RANTS AND RAMBLES

• • DISCLAIMER: When I review books, weaknesses and inconsistencies tend to dominate my discussion; therefore, I will emphasize that any particular rant (and, yes, they can be long-winded) does not have special bearing on my unified opinion of the book. For this, please refer to my overall star rating. Additionally, this review is my personal opinion, intended to help like-minded readers navigate the plethora of available options. Use it as a tool but do not assign undue importance to it (i.e. feel free to disagree with me).
  • This review is the third in a series, so I did not belabor points made in previous reviews. Please check out my reviews of Petrified and Betrayal for a more in-depth discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the series.
  • While reading previous books, I often wondered why Obie can turn into an otter. Sure, this technically means he is a wereotter, which is weird in an awesome sort of way, but since he spent most of his non-human time in krasis, an anthropomorphic otter form, it calls into question the utility of the Keepers’ animal forms. On this outing, animal forms are used much more extensively. While not perfectly executed, it does provide a more nuanced and tactical approach to the book’s action by showcasing the benefits of each form and the decision-making process of choosing how to approach each situation.
  • Mild Spoilers: This story has an identity crisis. It begins as a mystery novel/buddy-cop investigation story, but there is not much meat to the journey of discovery, and the good guys figure out the (incredibly tiny) mystery early on. At this point they go on a side quest, halting any progress on the investigation. Given the relatively short length of the book, it is possible this side quest was added to extend the story into a full-length novel. The book also believes it is an action novel, dabbling in graphic, over-the-top violence from time to time. Also, the overarching plot involves epic, world-changing stakes. There are too many “good ideas” in this single novel, but Ben didn’t commit to any of them, so they all fell flat.
  • Spoilers: The plot in this story is jumpy, compromising any ability to build momentum, and ultimately leaving me feeling let down. It starts off promisingly with a string of disappearances and an, albeit somewhat cliché, mystery to solve. When Holt is abducted, the stakes are ratcheted up, but then the story takes a hard left turn as Obie and his new sidekick are sent to a different world to deal with a separate problem. Then they finally go back and finish the original mission. Though this middle “interlude” to the main plot line sort of ties into the overarching story, it feels like an unnecessary side quest. The characters learn nothing important and do nothing critical. It was cool to expand the literary universe by seeing a different world, and it puts a different spin on Thera by seeing another being like her, but because it added almost nothing to the plot and killed the story’s momentum, it should either have been reworked to fit better or been left on the cutting room floor.
  • Major Spoiler: Holt’s death is very anti-climactic because I didn’t care about him very much. Characters in this series are generally weak across the board, and Holt is affected even further since he is barely in the first book, has more time in the second but does not qualify as a main character, and then is kidnapped almost immediately in this third outing. This is made more jarring because he is finally beginning to get a bit of depth when he is snuffed out. His death seems like wasted potential and a plot convenience.
  • Major Spoilers: The first two books are connected in plot with aspects of the first bleeding into and being resolved in the second. With those threads resolved, the third book begins a new storyline, culminating in a paradigm-altering climax when Thera dies. Here’s the problem. The series is based around Keepers, and their attachment to Thera defines the rules of the world. Killing Thera and shifting the paradigm is not a bad idea, but it should have been done much later in the series. Multiple books building a “buddy cop” dynamic between Obie and Holt, solving mysteries (unique and unrelated ones in each book), and building the world would have been a good idea. The reader would come to care about the characters and learn the rules of the world. When Thera is killed (along with Holt) and the rug is jerked out from under everything, it would have been much more impactful. As it is, I can’t bring myself to care.
  • Major Spoilers: The characters introduced in this book are among the most interesting of the series. A hoodie-wearing werewolf who bursts into fire and a new Keeper with the aspect of a mountain lion and an attitude to boot are good additions. They are unique visually and in character and certainly made a good impression on me. Though only knowing them for less than a book, either of them dying would have had more of an impact than Holt kicking the bucket.
  • Major Spoilers: The book ends with Thera dying, fundamentally shifting the world in which these stories take place. Magic is now possible without the use of dust. Keepers are no longer immortal. These and other implications should have been earth-shattering, but I felt nothing at the revelation. This is because the entire paradigm shift is not introduced until the very end of the story, so there was no time for the reader to contemplate the stakes. With no understanding of the stakes, tension cannot build, and most of the important parts of the three-act story structure are shortchanged. Without meaningful tension, the climax is little more than a tacked-on scene, a whimper following the actual culmination of the book. To add insult to injury, the scene feels like a cheap afterthought intended to force emotions the story never earned and stoke interest in the series with a paradigm shift I didn’t care about because I never fully understood it and was not invested in the world or characters.