I received an ARC of this book, which does not affect my review. Thank you to the author and Booksirens for the chance to read this book.
We get to meet the group again in the third Port of Lost Souls book, but sadly they are not as close knit as they once were, especially Lola and Gael, whose relationship is… tense… to say the very least. Luckily, I was glad to see Lola and Nix were closer especially in the first part (before Nix begins having some interesting changes in personality, for a more sinister reason!). Walt is dealing with family troubles of his own, and after a night scare when Walt’s father returns early and the group hides in passageways of Walt’s family estate, they come across some unsettling messages and more secret hidden places hidden amidst the old house. They continually learn more about the mysterious Order of Hanta Cythraul, or HC. So far, I’ve enjoyed how each book in this series focuses on a different kind of supernatural element. The first book was mainly vampires, with Lola’s past being a large part of it, the second was werewolves, and the third surrounds ghosts and paranormal activity, spirits and the like (and some witches!). However, there are still ties to the Tree of Life, and Lola taps into it, which I found very cool, not only as a throwback to the first book, but to Lola’s own abilities even now that she is a human as a result of what she did at the end of the first book!
In this installment of the series, Lola is as curious as always, eager to uncover the secrets of the Seabourne family estate and the Belowstairs mystery, though it does get her in some trouble, as I expected it would! After an eerie seance, Nix begins to take on odd changes in personality, and Lola, Walt, and even Gael, who Lola feels is slipping away from her, must work together to save their friend from Alice. Lola’s true bonds are tested when she has to make an eternal choice to protect Nix.
Beyond the more pressing threat of Nix, I also liked the ongoing tension between Lola and Gael. (okay, well I didn’t like it from the standpoint of me being sad, but I liked it from the standpoint of a good book). Even if I didn’t like how wishy washy Gael was being it felt realistic for juniors in high school or honestly anyone going through a rough patch and calling it “off” with their significant other. In addition the tensions festering between the rest of the group partially because of Nix’s on and off again possession with Alice felt real, her (or should I say Alice’s) rage at Walt (or more accurately the Seabournes) too. By the time Lola, Walt, and Gael recruit Marissa, Reiko, and even Violet to help save Nix from Alice, many characters have to set aside their differences and drama for a single goal. I overall thought the exorcism part was well done even if the part about Walt and his dad’s cocaine was a little odd. I wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be funny or serious! However I did like the shift in how they viewed Alice and their decision to treat her fairly because she was truly a victim in what Mr. Seabourne did. Then, when Walt’s dad, the current Mr. Seabourne intervenes, things keep going worse! While the exchange between Mr. Seabourne and the group occasionally felt a little young, I also know this is a book for teenagers, somewhere in between young adult and middle grade. I was surprised what Walt did to his father but I liked it and knew it was for the best. I also liked how with his father’s death came a new era for the Seabournes led by Walt. A lot happens in the climax of the book: opened portals, contacting the beyond, contending with Mr. Seabourne in a violent struggle, and an encounter with demons. Because of this, I think the ending lacked some of the flow I typically like to see in climatic scenes, because there was just so much going on that I couldn’t fully focus on what the “main” fight was. I also think it took away from what I would’ve expected the severity to be with some people’s reactions: the revelation about what Lola was able to do felt short and Walt’s reaction to his dad’s death, even if his dad was horrible, seemed less conflicted than I hoped. I don’t necessarily think this is due to lack of character depth as much as it was there is just so much going on. That said, all in all, I still did enjoy the end on the whole. There is an edge of bittersweetness to it which I personally like. I am also very curious how or if the series will continue.
Looking back to the beginning with Lola I have enjoyed how she’s grown across the books, from a detached vampire to a human who makes huge sacrifices for her friends. It’s growth I really enjoyed following and I know I will continue to enjoy following in future books. Even if, from time to time, the book is on the younger side in voice and plot development for me like with the climax, it is still overall a wholly very positive experience. The characters are written well, the island town is charming and full of constant changing mysteries, and the paranormal elements have so far created nice themes across the book that I can see teen readers especially absolutely loving. I am eager to see if Lola and her friends will go on any more adventures, how things will develop with Gael, and what Lola’s future in general now holds.