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13 Days of Midnight #2
Eight Rivers of Shadow
In a high-stakes sequel, reluctant necromancer Luke Manchett must call upon the most wicked and eerie ghosts of his dispelled Host to save two innocent souls.
It’s been a few months since Luke Manchett inherited a Host of eight hostile spirits from his dead father and made a deal with the devil to banish them. Luke’s doing his best to blend in to the background of high school, to ignore the haunting dreams spawned by his father’s Book of Eight, and to enjoy the one good thing to come from the whole mess: his girlfriend, Elza. And then it all begins again. Ash, a strange new girl with stark white hair, requests his help—and his Book of Eight—to save her twin sister, who was attacked by a demon. Ash knows a lot more about necromancy than Luke and seems to know what she’s doing, but can she be trusted? As Luke is drawn into a spiral of ever more dangerous favors, he finds himself not only summoning the deadliest members of his father’s Host, but returning to Deadside in a terrifying quest to save what he holds dearest—or die trying.
It’s been a few months since Luke Manchett inherited a Host of eight hostile spirits from his dead father and made a deal with the devil to banish them. Luke’s doing his best to blend in to the background of high school, to ignore the haunting dreams spawned by his father’s Book of Eight, and to enjoy the one good thing to come from the whole mess: his girlfriend, Elza. And then it all begins again. Ash, a strange new girl with stark white hair, requests his help—and his Book of Eight—to save her twin sister, who was attacked by a demon. Ash knows a lot more about necromancy than Luke and seems to know what she’s doing, but can she be trusted? As Luke is drawn into a spiral of ever more dangerous favors, he finds himself not only summoning the deadliest members of his father’s Host, but returning to Deadside in a terrifying quest to save what he holds dearest—or die trying.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2016
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611 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
October 6, 2016
[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
Alas, I didn’t enjoy this second instalment as much as I did the first. It lacked the character dynamics, the spark I had felt at the beginning of this series.
I think the main reason is the way Luke and Elza are rather isolated from the others throughout the novel, even from their parents (who apparently don't even care what their kids do?). Elza’s family pops in on one page only, Luke’s mother is faring better health-wise but still not very present, Luke’s former friends don’t talk to him anymore… So mostly it revolved around two, maximum three people at a time, and in turn, it shed light on the fact those characters weren’t that much developed. It would have been a great opportunity to do so, and it wasn’t used as such, and I found this too bad.
Another annoying thing was the magic itself: here, too, this book provided huge opportunities of developing it, more specifically of showing Luke growing into it and learning more. However, for the most part, he either didn’t want anything to do with it, or bumbled from one mistake to the other (when he was warned about what mistakes not to make!) while more savvy characters saved the day. Not unexpected, sure, but frustrating no matter what. Or perhaps it is my bias towards necromancy speaking?
On the other hand, the novel shows an actual foray into the land of the dead, which is definitely not unexpected where magic of the necromancy type is concerned! This catabasis was very welcome as far as I’m concerned. And ghosts fighting each other. That’s cool. (I would really have wanted to know more about the Widow!)
Also present in this second book: themes that make you think and difficult choices to make, especially when it comes to helping your loved ones vs. the sacrifices you may have to make. Again, this is about necromancy, not kittens and giggles, right?
Conclusion: Still interesting, only I didn’t feel invested much in the characters, and Luke disappointed me both with his magic and with his borderline stupid decisions.
Alas, I didn’t enjoy this second instalment as much as I did the first. It lacked the character dynamics, the spark I had felt at the beginning of this series.
I think the main reason is the way Luke and Elza are rather isolated from the others throughout the novel, even from their parents (who apparently don't even care what their kids do?). Elza’s family pops in on one page only, Luke’s mother is faring better health-wise but still not very present, Luke’s former friends don’t talk to him anymore… So mostly it revolved around two, maximum three people at a time, and in turn, it shed light on the fact those characters weren’t that much developed. It would have been a great opportunity to do so, and it wasn’t used as such, and I found this too bad.
