The Wisdom of Madness

The Ministry of Curiosities #10

by C.J. Archer

With Alice determined to discover the truth about her past, and Seth determined to help her, the couple find themselves sucked into a world where nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted. On the run to escape a mad queen's wrath, and with an entire realm looking for them, tensions fray and friendships are tested.

Even worse for Seth, shocking secrets he'd rather leave buried are brought to the surface.

Joined on their adventure by an irritable Gus and a mysterious Eva, the four friends must learn the truth of Alice's past so she can forge her future.

But a future with whom? And where?

THE MINISTRY OF CURIOSITIES series is now complete. It contains the following books:

#1 The Last Necromancer
#2 Her Majesty's Necromancer
#3 Beyond The Grave
#4 Grave Expectations
#5 Ashes To Ashes
#6 From The Ashes
#7 Of Fate And Phantoms
#8 Veiled In Moonlight
#9 Vow Of Deception
#10 The Wisdom Of Madness

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Romance, Mystery, Paranormal, Historical Fiction, Fiction

232 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 5, 2018

About the author

C.J. Archer is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of historical mystery and historical fantasy novels including the GLASS AND STEELE series, the CLEOPATRA FOX MYSTERIES, the MINISTRY OF CURIOSITIES and THE GLASS LIBRARY series.

She has loved history and books for as long as she can remember and feels fortunate that she found a way to combine the two. She has at various times worked as a librarian, IT support person and technical writer but in her heart has always been a fiction writer. She lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her husband, 2 children and Coco the black and white cat.

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Reviews

[Sarah Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Rushed Final Book

I've enjoyed reading the Ministry of Curiosities series and really wanted to be satisfied with the last book, but honestly it felt rushed and underwhelming. I felt like maybe some of this storyline should have played out earlier and some of these characters should have had more of a voice earlier on because they got muddled and a little lost in this final story. (Maybe like the Freak House series where different characters got a few books each, but it all connected) I also felt like Gus got the short end of the character development, yet at the beginning of the series carried the same weight as Seth. So as an individual book, was highly underwhelmed and disappointed by the series wrap up, but as a whole would suggest the series to others.

[Kayla Silverss · Rating 3 out of 5]

The reason I didn't like this book as much as the others is I don't care for Alice and I don't particularly like her with Seth so that changed my view on this book.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first nine books of the series; they’re fun, even if not anything spectacular. This tenth book was pretty disappointing. I understand that Alice’s story needed some closure, but this felt forced and rushed. Frankly, I think Alice’s story was out of place in the series generally. The relationships also felt superficial—I rolled my eyes a number of times, which is never a good sign.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book! I really did!!
But it seemed forced and rushed. Throughout the series we're led to believe that Seth and Alice were for each other and then....bam....not happening!
Dont get me wrong liked Eva and you sorta get glimpse in the other books of her interest in Seth, but nothing explicit.
Also the love interest of Alice, to me came out of the blue. All of a sudden they like each other??? With not much interaction beforehand??

I LOVED the other books in this series...but this one left me wanting more.
*C.J Archer....I love your other books!*

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really liked this series but the last book was Ugh! Alice!

[L.R.W. Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fitting conclusion to this series. Even though it does not focus on Charlie and Lincoln, it was a necessary story about Alice based upon what had transpired with her earlier in the series.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Wisdom of Madness
Ministry of Curiosities, Book 10

I Picked Up This Book Because: Continue the series.


Media Type: Audiobook
Source: Hoopla via R Public Library
Dates Read: 1/13/23 - 1/16/23
Stars: 3
Narrator(s): Shiromi Arserio

The Characters:

Alice:
Seth:
Anna, Gus, Anna’s brother, Charlie, Lincoln

The Story:

I’ve somehow come across this disappointing trend of stories in a series that are not about the main characters of the series and it’s annoying me. I like Alice and I love Seth and I am happy they got their story however I wish I had been warned. And yes, it is my fault for not reading the blurb but really, I was 9 books in, who is still reading the blurb at this point. N-E-Way. After all of that I did enjoy this story and I’m very happy with the way things worked out and the ending of the series.

