing all their sessions as part of the story. The problem with this is common to novels based on RPGs: not just the points where the game mechanics and the die rolls intrude into the story (better authors don't do this, and Lamplighter mostly avoids it), but the fact that an RPG campaign is very different from a novel. Player Characters do whatever the player thinks is interesting or fun, not necessarily what makes sense. Players don't need to be consistent or logical, and the GM is often forced to improvise, making things up on the fly and letting the players derail whatever plot he had in mind.
There are a number of places in this story where you can see the PCs derailing the plot.
Also, since it seems like every session is being written into the series, this is the third book and Rachel hasn't even finished her first semester at Roanoke Academy yet.
Despite this being a juvenile Harry Potter knockoff, there are some pretty dark scenes. Rowling wrote some dark scenes too, but Lamplighter goes further — there are explicit references to rape, human sacrifice, baby-killing, and people burning in eternal hellfire. When Rachel isn't pining for her Muggle-born boyfriend (who is apparently the reincarnation of an intergalactic conqueror from an alternate universe or something? I totally didn't get that part) while wondering whether dark, broody bad-boy Von Dread will marry her or her sister (yes, it's confusing), she is trying to save the world from literal demons.
I mentioned eternal hellfire. From the first book, it's been clear this series is going to be some sort of Christian allegory. Lamplighter is stealthier about it than C.S. Lewis, or maybe just slower — I mean, Aslan came out and made it clear what he represented in the first Narnia book. Rachel is still trying to figure out what exactly "angels" are, while also dealing with ghosts, elves, pagan gods, and demons. The World of the Wisecraft is one in which Christianity has somehow been erased from history, leaving only a few traces behind. I assume the series arc will eventually involve bringing God back to their world. I don't know exactly what Lamplighter's theological beliefs are (other than that she's obviously Christian, and married to super-conservative Catholic SF author John C. Wright), but I'm still reading with a bit of skepticism. If she goes all fire-and-brimstone and all the unsaved are going to burn in hell, that would be... well, a disappointing revelation. On the other hand, C.S. Lewis was a little more nuanced than that, so I am hoping Lamplighter is too.
Anyway, this is a strange little series that has cute scenes, dark scenes, and confusing scenes. It's still basically Harry Potter fan fiction, but if you like that kind of thing, it is enjoyable. I just wish we'd actually see the characters get older.
Rachel is the daughter of the Duke of Devon, who is very, very rich and British and aristocratic, but also a dashing action hero for the Wisecraft's magical law enforcement, and married to Rachel's mother, who's a beautiful Korean woman, which results in a number of references to Rachel's mother and sisters being extra hot because of that spicy Asian flavor. While poor Rachel, who's dating a boy several years older than her, worries that he'll lose attraction to her if she shows weakness, and also because of her lack of boobs. Ahem. There is a lot of teen drama and girly angst in this book.
The charm of the first book in the Rachel Griffin series has been enough to keep me going, but book three, while it had its moments, seemed to be retreading what happened in book two. The pacing of this series is really becoming a slog. As I have mentioned in reviews of the previous two books, the author has been very open about the fact that this series is based on her home RPG campaign, and she seems to be literally writing all their sessions as part of the story. The problem with this is common to novels based on RPGs: not just the points where the game mechanics and the die rolls intrude into the story (better authors don't do this, and Lamplighter mostly avoids it), but the fact that an RPG campaign is very different from a novel. Player Characters do whatever the player thinks is interesting or fun, not necessarily what makes sense. Players don't need to be consistent or logical, and the GM is often forced to improvise, making things up on the fly and letting the players derail whatever plot he had in mind.
There are a number of places in this story where you can see the PCs derailing the plot.
Also, since it seems like every session is being written into the series, this is the third book and Rachel hasn't even finished her first semester at Roanoke Academy yet.
Despite this being a juvenile Harry Potter knockoff, there are some pretty dark scenes. Rowling wrote some dark scenes too, but Lamplighter goes further — there are explicit references to rape, human sacrifice, baby-killing, and people burning in eternal hellfire. When Rachel isn't pining for her Muggle-born boyfriend (who is apparently the reincarnation of an intergalactic conqueror from an alternate universe or something? I totally didn't get that part) while wondering whether dark, broody bad-boy Von Dread will marry her or her sister (yes, it's confusing), she is trying to save the world from literal demons.