Another annoying thing was the magic itself: here, too, this book provided huge opportunities of developing it, more specifically of showing Luke growing into it and learning more. However, for the most part, he either didn’t want anything to do with it, or bumbled from one mistake to the other (when he was warned about what mistakes not to make!) while more savvy characters saved the day. Not unexpected, sure, but frustrating no matter what. Or perhaps it is my bias towards necromancy speaking?
On the other hand, the novel shows an actual foray into the land of the dead, which is definitely not unexpected where magic of the necromancy type is concerned! This catabasis was very welcome as far as I’m concerned. And ghosts fighting each other. That’s cool. (I would really have wanted to know more about the Widow!)
Also present in this second book: themes that make you think and difficult choices to make, especially when it comes to helping your loved ones vs. the sacrifices you may have to make. Again, this is about necromancy, not kittens and giggles, right?
Conclusion: Still interesting, only I didn’t feel invested much in the characters, and Luke disappointed me both with his magic and with his borderline stupid decisions.
March 13, 2017
I've already pre-ordered the next instalment. This series is no joke, peeps. Get on it.
April 1, 2021
Luke has an adventure in the underworld
The story is about Luke and a new girl Ash who forced/trapped Luke into helping her to save her twin half-ghost sister.
Not bad on creating a background for the story, of Luke's father being a necromancer wronged Ash's family of necromancer.
The book of Eight still played a role as it haunted Luke in his nightmare. He was almost killed by his former servant ghosts. Now he is calling the ex servant ghost for help.
The plot twists is there. It keep you reading as you want to find out what's happened to Luke and his girlfriend.
But then...
It is not really that great a story as part of it fall into all to familiar ground of cliche. Like revenge, lying, self interest.
What is love really?
Anyway, as the storytelling part is not too bad. Still got a 4 stars.
Reading this for Genre Horror square.
The story is about Luke and a new girl Ash who forced/trapped Luke into helping her to save her twin half-ghost sister.
Not bad on creating a background for the story, of Luke's father being a necromancer wronged Ash's family of necromancer.
The book of Eight still played a role as it haunted Luke in his nightmare. He was almost killed by his former servant ghosts. Now he is calling the ex servant ghost for help.
The plot twists is there. It keep you reading as you want to find out what's happened to Luke and his girlfriend.
But then...
It is not really that great a story as part of it fall into all to familiar ground of cliche. Like revenge, lying, self interest.
What is love really?
Anyway, as the storytelling part is not too bad. Still got a 4 stars.
Reading this for Genre Horror square.
July 11, 2016
I was very excited to be approved for this book on NetGalley because I bought the first book, 13 Days Of Midnight, a couple of months back and really enjoyed it. It's been compared to Skulduggery Pleasant; personally, I don't think it's as funny, but I can see where the comparisons come from, and it's enjoyable in its own right.
This book has various plot points but is dominated by a journey through the Underworld, a theme easily recognisable from Classical texts. Having studied the Aeneid in school, I was able to identify certain aspects of it from that, which made me feel clever (and I'm always inclined to like books that make me feel clever). But there are other Classically-inspired aspects of the book too -- and I can't believe it took me until halfway through book two to notice that Luke's mum is called Persephone.
In some ways I enjoyed this book more than book one. Now that we've got past the disbelief about magic and Luke's settling into a world where necromancy is a thing, we're able to explore it more deeply, and the potential applications of the magic he's been exposed to. This also meant getting the chance to see some more worldbuilding, and to understand it from the perspective of another character who grew up surrounded by necromancy, rather than completely ignorant of it like Luke.
In some ways, the book feels like it's got higher stakes than book one -- a journey through the Underworld is a pretty major undertaking. But at the same time, it's for a very personal reason (which is a spoiler in and of itself, the nature fo which you can probably guess), and everything's wrapped up in this simple, understandable desire. It's not about saving the world or anything huge and noble: it's about one boy and somebody he cares about. I'm a big fan of 'small' stories like this, even when the context is as big as the world of this series.