[OldBird · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry to say but I just really did not enjoy this one. The writing seemed so different from the rest of the series, as if it'd been penned by a different author who felt like indulging in the more overt romance tropes where girls swoon over "masculine" menfolk and guys can't help but realise how beautiful a girl they've never looked at before is. I was not expecting it, and as it's really not my thing I had to skim through to finish it.

Yes, this is the Alice in Wonderland endgame. Alice goes back to Wonderland with Markell and co. to face the Queen's justice and protect her Lichfield friends. Unfortunately for her, Seth, Gus, Eva and David all come along for the ride. Wonderland is at war. And of course, so are our protagonists' hearts.

Alice... I've never liked her character, so it's rather hard to enjoy a spin-off story like this. I'm just saddened that it was necessary to get closure on the series. I missed tough-as-nails Charlie's POV. The third person hopping between Seth, Alice and Eva just didn't work for me (not least because I really didn't like Alice's chapters - she's supposed to be a rebel leader yet acts like a sack of potatoes when threatened). I thought Eva would be tough, but soon succumbed to le swooning over Seth. The romance between the two that's been obviously set up in the last few books felt rushed and insta-love. The Wonderland rebellion plot didn't really hold my interest.

I bit of a shame the series had to end on such a rushed and cliched note.

[Jayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do not like Alice. I think Seth is too good for her. This story felt bogged down in the derivation of Alice in Wonderland.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is unfortunately not a great book to conclude a series with. All of the last five MoC books have been leading up to this - Alice finally going to Wonderland and the reader finding out whether or not she will finally return Seth's feelings for her.

Well

Let's start at the beginning, I suppose.

Right off the bat, it was a little jarring to go from single POV stories to a THREE-PERSON POV story. It took some time getting used to, since I had grown so accustomed to Charlie's voice, in first person no less, so to suddenly be reading a third-person pov from three different characters took a bit of adjusting. It did however give me the ability to realize that, I didn't actually like Alice. The only reason I had ever been excited about her was because of the Wonderland stuff. I realized that she is kind of a bland, uppity kind of a girl who is somewhat snobbish despite her upbringing. Eva points out her faults easily - how she refuses to give men a chance because she thinks all of them are only interested in her looks (and yes I understand that has been her situation most often, but she can't find love unless she opens herself to someone), and she tends to made insulting comments without thinking about it. But what annoyed me was that even though she said she ought to apologize, I never quite felt like she actually meant it. There was just something missing about her that, as the story progressed, had me slowly realizing that I just did not care for her as a character.

Also, she couldn't even be bothered to save herself. She was such a damsel in distress. Not only did she trip into a moat and drown, but she wouldn't even fight back or make it difficult when a guard tried to snatch her, because "her hands and feet were tied". So? You can still hit him, squirm to make things difficult, try and bite him. Don't be such a limp potato sack, Alice. Actually fight.

Seth was easier to like as a narrator, most likely because I already knew him from the rest of the series, and Eva was a joy. She had much more depth than Alice did. And I absolutely loved their slow-growing romance during the book. I quickly jumped on that bandwagon when I saw how Alice was still treating Seth (although, yes, Seth really could have done with being more himself). I loved how they seemed to actually be getting to know one another, sharing secrets from their past and present that weren't pretty but were important to who they were as people. It was pretty much a near-perfect start to a great romance until suddenly it went in the direction I absolutely hate - the insta-love. Literally, in the span of less than a chapter, Seth went from "there was something precious and real there that he wanted to explore" to "she was the person he loved most in the world" and like, what? How? You only just started getting to know her! Three days ago! Don't be jumping the gun! I would have been EXTREMELY happy seeing the book end with them starting to explore the attraction they had for one another - I didn't need a detailed happy ending.