I mentioned eternal hellfire. From the first book, it's been clear this series is going to be some sort of Christian allegory. Lamplighter is stealthier about it than C.S. Lewis, or maybe just slower — I mean, Aslan came out and made it clear what he represented in the first Narnia book. Rachel is still trying to figure out what exactly "angels" are, while also dealing with ghosts, elves, pagan gods, and demons. The World of the Wisecraft is one in which Christianity has somehow been erased from history, leaving only a few traces behind. I assume the series arc will eventually involve bringing God back to their world. I don't know exactly what Lamplighter's theological beliefs are (other than that she's obviously Christian, and married to super-conservative Catholic SF author John C. Wright), but I'm still reading with a bit of skepticism. If she goes all fire-and-brimstone and all the unsaved are going to burn in hell, that would be... well, a disappointing revelation. On the other hand, C.S. Lewis was a little more nuanced than that, so I am hoping Lamplighter is too.
Anyway, this is a strange little series that has cute scenes, dark scenes, and confusing scenes. It's still basically Harry Potter fan fiction, but if you like that kind of thing, it is enjoyable. I just wish we'd actually see the characters get older.
October 14, 2016
L. Jagi Lamplighter's Rachel Griffin series is a fantastic modern fantasy series for young adult readers. I've already reviewed the first two entries here: The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin and The Raven, the Elf, and Rachel. The newest entry, Rachel and the Many-Splendored Dreamland, is available today. As with the second book, I was fortunate enough to receive a free review copy - only this time I was even luckier because I got it in advance!
Like the first two entries, this book is fantastic for the Harry Potter fans in the audience. Mrs. Lamplighter does a wonderful job of capturing the feel of Ms. Rowling's world without making it feel like it's just a copy. Roanoke School resembles Hogwarts in feel, but it's definitely a unique place of its own, and the characters are fresh and interesting, not just retreads of Harry and Friends. Rachel Griffin herself continues to be an excellent and interesting character. Somehow I have now read three books about this thirteen year old girl without once wanting to strangle her. I suppose it is a fantasy book, after all!
For those who haven't been paying attention, I had this to say about its immediate predecessor:
"I do have two complaints about this book, however. First, there is a pretty fair amount of talking rather than doing. It’s engaging talking, and it’s fun. It never gets dull. But at the end of the day it feels like not much actually happens… until all of a sudden there’s a giant confrontation at the end. The first book suffered a bit from “talking rather than doing” syndrome as well, but not to this degree. And that feeds into the second problem, which is closely related. This book is a “middle” book, and it kind of felt like it. It wasn’t anywhere near enough to destroy the book – I still found myself so enthralled that I finished it very quickly. But it is enough that I noticed it."
This book completely fixed both of those issues. Indeed, it went much the opposite direction. The book opens with a bang and it hardly stops to catch its breath. This is definitely the action-packed entry in the series. It's a wild ride that's over all too soon and leaves you wanting more.
There is one issue that I will log not so much as a complaint as a note. This book is about a thirteen year old girl, and its target audience is the Young Adult market - specifically, young girls. Parts of the book delve into Rachel's feelings about relationships in a way that is probably pure crack to that target audience... but it's not particularly appealing those of us, say, in the "mid 30s and male" demographic. It's not a bad thing. Teenage girls will eat it up. Me? Not so much. Still, that's what this book is aimed at, and it fulfilled its goal well.
Even with that, this was easily the best entry in the series to date. Highly recommended for Young Adults, especially girls, who like fantasy books. Highly recommended as well for adults who like fantasy and can enjoy the occasional Young Adult novel. Five out of five stars.
Like the first two entries, this book is fantastic for the Harry Potter fans in the audience. Mrs. Lamplighter does a wonderful job of capturing the feel of Ms. Rowling's world without making it feel like it's just a copy. Roanoke School resembles Hogwarts in feel, but it's definitely a unique place of its own, and the characters are fresh and interesting, not just retreads of Harry and Friends. Rachel Griffin herself continues to be an excellent and interesting character. Somehow I have now read three books about this thirteen year old girl without once wanting to strangle her. I suppose it is a fantasy book, after all!
