Helpful Score: 2
OK, I am a huge fan of this series and other than book1, Royal Street, Suzanne Johnson has consistently exceeded my expectations. You're expecting snark here, right? Well, yeah, Pirate's Alley had a few flaws, but the characters, plot, and pacing were so good, I forgave them all. What was noticeably different here was the constantly twisting plot and nearly breakneck speed of the various events. The story spun out so quickly, I felt it could have used a bit of fleshing out in spots.
The story centers on three key plot points -
First - the opening courtroom drama that plays to the revenge of Jean Lafitte against the vampire who wronged him,
Second and threaded throughout the book - the impact of Eugenie's pregnancy on the Elves and the whole Prete council. It consumes the plot further along.
Third - The revelations at the start the book about betrayals and double-crossing of Council members - and the fact the game they play might change players, but none can be trusted.
But DJ isn't exactly the same DJ from a few years ago, so she isn't shocked and has become fundamentally suspicious of the politics on the council - especially after an order she finds wrong on every level.
The way each character weighs loyalty and duty against personal feelings, and how these often conflicting demands were balanced by each character seemed to be more defining for DJ and Jean Lafitte than they were for Alex or Jake. A few other major events got short shrift in the headlong race through the ever shifting plot. Quince Randolph remains morally ambivalent character and utterly lacks the pirate's charm and wit. Plus Ms Johnson added Faeries, the Winter Prince (Christof) - who seems destined for a larger role - and the Summer Prince (Florian) with the queen (Sabine), their great aunt.
A really good read, but not what I was expecting. Better in most respects, except for the fact I felt the author left a lot of story on the cutting room floor, so to speak. That bothered me. The small nuances that peppered her earlier books were there at the start, then faded away in favor of the relentless action. It was, regardless, a slam-bang read and the ending had some excellent twists with lots of future plot potential. DJ is maturing much as Harry Potter did, growing into her own potential. She's a terrifically well done example of character evolution.
A highly recommended series - and yeah, after this installment, still crushing on Jean Lafitte.
The story centers on three key plot points -
First - the opening courtroom drama that plays to the revenge of Jean Lafitte against the vampire who wronged him,
Second and threaded throughout the book - the impact of Eugenie's pregnancy on the Elves and the whole Prete council. It consumes the plot further along.
Third - The revelations at the start the book about betrayals and double-crossing of Council members - and the fact the game they play might change players, but none can be trusted.
But DJ isn't exactly the same DJ from a few years ago, so she isn't shocked and has become fundamentally suspicious of the politics on the council - especially after an order she finds wrong on every level.
The way each character weighs loyalty and duty against personal feelings, and how these often conflicting demands were balanced by each character seemed to be more defining for DJ and Jean Lafitte than they were for Alex or Jake. A few other major events got short shrift in the headlong race through the ever shifting plot. Quince Randolph remains morally ambivalent character and utterly lacks the pirate's charm and wit. Plus Ms Johnson added Faeries, the Winter Prince (Christof) - who seems destined for a larger role - and the Summer Prince (Florian) with the queen (Sabine), their great aunt.
A really good read, but not what I was expecting. Better in most respects, except for the fact I felt the author left a lot of story on the cutting room floor, so to speak. That bothered me. The small nuances that peppered her earlier books were there at the start, then faded away in favor of the relentless action. It was, regardless, a slam-bang read and the ending had some excellent twists with lots of future plot potential. DJ is maturing much as Harry Potter did, growing into her own potential. She's a terrifically well done example of character evolution.
A highly recommended series - and yeah, after this installment, still crushing on Jean Lafitte.