Speaking of jumping the gun and insta-love - Alice and Markell. Smh. It was like, the two blandest characters ever thinking they were falling in love. Not even three days together and oh my gosh I love you. YOU JUST MET. And I swear, they kept giving each other character traits that they really had no experience knowing they had - heck even I wasn't quite sure they had them. Markell kept calling Alice "just" and I kept thinking "when did she ever demonstrate that in your presence?" And Alice was doing the same to him - forcing character traits on him that I'm not quite sure they actually observed. It was just such a gag-worthy "romance".

Of all the characters, I still enjoyed Seth and Eva the most, and I fully believe that Gus deserves his own storyline. Or at least a nice vacation. And surprisingly enough, I think the character who experienced the most development was actually David, who, for the majority of the book (not to mention the synopsis), almost seemed to be forgotten from time to time, but hey - he learned to be more understanding towards his sister and half-brother so I say, progress.

Now, onto the plot itself. It was fast-paced and interesting, but was filled with scenes and moments that led to consequences that could have, and honestly should have, been easily avoided. I felt like some plot points were forced, and the Quellery one in particular just felt like such a dumb mistake. Why would you ever think he would take Alice's refusal of his marriage proposal gracefully? There was also an instance where the use of backtracking was implemented - I don't know if that's what it's actually called, but Alice claimed in a later chapter that she had "spent most of the time at Quellery's discussing England and constitutional monarchies" and I was flabbergasted becuase no she did not. There was not enough time while they were at Quellery's caslte to have discussed that, because literally everything that happened there happened within a day-and-a-half and all of that was centered around the marriage proposal and Lady Oxana's threats towards Seth.

Also, I was extremely disappointed in Wonderland itself. This is supposed to be based on Lewis Carroll's Wonderland? Where's the Cheshire Cat? Where's Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum? Where's the Mad Hatter? Nothing of it felt even remotely like the strange dream-like world of the classic story. The only things that were recognizable were the name, the Queen of Hearts (why she was even called that?), and the white rabbit - and other talking animals who were actually humans cursed into the bodies on animals. It just felt like medieval England or something. Nothing spectacular or really interesting. I wouldn't have minded if at least some of the human characters had recognizable names. Quelllery? Easily could have been Lord Cheshire is all I'm saying.

Oh, and to make everything end perfectly, Lincoln had the final chapter for perspective. And somehow he was a already messing up his marriage by not being honest with Charlie even though they had not had that problem in the past? It felt a little out of a character to be honest.

Sadly, this was just a really unimpressive ending to this series. The only thing that really kept me going was Eva and Seth's budding romance (which got a tad ruined at the end) and the action (which was okay). With the sad representation of Wonderland, the rushed romances, and the blandness that was Alice, this one just was not one of my favorites and did not feel like it did the rest of the series justice.
2.5 stars

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that was quick.



It seemed like Archer was preparing for a spin-off series to this one, but decided in the end not to do one, so instead she wrote this book to tie up a few things. Everything happened in a rush and the relationships felt a little underdeveloped.

SPOILERS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

From the moment Eva met Seth, you knew he was the one she had dreamed about marrying. So it was obvious things weren't going to work out with Alice. However, the relationships in this book felt to forced and quickly put together. All of a sudden Seth wants to marry Eva. It just didn't feel like his character.

The whole Alice in Wonderland spin was really fun when it was introduced, but with every book I liked Alice less and less and she made you dislike Seth somewhat too.

I did like that the last little scene was with Lincoln and Charlie. It needed to be brought back to them. It was an odd conclusion to the series and a little disappointing, which is hard to write, because I love C.J. Archer and her books.

[Zen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a satisfying end to the series. This last novel features Alice, Seth, Eva, and Gus; it has very little Charlie, Lincoln, Cook, and the others we have seen in previous novels. It takes place in Wonderland as Alice has agreed to go visit her aunt, the Queen of Hearts. I've made no bones about the fact that I never warmed up to Alice, and this book did nothing to endear her to me any more. I really listened to this one to hear about everyone else. I will be looking for other novels by this author.