For those who haven't been paying attention, I had this to say about its immediate predecessor:
"I do have two complaints about this book, however. First, there is a pretty fair amount of talking rather than doing. It’s engaging talking, and it’s fun. It never gets dull. But at the end of the day it feels like not much actually happens… until all of a sudden there’s a giant confrontation at the end. The first book suffered a bit from “talking rather than doing” syndrome as well, but not to this degree. And that feeds into the second problem, which is closely related. This book is a “middle” book, and it kind of felt like it. It wasn’t anywhere near enough to destroy the book – I still found myself so enthralled that I finished it very quickly. But it is enough that I noticed it."
This book completely fixed both of those issues. Indeed, it went much the opposite direction. The book opens with a bang and it hardly stops to catch its breath. This is definitely the action-packed entry in the series. It's a wild ride that's over all too soon and leaves you wanting more.
There is one issue that I will log not so much as a complaint as a note. This book is about a thirteen year old girl, and its target audience is the Young Adult market - specifically, young girls. Parts of the book delve into Rachel's feelings about relationships in a way that is probably pure crack to that target audience... but it's not particularly appealing those of us, say, in the "mid 30s and male" demographic. It's not a bad thing. Teenage girls will eat it up. Me? Not so much. Still, that's what this book is aimed at, and it fulfilled its goal well.
Even with that, this was easily the best entry in the series to date. Highly recommended for Young Adults, especially girls, who like fantasy books. Highly recommended as well for adults who like fantasy and can enjoy the occasional Young Adult novel. Five out of five stars.
August 30, 2017
Interesting characters. Fun plot lines. Interesting interaction with mythology.
However, the story arc in this is all wrong. I admit, I didn't read the first two books, because I had this in a collection. It grabbed my attention right away, though it wasn't quite the same as the other stories in the collection, with the characters being quite a bit younger.
But there was a bunch of action at the beginning (which I'm assuming finishes some of the things set up in the previous books) and some action at the end. But in the middle it seemed to d r a g o n. . . That's why the 3 stars instead of 4.
By the end I was back into the characters and the story. However, I wasn't expecting the end right there, so it was a bit abrupt. I felt like that could have resulted from the unconventional story arc.
However, the story arc in this is all wrong. I admit, I didn't read the first two books, because I had this in a collection. It grabbed my attention right away, though it wasn't quite the same as the other stories in the collection, with the characters being quite a bit younger.
But there was a bunch of action at the beginning (which I'm assuming finishes some of the things set up in the previous books) and some action at the end. But in the middle it seemed to d r a g o n. . . That's why the 3 stars instead of 4.
By the end I was back into the characters and the story. However, I wasn't expecting the end right there, so it was a bit abrupt. I felt like that could have resulted from the unconventional story arc.
June 7, 2017
(I got a free copy of this from the author, BTW.)
the continuing adventures of Rachel Griffin. Spoilers ahead for the earlier two.
It, in fact, opens with Rachel and her friends experimenting with the dream-walking powers from the earlier books.
This book takes up more time than the earlier ones, and progresses through several months as they learn more about the significances of the sacrifices. It includes a castle in Transylvania, a goose that's more than it seems, learning more about the princess's visions and what they mean about the characters' pasts (Gaius gets reassured about something he feared), a discussion of the sinking of the Titanic, ghosts and skeletons, the issues of studying history and science when the very universe can be changed, Vladimir's love, and more.
the continuing adventures of Rachel Griffin. Spoilers ahead for the earlier two.
It, in fact, opens with Rachel and her friends experimenting with the dream-walking powers from the earlier books.
This book takes up more time than the earlier ones, and progresses through several months as they learn more about the significances of the sacrifices. It includes a castle in Transylvania, a goose that's more than it seems, learning more about the princess's visions and what they mean about the characters' pasts (Gaius gets reassured about something he feared), a discussion of the sinking of the Titanic, ghosts and skeletons, the issues of studying history and science when the very universe can be changed, Vladimir's love, and more.
October 15, 2016
Good book
I really enjoy this series. I have been a fan from way back. I like how Rachel is growing g up in this book. The last coupe ha e been good, but this one takes the cake. I like how her family is worked in this one.
I am really looking forward to the next book. It seems to have something to do with Rachel secret weapon.