I'm not sure that was an entirely coherent way of phrasing my thoughts, but I know what I meant. Basically: the stakes were high enough that I felt compelled to continue reading and there was plenty of tension and excitement, but they weren't so high that they became lofty and idealistic instead of personal and relatable. It wasn't about being a hero, it was just about fixing something that had gone wrong. And I think on the whole that's more effective.
Hunt's writing is plenty readable, and Luke feels like a realistic teenage boy without being annoying or patronising. (Okay, so maybe not a real teenage boy after all!) I think there were fewer jokes in this book than in the first one, but there were some moments of levity, and I particularly liked Luke's repeat encounter with the 'young' ghosts who died in a car crash -- it was brief, but a nice reference to the first book, and I enjoyed their scenes.
There are also some emotional moments in this book. I confess I saw the first one coming from a mile away, but I think as a reader you're supposed to, and Luke in hindsight thinks that he should have done. The second was more unexpected and hit a little harder. And while not all deaths in this book were permanent, they came at enough of a cost that it didn't feel like a cop-out for things to way the end they did.
On the whole, an enjoyable and well-written sequel. It comes out in about three days, so if you haven't read book one yet, it's worth getting your hands on it so that you can give this a go.
I probably won't end up cross-posting this review to my blog, as I don't usually review sequels there unless I reviewed the previous book as well, but hopefully this Goodreads review is detailed enough to make up for that. And who knows, I might change my mind. :)
Thanks for approving me on NetGalley, Hachette!
This book has various plot points but is dominated by a journey through the Underworld, a theme easily recognisable from Classical texts. Having studied the Aeneid in school, I was able to identify certain aspects of it from that, which made me feel clever (and I'm always inclined to like books that make me feel clever). But there are other Classically-inspired aspects of the book too -- and I can't believe it took me until halfway through book two to notice that Luke's mum is called Persephone.
In some ways I enjoyed this book more than book one. Now that we've got past the disbelief about magic and Luke's settling into a world where necromancy is a thing, we're able to explore it more deeply, and the potential applications of the magic he's been exposed to. This also meant getting the chance to see some more worldbuilding, and to understand it from the perspective of another character who grew up surrounded by necromancy, rather than completely ignorant of it like Luke.
In some ways, the book feels like it's got higher stakes than book one -- a journey through the Underworld is a pretty major undertaking. But at the same time, it's for a very personal reason (which is a spoiler in and of itself, the nature fo which you can probably guess), and everything's wrapped up in this simple, understandable desire. It's not about saving the world or anything huge and noble: it's about one boy and somebody he cares about. I'm a big fan of 'small' stories like this, even when the context is as big as the world of this series.
I'm not sure that was an entirely coherent way of phrasing my thoughts, but I know what I meant. Basically: the stakes were high enough that I felt compelled to continue reading and there was plenty of tension and excitement, but they weren't so high that they became lofty and idealistic instead of personal and relatable. It wasn't about being a hero, it was just about fixing something that had gone wrong. And I think on the whole that's more effective.
Hunt's writing is plenty readable, and Luke feels like a realistic teenage boy without being annoying or patronising. (Okay, so maybe not a real teenage boy after all!) I think there were fewer jokes in this book than in the first one, but there were some moments of levity, and I particularly liked Luke's repeat encounter with the 'young' ghosts who died in a car crash -- it was brief, but a nice reference to the first book, and I enjoyed their scenes.
There are also some emotional moments in this book. I confess I saw the first one coming from a mile away, but I think as a reader you're supposed to, and Luke in hindsight thinks that he should have done. The second was more unexpected and hit a little harder. And while not all deaths in this book were permanent, they came at enough of a cost that it didn't feel like a cop-out for things to way the end they did.
On the whole, an enjoyable and well-written sequel. It comes out in about three days, so if you haven't read book one yet, it's worth getting your hands on it so that you can give this a go.