[Laura..devouring books like crumpets · Rating 4 out of 5]

Im so used to this Narrator being Charlie it was a bit strange hearing her read for another character. Still wonderland was Interesting

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting take on Alice in Wonderland

I liked this story, more for its finishing of the Ministry of Curiosity storylines than a retelling of Carroll’s famous tale. I did think the Alice/Seth relationship was discarded too quickly, but then again it never really developed. The different viewpoints were good, especially Eva’s. We even get a glimpse into Lincoln’s again. Now, if we can just get the author to write a little epilogue as to what happens later down the line...a year or so would be nice. And there has to be someone for Gus!

[Ashley]

Might want to read some reviews before reading book 10, might save you some time.

Ummm.... what happened to the Ministry?! Did it get shut down and moved underground? Does the Queen find out Lincoln is her grandson? Will Lincoln and Charlie start a family? How does the last book in the series about necromancers and other hidden CURIOSITIES get reduced to a tale of Alice in Wonderland finding a husband?! If I wanted to read about Alice, guess what I would have been reading about Alice! What happened to Harriet and Lord Gillingham and their baby? Heck what happens to Seth's mom after the "Seth/Ava wedding" that never happens?!

The entire series main characters were Charlie and Lincoln, but yet in the last book they may have gotten 20 odd pages and most of those were mentions from Seth, Gus, Alice, Ava, and David while they were in Wonderland. Think I would have been better off if this last book wasn't even published... it doesn't even fit into the actual SERIES!!!!! Maybe by the time the tenth book came around the inspiration was just lacking, but the series was under contract for the last book? Would have been better if the Queen of Hearts came after Alice in Victorian London instead of involving Wonderland and a "magically book" where the curiosities could have been used beneficial to defeating the queen. Oh well I will happily remember book 1 through 9 and just ignore book 10.

[L.J. Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love CJ Archer's paranormal series. And while I'm terribly sad to see the Ministry of Curiosities end, I also understood that it was time. But what a wonderful way to end it all. The amazing Alice in Wonderland twist that I'd been hoping for came to fruition and was just as fun and delightful as I expected. Ms. Archer has a way of creating a world that you can see vividly with characters you love and ones you hate with the all the right amount of vigor. I'm sad to see them go, but I'm happy that the characters had the endings they so rightly deserved. Thank you for creating a world of characters that it is easy to lose yourself in and allows you to escape from the real world for a little while.

[Frisian77 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the way this author writes, but this last book was a disappointment for me. All the previous books are about everyone mainly Lincoln and Charlie, but heavily include Gus, and Seth and cook. In this book Lincoln, Charlie, and cook are pretty much non-existent. For me this one just wasn't worth the read, I feel like it should have been a book separate from this series like instead of being #10 make a spin off novella or a run along side book(I can't thing of the correct term for it at the moment). It didn't help that I am not a fan of the Alice's adventures in wonderland series. And this book is pretty much a version of that...

I recommend read the other Ministries of Curiosities, but don't bother with this one unless you are really dying to know what happens with Alice.

[Saffron Mavros · Rating 2 out of 5]

By this book, the plot gets monotonous and repetitive. The underlying idea is the same, the setting is unvarying, and nothing new is brought to the table. To the point that the storyline becomes near about predictable, not a favorable outcome for a series that kept me hanging for every word in the first three books of the series.

The author has tried to bring in new characters, but they feel quite alien and it's difficult to connect to them. The sanctity of the close knit group of adventurers seems to be breached.

By this book, I'm glad the series was over. I read the books because I'd already gone through 80 percent of the series and didn't want to leave without a proper "closure". Otherwise this book was extremely predictable, not at all exciting and very dull.

[Jane Grafham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Should be a standalone

If you want to read more about Seth and Alice then by all means enjoy this book, but if what brought you to this series was Charlie's necromancy and what kept you reading was her relationship with Lincoln then skip it. They have a nice adventure with a satisfying ending that ties up all the loose ends from book 9 but is more of a bonus book rather than being a true part of the Ministry series.

[Sara Chandler · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a terrible ending to a good series. I was really disappointed.