I really enjoy this series. I have been a fan from way back. I like how Rachel is growing g up in this book. The last coupe ha e been good, but this one takes the cake. I like how her family is worked in this one.
I am really looking forward to the next book. It seems to have something to do with Rachel secret weapon.
March 27, 2018
I must say that I enjoyed this book more that the previous two. Hints at Christianity are a bit less subtle but that's fine with me. I do have a problem with adults not crediting Rachel's contributions to defeating the bad guys, even when it happens right in front of them.
I have a suspicion that either Gaius or the Princess are not what they seem. I am leaning towards Gauis since the Princess has a brother also attending the academy which gives her a bit more credibility. It is still incomprehensible that Gaius is attracted to a 13 year old. Does he have ulterior motives? Only time (and book four) will tell.
I did notice that there were several grammatical errors or misused words in this volume which I did not see in the previous two. I've seen a lot worse, though.
I have a suspicion that either Gaius or the Princess are not what they seem. I am leaning towards Gauis since the Princess has a brother also attending the academy which gives her a bit more credibility. It is still incomprehensible that Gaius is attracted to a 13 year old. Does he have ulterior motives? Only time (and book four) will tell.
I did notice that there were several grammatical errors or misused words in this volume which I did not see in the previous two. I've seen a lot worse, though.
January 31, 2018
Nothing much to add to the other reviews. I liked it, it works good, while it has a Harry potterish theme, the characters and topics are pretty different and will follow it while it gets published.
July 21, 2019
When a bit of dreamwalking goes wrong, Rachel ends up across the world and deep in another mess. Demons are breaking into her world---and will break her world utterly if they aren't stopped. The only problem is that no one knows how to stop them.
The best thing about these books is still the humor. Siggy and Lucky, as always, get first place.
But they're starting to get fierce competition from Gaius, whose remarks often left me in stitches.
Now that we're three books in, the character development continues to improve. We finally get more details about who Vlad and Gaius were in their previous lives (well, off-planet, before-Raven-meddled lives). And the answers are fascinating, because it's obvious neither of them have truly changed at their core, but the various factors around them may have the power to move them in somewhat different directions this time.
I especially liked the development with the Raven. He's gone from being Rachel's most dreaded nightmare to something closer to a best friend. It's also interesting to see how Rachel may be unwittingly humanizing him, as his appearance has been changing from beast to angel.
I liked how history plays a bigger role in this. Certain historical references come up, and end up being very important to the overall plot. Although I'm also really amused it gives Gaius the opportunity to show off.
Overall this is another excellent story in the ongoing series. If you liked the earlier books at all, this one continues to up the ante. I rate this book Highly Recommended.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
The best thing about these books is still the humor. Siggy and Lucky, as always, get first place.
“Sorry,” growled Lucky. “Couldn’t resist. I mean they were just flying there… like tiny chickens. Who could be expected not to want to annihilate them utterly with super-hot flame?”
But they're starting to get fierce competition from Gaius, whose remarks often left me in stitches.
Gaius raised his right hand solemnly, “I will keep your secret. Er… with Vlad’s standard clause of: ‘if you are planning to blow up a significant portion of the world, the deal is off.’”
Now that we're three books in, the character development continues to improve. We finally get more details about who Vlad and Gaius were in their previous lives (well, off-planet, before-Raven-meddled lives). And the answers are fascinating, because it's obvious neither of them have truly changed at their core, but the various factors around them may have the power to move them in somewhat different directions this time.
I especially liked the development with the Raven. He's gone from being Rachel's most dreaded nightmare to something closer to a best friend. It's also interesting to see how Rachel may be unwittingly humanizing him, as his appearance has been changing from beast to angel.
I liked how history plays a bigger role in this. Certain historical references come up, and end up being very important to the overall plot. Although I'm also really amused it gives Gaius the opportunity to show off.
“In other words, we do not want any Pyrrhic victories,” said Gaius, “which is appropriate, considering that we are discussing a deity worshipped by the Carthaginians. Oh… wait. Wrong Roman war. That would be a Punic victory, wouldn’t it?”
Overall this is another excellent story in the ongoing series. If you liked the earlier books at all, this one continues to up the ante. I rate this book Highly Recommended.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
October 22, 2016
This third book in the series is the best so far. I say that having read both of the previous entries twice since I enjoyed them so much.