I probably won't end up cross-posting this review to my blog, as I don't usually review sequels there unless I reviewed the previous book as well, but hopefully this Goodreads review is detailed enough to make up for that. And who knows, I might change my mind. :)
Thanks for approving me on NetGalley, Hachette!
July 23, 2016
The first in the series was entertaining enough, but this was a step up.
Luke and Elza find themselves trying to work out how to combat the rather strange developments. They end up drawn into a truly terrifying scenario.
I loved the blend of horror and humour. Some wonderful scenes, and I am starting to feel I'm getting under the skin of Luke.
Luke and Elza find themselves trying to work out how to combat the rather strange developments. They end up drawn into a truly terrifying scenario.
I loved the blend of horror and humour. Some wonderful scenes, and I am starting to feel I'm getting under the skin of Luke.
August 18, 2016
I love Leo's writing. It reminds me of Neil Gaiman, which is definitely a good thing. It's both funny and scary - my favourite combination. Looking forward to the next book!
November 23, 2019
The tension and suspense in this book made it feel like the series had just began. The previous book felt like a stand alone due to the ending, but this one didn’t. However, this feeling ended near the end due to a missed opportunity.
I loved that some members of the Host appeared again, but I don’t like that they never stay. I think this series would be better if Luke learned to control the host instead of getting rid of them. This would make it more interesting and make it more exciting between the books as well as make the books more connected. I find the host the best part of the books and it is less interesting when they are not a major part of the book.
Ash, the exchange student, had a brilliant goal and motivation. It made sense, especially her not caring for others well-being. Her creepiness and weirdness showed how she could be a necromancer/ have the sight and yet still be popular. It also made sense of how there are long family legacies as necromancers and Luke’s father was a newcomer. I like that it is now clear that a host can like their master and willing be a part of a host and the host be like a family. It is also surprising that Luke didn’t think this could be the case. I do hope that if she reappears that she will be Luke’s ally, but I also hope that she doesn’t.
However, I found the blurb misleading. Ash does not want vengeance, she just doesn’t care for Luke’s or Eliza’s well-being. In the blurb, it states that she wants vengeance, but this isn’t the case, so it misleads the read to think a different plot twist will come up even though it never comes up.
I don’t know if I should recommend this book or not. It is dull and boring, but exciting at points. It is different from most ghost books, which makes it an interesting read. It is good quality writing and plot. I do hope that the host is further explored in the last book and that the rest reappear.
I loved that some members of the Host appeared again, but I don’t like that they never stay. I think this series would be better if Luke learned to control the host instead of getting rid of them. This would make it more interesting and make it more exciting between the books as well as make the books more connected. I find the host the best part of the books and it is less interesting when they are not a major part of the book.
Ash, the exchange student, had a brilliant goal and motivation. It made sense, especially her not caring for others well-being. Her creepiness and weirdness showed how she could be a necromancer/ have the sight and yet still be popular. It also made sense of how there are long family legacies as necromancers and Luke’s father was a newcomer. I like that it is now clear that a host can like their master and willing be a part of a host and the host be like a family. It is also surprising that Luke didn’t think this could be the case. I do hope that if she reappears that she will be Luke’s ally, but I also hope that she doesn’t.
However, I found the blurb misleading. Ash does not want vengeance, she just doesn’t care for Luke’s or Eliza’s well-being. In the blurb, it states that she wants vengeance, but this isn’t the case, so it misleads the read to think a different plot twist will come up even though it never comes up.
I don’t know if I should recommend this book or not. It is dull and boring, but exciting at points. It is different from most ghost books, which makes it an interesting read. It is good quality writing and plot. I do hope that the host is further explored in the last book and that the rest reappear.
May 28, 2017
Eight Rivers is a strong sequel to 13 Days of Midnight. It has one factor I love in fiction and that's the perils of dealing with magic. This shows the dark side of magic, especially if you've inherited it from your recently deceased father who was a Necromancer.