The whole time we were lead to believe that Seth and Alice would end up together but no. Seth with Eva and Alice with Markell

The only reason I gave the extra star instead of it being 1 star is Seth and Eva

This trip to Wonderland was a crap way to end the series.

[Riika · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointed in this last book in the series. Felt rushed and unrealistic, needed better editing and more closure. Such a difference between this series and the Glass & Steele in writing quality and style.

[Jersey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. I can see where people weren’t happy with it because it didn’t follow Charlie and Lincoln but instead followed Alice’s story but truly I thought it was the perfect ending to the series.

[The Phoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say that this final book was the best of the series. And the main characters of this one were the supporting characters of the other books. I recommend this series to those who enjoy supernatural, adventure and fantasy.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, sweet conclusion to Ministry of Curiosities series

In the interest of full disclosure: I became a fan of CJ Archer's books during the last six months. I really enjoy her stories, especially the increased depth of characters in her current over her previous work.

I began reading this book within an hour of its release because I was so excited to visit with my friends in The MInistry of Curiosities series. I was not disappointed. There were times I was laughing out loud (sometimes in a not-so-ladylike way), the pacing was good, and the "feel" of the book is somewhat lighter than most other books in this series. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Having said that, I would not recommend starting The Ministry of Curiosities series with this book. While it does work as a standalone book in its own right, there is a LOT that the reader would miss if one only read this book, or began here. (Honestly, there are things that I missed on my first read through this series, even reading the series in order, so I recommend starting with the first book, The Last Necromancer.)

This book shifts away from primarily Charlotte (Charlie) and Lincoln to encompass resolution to story-lines for Lisl, Ava and David Cornell, Alice, Seth, Gus, Lady Vickers, and Cook, which were brought into play beginning in the 5th book (Ashes to Ashes). I would be happier if Gus wound up with a love interest, but this is a minor complaint which doesn't detract from the overall story. Indeed, CJ Archer does address that being valued for honesty and kindness, for being able to trust someone and being willing to work at the relationship are more important than beauty. Since the unconscious message of most romance novels seems to be only beautiful, slender women and handsome, muscular men get to have hot, loving relationships, it is rather nice to see an author recognize that depth of character matters.

On a related note, it is also satisfying to have watched the relationships develop between all the characters, especially Charlie and Lincoln. The fact that wedding vows don't automatically result in "happily ever after"--that people have to work at their relationships; that honesty, trust, and communication are important to strong, happy relationships--is a refreshing change from too many other romance novels/writers.

Mini-spoiler: It is a stunning amount of emotional growth on Lincoln's part that he can ask for advice, accept friendly hugs/touch, admit he made a mistake, and thank a friend by the end of this book. Charlie also shows growth by recognizing that she cannot play upon Lincoln's fear of being abandoned.

I recommend that anyone who enjoys "paranormal romance" invest in this series.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The series started off unique and captivating. The characters and backstory were intriguing. I felt that by this book it had deviated so much from the first book in the series when we are introduced to Charley. I appreciate each author's unique spin on things, reimagining of stories, and perspective. This story was challenging for me as the Alice in Wonderland arc pulled away from the rest of the story and seemed to take over Charley and Lincoln's roots. It felt disjointed and I feel it would have been better suited as a stand alone and wrapping the series up with book 9. Then, I think my brain could have possibly handled this better with less jarring. Alice in Wonderland and necromancy as a strange gift are two very different feels and story lines that I hate to say, just don't work as well in this series, in my humble opinion and as a reader. In the After the Rift series, the reimagining of Aladdin is consistent throughout the series, whereas here, the Alice in Wonderland theme feels like a side add-on that doesn't weave as well through the main storyline.

Overall, not my favorite in the series and not how I would have preferred to have the series end. I would have preferred it stop with book 9, then have this as a side novella (which I probable wouldn't have read). I finished the book only because it was the last in the series and I hate leaving things unfinished.

[Tina Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spent time this weekend reading the final Ministry of Curiosities book. It was a classic CJ Archer story.