One of the problems with series is sustaining a story arc that ramps up while also providing a solid ending to an individual book. So far this succeeds in that you are learning more and more about what is going on while also knowing there is a lot more to be revealed.
The book starts off pretty fast building up the action and also ends that way. Mostly I just love the whole group dynamic of each character as they relate to each other. A gonzo character like Siegfried in contrast to the Princess of Magical Australia. The character of Rachael is also what pulls it off. I really like how she deals with this group dynamic seeing the flaws and strengths in her group and navigating to bring out the best in them. A tension in these stories is how she works behind the scenes being instrumental, while also not usually getting credit for it. Since Rachael is a rather complex character you see struggles, insecurity, love of knowledge, healing of group dynamics, while also focusing on the final end of the threat to her world.
The scenes of her attending the Dead Man's Ball with Gaius was a wonderful interlude filled with imagery and myth. Perfect reading leading up to Halloween. This also further illustrated her character in seeing situations and identifying with and helping others.
There are also many more clues about how this world came to be and it's connections to other worlds. Especially concerning the nature of the Raven and the foes they are facing.
One of the problems with series is sustaining a story arc that ramps up while also providing a solid ending to an individual book. So far this succeeds in that you are learning more and more about what is going on while also knowing there is a lot more to be revealed.
The book starts off pretty fast building up the action and also ends that way. Mostly I just love the whole group dynamic of each character as they relate to each other. A gonzo character like Siegfried in contrast to the Princess of Magical Australia. The character of Rachael is also what pulls it off. I really like how she deals with this group dynamic seeing the flaws and strengths in her group and navigating to bring out the best in them. A tension in these stories is how she works behind the scenes being instrumental, while also not usually getting credit for it. Since Rachael is a rather complex character you see struggles, insecurity, love of knowledge, healing of group dynamics, while also focusing on the final end of the threat to her world.
The scenes of her attending the Dead Man's Ball with Gaius was a wonderful interlude filled with imagery and myth. Perfect reading leading up to Halloween. This also further illustrated her character in seeing situations and identifying with and helping others.
There are also many more clues about how this world came to be and it's connections to other worlds. Especially concerning the nature of the Raven and the foes they are facing.
November 7, 2016
This long-awaited third installment of the books of Unexpected Enlightenment was a bit disappointing, though for the most part still likeable. Rachel is rapidly progressing on her character journey, the many experiences she has gone through forcing her to grow up very quickly. Actually, I think the author is running up against a difficulty with cramming too many events in too short a time. Rachel is developing as a character, but her friends are standing still. This is not too remarkable considering by the time this third book is over they've only been at school together for a couple months, but in three books you usually expect to see a little more character development in more than just the central character.
(spoilers)
I grudgingly admit to resigning myself to having Gauis around, and have grown to like him more, but I still find the whole romance contrived and not very believable. And I sincerely hope Rachel will give up fantasizing over Von Dread asap. Much as I like having Rachel's family brought in to focus more, I'm not sure if I liked the development with Sandra and Von Dread. It robbed him of a good deal of mystery, and brought him down to a more ordinary level. It also increased Sandra's aura of Perfection.
I continue to enjoy the author's references to legend and myth, and when she even mentions the incomparable Rosemary Sutcliff, I'm hooked for good.
I look forward to the next installment, but I sincerely hope some of the secondary characters (particularly my favorite, Nastasia) will catch up a little to Rachel's development.
(spoilers)
I grudgingly admit to resigning myself to having Gauis around, and have grown to like him more, but I still find the whole romance contrived and not very believable. And I sincerely hope Rachel will give up fantasizing over Von Dread asap. Much as I like having Rachel's family brought in to focus more, I'm not sure if I liked the development with Sandra and Von Dread. It robbed him of a good deal of mystery, and brought him down to a more ordinary level. It also increased Sandra's aura of Perfection.
I continue to enjoy the author's references to legend and myth, and when she even mentions the incomparable Rosemary Sutcliff, I'm hooked for good.
I look forward to the next installment, but I sincerely hope some of the secondary characters (particularly my favorite, Nastasia) will catch up a little to Rachel's development.
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