Reviews

If you read The Night Circus, you might want to give this a pass, because The Crown’s Game is its watered-down YA version that unfortunately doesn’t come close to the original. I really truly wished I had read these two in reverse, because then I might have enjoyed The Crown’s Game much more. It does have its merits, but overlooking the similarities is next to impossible …

A book about bookshops – what could possibly go wrong? Apparently, more than I thought. In the end, it left me pretty disappointed. It was too UK-centric, too jumbled, too repetitive, and sporting some outrageous omissions …

Sometimes, there comes along a book that completely enchants its reader, draws them under until they can hardly resurface. This was one of those. It’s a book with an old soul, one that feels like it’s been there forever. It made me feel nostalgic, enthralled me with an alluring world full of beautiful illusions covering a rotten core, with an awkward protagonist set against almost insurmountable odds, and a maybe-eventually-ship that’ll keep me glued to the pages until the very end …

After finishing the first one, I immediately went on to book two. I had forgotten most about this series and was pleasently surprised how much I enjoy it! This second book is no exception here … however, the story gets a little darker …

I noticed pretty early on that I liked the concepts: inherent darkness taking strange and sometimes perilous shapes by miracles that have to be overcome, a radio station on wheels that holds the key to so many lives, the complicated relationships between the characters, the desert setting. However, I also realised I wasn’t sure whether I would come to like the book. In the end, I didn’t. In fact, it bored me so much I was very close to giving up on it …

Oh dear, oh dear! Maybe I should have seen it coming since I was rather meh about the last book and it took me ages (as in: four years) to finally pick this one up to finish this series. And what can I say, unfortunately, it took a turn for the worse. While I found at least some allure and entertainment in the previous books, this one I just can’t recommend at all. It’s not only bland and anticlimactic but also highly problematic and the ending is a total cop-out …

Fantastic premise, gorgeous setting, marvellous atmosphere, interesting characters – and no plot. Here’s why I nevertheless thoroughly enjoyed this reread (hints: Scotland! Run-down mansion! Horses! Politics being adressed!) …