There's clever recaps to the first book and the threat and suspense is well paced, there's plenty of surprises and a very unlikely conclusion and unlike some books I've read this year there wasn't a time I was bored as the main character Luke Manchett really doesn't have time to fart about.
The best thing about the series is that Leo Hunt decided to make it into a trilogy as some series get tedious as they go on.
Leo Hunt has become one of my favourite young adult writers and I look forward to seeing how the series ends and am very curious as to what he'll come up with next.
There's clever recaps to the first book and the threat and suspense is well paced, there's plenty of surprises and a very unlikely conclusion and unlike some books I've read this year there wasn't a time I was bored as the main character Luke Manchett really doesn't have time to fart about.
The best thing about the series is that Leo Hunt decided to make it into a trilogy as some series get tedious as they go on.
Leo Hunt has become one of my favourite young adult writers and I look forward to seeing how the series ends and am very curious as to what he'll come up with next.
February 24, 2018
I really like Leo Hunt’s writing. The characters are fully rounded, yet he doesn’t get bogged down in description. It’s an insight into a teenage boy’s mind - has to juggle exams, school relationships, girlfriend and the netherworld, while still making sure his mum’s ok.
This book follows on from 13 Days of Midnight and you do need to read the books in order, partly for the storyline, but also to see how Luke changes over time. I loved the spirit-walking parts, particularly where he uses his dog’s body. Just got to say: the saddest two words in the book towards the end? Am Ham. I was in bits.
Started 7 Trees of Stone, the last in the trilogy, already.
This book follows on from 13 Days of Midnight and you do need to read the books in order, partly for the storyline, but also to see how Luke changes over time. I loved the spirit-walking parts, particularly where he uses his dog’s body. Just got to say: the saddest two words in the book towards the end? Am Ham. I was in bits.
Started 7 Trees of Stone, the last in the trilogy, already.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2022
Similar to the first book, great premise and nice writing style, but there's something about the characters that I just can't connect with.
Luke is a really boring protagonist. It takes 3/4s of the book for him to actually do something, and when he does it's super anti-climatic.
I just don't care about him or anyone in the book and that's a real issue for me as a reader.
A dog even died and I didn't feel an ounce of emotion.
Very disappointing book to end the spooky season on. Won't be reading the third.
Luke is a really boring protagonist. It takes 3/4s of the book for him to actually do something, and when he does it's super anti-climatic.
I just don't care about him or anyone in the book and that's a real issue for me as a reader.
A dog even died and I didn't feel an ounce of emotion.
Very disappointing book to end the spooky season on. Won't be reading the third.
May 16, 2017
8 Rivers of Shadow is the sequel to 13 Days of Midnight. Hunt does supply enough background that a reader can jump right in without having read the previous novel. Luke is once again, fighting for his life against demons and shadows connected to his necromancer father. This time, it's a mysterious girl who needs his help; is she trustworthy or trying to kill him? 8 Rivers of Shadow is an interesting novel which is intriguing and appealing to teens who like to read supernatural fiction.
November 6, 2017
3.5 a worthy sequel to "13 Days of Midnight" with a new antagonist that made up for the dispelled demon Host missing from the first book. I liked the necromancer mythology but felt let down by the Luke and Elza relationship, given how pivotal it was as "I love you enough to raise the dead" it was supposed to be. Also, personally my personal displeasure for
November 13, 2018
A thoughtless and unimaginative book about a superficial sociopath who is emotionally unaffected by the death of his dog.
To All The White Neurotypical Male Writers: Please stop writing books where the only female characters are a love interest who needs to be saved and a villain suffering from a mental condition. (Neurodivergent persons are far more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetrators of it.)
Ok thanks byeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To All The White Neurotypical Male Writers: Please stop writing books where the only female characters are a love interest who needs to be saved and a villain suffering from a mental condition. (Neurodivergent persons are far more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetrators of it.)