I'm not a big fan of the Alice in Wonderland storyline (never liked the C S Lewis story) so I was disappointed that this was the way Archer decided to end the series. If you're a fan of Alice then you will probably love the book!

The book featured very little of Lincoln and Charlie, Lady V and Lisle. We got to see lots of Alice and Seth, Gus and Eva. The annoying David was also present and we saw lots more of Markell, who I really liked.

I really liked seeing more of Seth and Eva and watching the relationship develop. I thought Seth's switch from loving Alice to Eva was quick but I guess under the intense conditions of war, quick and strong emotional attachments are natural.

I was surprised and quite disappointed there wasn't an epilogue showing everyone in the future. What about children for the various couples? Does Lady V ever marry? Do Cook or Gus ever find their special someone? Does David ever stop being annoying and develop a fondness for Lincoln? Does Alice ever visit Charlie? So many loose ends! I really hope CJ Archer does a short story showing us everyone's HEA. I'd happily spend money on that!

[Andra Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

The End?!

Book 10 appears to be the last in this series and Charlie and Lincoln were not at all central to the storyline. Perhaps by developing the other characters the author is paving the road to the series continuing along many different tracks. This was a nice twist to Alice in Wonderland and continued to deliver on the action and plot twists we have come to expect from this series. There was quite a bit of debauchery to boot. It gave a platform for Seth other find redemption in his own eyes through the new found love of his life, and for us to see Alice come into her own in more than one way. Perhaps a new adventures in Wonderland is in the works and it has to include the gorgeously clever Sir Markell. Gus once again proves himself to be the friend you want watching your back. Lincoln's siblings reveal a thing or two about themselves as well. All and all, a captivating story that does leave the imagination open for more. I hope C.J. Archer can find a way to continue this series as this does not feel like The End.

[Lenise M · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last but maybe not: I hope not:

I don't write reviews, however in this instance seeing what others have written I felt I should.
I enjoyed each of the books in this series. Easy reading and great characters that I became invested in. For me that is the start of enjoying my read. This particular book although not focusing on Charlie and Lincoln was important as it tied up some loose ends. It resolved so many issues, Alice and her problems. (I actually loved the wonderland thread. Very clever), and the ambiquities within the Seth, Alice not going anywhere relationship. The book also embedded Eva and David into the overall thread of The Ministry of Curiosities.
There are lots more possibilities that could be explored, and Gus who is a delightful character in his own right.
I loved the series and congratulate the author on a well realised world, story and characters.
If the Ministry gets further additions I will most definitely be ready to read.
Thank you for an escape from the depression of this lockdown.

[Jaime Ann Sanborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The series is over. Most of the threads are neatly tied. A few critiques…

1. Wonderland was a disappointment! Where was all the nonsense? I so much wanted the book to live up to its title.

2. Where is Gus’s story! In ten books he got no more of a role than Seth’s sidekick. Justice for Gus! He deserves better.

3. In the previous book the ministry was exposed. How is that all made better with a retraction in a newspaper? How will Lincoln and Charlie solve mysteries now that people know who they are?

Overall- this has been a delight! I enjoyed the stories. They are light reads with just enough mystery to satisfy.

I also appreciate that they are NOT romance books. I find sex scenes in books to be a bit ridiculous. If you are seeking a slow burn that ends in a hot and heavy scene- turn back now. These are really chaste in their telling.

C.J. Archer writes stories you can gobble up and feel good about. In a world with so much worry- it is fun to simply enjoy a book as entertainment.

[Katarina Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little jarring at first that made it more difficult to get into. I think it was the shift in POV. But once it got going, I was more into it. I don’t think it had the need to stay up reading one more chapter that the other books in the series did but it was still a pleasant (easy) read. I will admit that I wasn’t a huge fan of Alice in the other books. And seeing her here as the focal character probably led to my lower rating compared to the rest of the series. I was disappointed that there wasn’t some grand mystery to solve. I feel like this book was a novela that could have been tied in somewhere else so that the series ended with book nine’s plot instead.