Ok thanks byeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 22, 2020
This is one of those sequels that didn't necessarily need to happen. The best characters from the first book were only in this one for a few chapters and the new characters seemed to be there for the sole purpose of pushing the main character to make really stupid decisions. The best parts of this book were the chapters set in the Underworld, and the book as a whole would have been more interesting if the whole thing had taken place there.
June 25, 2017
A solid sequel. The premise sort of bugged me at first, why Ash stalked out Elza and Luke to try and save her twin sister seemed a bit too much. But then I remembered everything about these books is a bit over the top, which is basically the fun of them. It had enough creep value without gore, which meant more action over horror for me. I'm looking forward to the finale of the trilogy.
April 11, 2017
Loved this sequel. Writing and story just as good. Characters are challenged, things are still weird. Ends with potential for another, but could easily just be done, i.e. no cliffhanger.
Hunt's world building was really good - lots of interesting things without endless pages of description.
Hunt's world building was really good - lots of interesting things without endless pages of description.
June 2, 2017
This series is turning out to a fun, enjoyable read with some nice twists that keep it interesting enough for me. It's not the greatest nor the best ghost story I've ever read, but it's still worth a read.
August 10, 2019
A decent book. Each chapter is over 30 pages. I generally read at night before I go to sleep. Found it hard to get through all 30 pages especially when you get really tired. I will read the final one at some stage.
December 15, 2021
Its been 7 years that I read the first book 13 days of midnight, its was very boring that I have to force myself to finish the book. But the sequel, man I'm glad that I bought this book. At start kinda slow but build up character, after the betrayal happen its a page turner. RIP Ham
March 25, 2024
The second book from the
'13 Days of Midnight'
series.
It follows through the story of Luke Manchett along with Elza Moss in their world of necromancy. I am utterly amused by the relationship that Luke and Elza shares. I am also very fond of the new characters; Ashana Ahlgren, Ilana Ahlgren, and Priestess Kasmut 'the Widow'. It's an emotional roller coaster story for every character and I am totally appalled about the ending. It is really sad.
Anyhow, the book portrays some lessons, here are some of them:
1. Every individual is offered with choices for all of their problems. Even certain predicaments that puts you through things that'll make think you have no other choices.
2. On what measure can you sacrifice to do something for someone or something you very much desire.
In conclusion, it was a fun and an enjoyable read and I'm very much excited to read the third and last book of the series.
It follows through the story of Luke Manchett along with Elza Moss in their world of necromancy. I am utterly amused by the relationship that Luke and Elza shares. I am also very fond of the new characters; Ashana Ahlgren, Ilana Ahlgren, and Priestess Kasmut 'the Widow'. It's an emotional roller coaster story for every character and I am totally appalled about the ending. It is really sad.
Anyhow, the book portrays some lessons, here are some of them:
1. Every individual is offered with choices for all of their problems. Even certain predicaments that puts you through things that'll make think you have no other choices.
2. On what measure can you sacrifice to do something for someone or something you very much desire.
In conclusion, it was a fun and an enjoyable read and I'm very much excited to read the third and last book of the series.
November 28, 2016
I like the storyline. It keeps me ongoing eventhough I have limited time to read book daily. Can't wait for the final series to see the outcome of Luke's fate.
November 17, 2017
Really enjoyable. Very easy read and slipped right back into that world after reading the first book over a year ago. Looking forward to reading the final book in the trilogy next.
July 21, 2018
What would you do for the one you love?
For Luke the answer is a trip to Deadside, traveling with one of his most feared enemies and losing something equally precious to him.
For Luke the answer is a trip to Deadside, traveling with one of his most feared enemies and losing something equally precious to him.
February 17, 2024
Creative and imaginative. Great book.
October 1, 2024
The writing is this one improved a lot over the first book, and I didn't want to put this one down. Loses a star for unnecessary dog death though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2016
Eight Rivers of Shadow, while an improvement on Leo Hunt’s first book in the series Thirteen Days of Midnight, still proved itself to be an overwhelmingly shallow novel with little characterisation or originality. Most of the novel felt like a rehash of Thirteen Days mixed with some Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Orpheus and the Underworld with our protagonist, Luke Manchett, growing as a character on a scale of ‘very little’ to ‘none at all’.
This review is also available on my blog, I Blame Wizards
After the events of Thirteen Days, Leo Hunt was in the perfect position to develop Luke Manchett’s character in a way that would help him discover his power in a world where magic and Necromancy exist. Instead, Luke bumbles his way through his new found powers relying on everyone around him who appears to be more capable than him on almost every single level. The idea of Necromancy is such a great premise and one that’s been pretty under-utilised in genre fiction that this could have made the book about a thousand times more interesting! Luke has these powers, but what do they mean, how do they develop, how can he harness them for good, evil, anything? These questions weren’t asked in the first book, and while Eight Rivers does raise some interesting moral questions, they are outside of the bounds of Luke’s newfound skills.
My main issue with Eight Rivers of Shadow is that we are given characters that we already know from the first book in the series, and yet they are simply not developed any further. The lives of Hunt’s characters remain largely static and most of the plot’s development seems to rely wholly on Luke being completely inept and slightly stupid. This issue is exemplified once more in one of the biggest criticisms I had about Thirteen Days and that is the complete lack of adult supervision in these novels. Parents are either just rubbish at parenting or completely absent during the whole series creating a world where it essentially feels there are no adults around. While this can be an interesting plot device as we’ve seen in books like Michael Grant’s Gone series, it is painfully clear that Leo Hunt has not put this in to his narrative intentionally. Instead he’s tried so hard to create a realistic teenaged boy who his readers can relate to, but instead created a limbo world that neither adults nor young adults will feel any kinship.
From a pacing perspective the bland and lifeless characters make it pretty difficult to invest in the plot in any kind of meaningful way. This book should have been an easy read, but I felt myself so poorly invested in its narrative that three weeks later and I’d barely grazed 75%. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy myself when I was reading it in at least a superficial way, I just didn’t feel motivated to make the time to pick it up.
Ultimately I think Eight Rivers of Shadow didn’t differentiate itself in plot and scope enough from the first book in the series. It felt pretty same, only without developing anything. As far as YA literature goes there are numerous better books out there. This one wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good enough for me to want to recommend it to anybody. Reading it was an entirely ambivalent experience, as is its memory.
This review is also available on my blog, I Blame Wizards
January 8, 2020
It's been fifteen months since I read Leo Hunt's Thirteen Days of Midnight, easily the most exciting supernatural novel of 2015. In the meantime I stalked Leo on Twitter, hanging on to every word he uttered about the release of the sequel. That day finally came in July but like a squirrel with a nut, I decided in my infinite wisdom to hoard the book away until I could devour it in one sitting.
Fast forward to now. I'm on vacation and I have indeed finished it in one setting and the reason I'm relaying this dull tale is because I'm rendered speechless. I had high hopes for Eight Rivers of Shadow and Leo Hunt has exceeded them in every possible way.
It's difficult to review a sequel without spoiling the first instalment so please proceed with caution if you've not read Thirteen Days of Midnight (but please also rush out and make sure you buy, borrow or steal it immediately). (And I do mean steal it from your best friend, not download it from illegal sources).
Eight Rivers of Shadow begins about 5 months after the events in Thirteen Days of Midnight. Luke has banished his Host to Hell, struck a deal with the devil and, contrary to his assurances that he destroyed it, buried the Book of Eight in the garden. He and Elza are still together and Ham is still his untrustworthy and cowardly bloodhound.
Thinking he has put his days of Necromancy behind him, Luke has an episode at school which his classmates describe in a viral video as "Boy Gets Possessed at School" but which is closer to the Book of Eight running riot through his brain and threatening to supernova.
Ever on the outskirts of school society since he first inherited the Host, Luke barely has time to register Ash, a strange new exchange student at the school, before things start to go terribly wrong. Again.
Before he can stop himself, he becomes embroiled in the affairs of the new student, a powerful sorceress in her own right. He promises to assist her in resurrecting her comatose sister, so injured by Luke's own father, and in return, she promises to save Luke from the damaging effects of the Book of Eight.
With promises and betrayal, compromises and loss, Eight Rivers of Shadow is very difficult indeed to put down. Not that you’d want to. What appealed to me most about the book was the original and fascinating accounts of magic, a healthy dose of ghosts and scares, a fantastically imaginative journey through the land of the dead topped off with great characters and an addictive story.
Luke Manchett also happens to be one of my favourite protagonists of all times, second only perhaps to Gena Showalter’s Aden Stone from her Intertwined series. Although, if Leo Hunt actually finishes his series, unlike Gena, then Luke Manchett will definitely become my favourite.
Luke is a great character and great narrator even when you know he has made an error of judgement. Added that he is now comfortable with being an outcast and as sorry as it sounds, he is also confident of the love that exists in his life which is often his only saving factor.
Readers cannot help but adore Ham, Luke’s cowardly hound and it is wonderful to see him with an even bigger role to play in the story.
I give Eight Rivers of Shadow by Leo Hunt a superb five out of five stars and would highly recommend it to fans of supernatural young adult fiction, fantasy and science fiction.
Fast forward to now. I'm on vacation and I have indeed finished it in one setting and the reason I'm relaying this dull tale is because I'm rendered speechless. I had high hopes for Eight Rivers of Shadow and Leo Hunt has exceeded them in every possible way.
It's difficult to review a sequel without spoiling the first instalment so please proceed with caution if you've not read Thirteen Days of Midnight (but please also rush out and make sure you buy, borrow or steal it immediately). (And I do mean steal it from your best friend, not download it from illegal sources).
Eight Rivers of Shadow begins about 5 months after the events in Thirteen Days of Midnight. Luke has banished his Host to Hell, struck a deal with the devil and, contrary to his assurances that he destroyed it, buried the Book of Eight in the garden. He and Elza are still together and Ham is still his untrustworthy and cowardly bloodhound.
Thinking he has put his days of Necromancy behind him, Luke has an episode at school which his classmates describe in a viral video as "Boy Gets Possessed at School" but which is closer to the Book of Eight running riot through his brain and threatening to supernova.
Ever on the outskirts of school society since he first inherited the Host, Luke barely has time to register Ash, a strange new exchange student at the school, before things start to go terribly wrong. Again.
Before he can stop himself, he becomes embroiled in the affairs of the new student, a powerful sorceress in her own right. He promises to assist her in resurrecting her comatose sister, so injured by Luke's own father, and in return, she promises to save Luke from the damaging effects of the Book of Eight.
With promises and betrayal, compromises and loss, Eight Rivers of Shadow is very difficult indeed to put down. Not that you’d want to. What appealed to me most about the book was the original and fascinating accounts of magic, a healthy dose of ghosts and scares, a fantastically imaginative journey through the land of the dead topped off with great characters and an addictive story.
Luke Manchett also happens to be one of my favourite protagonists of all times, second only perhaps to Gena Showalter’s Aden Stone from her Intertwined series. Although, if Leo Hunt actually finishes his series, unlike Gena, then Luke Manchett will definitely become my favourite.
Luke is a great character and great narrator even when you know he has made an error of judgement. Added that he is now comfortable with being an outcast and as sorry as it sounds, he is also confident of the love that exists in his life which is often his only saving factor.
Readers cannot help but adore Ham, Luke’s cowardly hound and it is wonderful to see him with an even bigger role to play in the story.
I give Eight Rivers of Shadow by Leo Hunt a superb five out of five stars and would highly recommend it to fans of supernatural young adult fiction, fantasy and science fiction.
March 6, 2017
This was a very good book overall but it got very confusing at times. You really have to follow along very closely to understand it. I would defiantly recommend this book to somebody.
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