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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
The last four books in the series go together re: a final quest and thankfully the plotting and writing keeps getting better, though I am still censoring fatphobic language and the overuse of the word "stupid" when reading aloud. I would have appreciated some new ways to describe both large things ("gigantic" word count has to be in the thousands by this point) and noises ("horrible, screaming", again, has to be in the thousands), but it could be worse.
The six-year-old continues to love these.
The six-year-old continues to love these.
Things are getting really interesting with this book! I had just gotten rather fed up with the formulaic nature of some of the middle books and now we have one going in a different direction. I am fascinated to see where Cowell takes this series for the last few books.
I will forever give these books five stars! Reading them is such a joy!
4.5 stars
This series is really picking up again. I remember being vaguely disappointed when I read the eighth book, not because I disliked it or anything, but because I felt that the plot threads had taken too many books to start coming together. I wished that they had done so a bit earlier in the series. I think it was during the seventh book when I started to wonder if there really was an end-game in sight for the series, or if it was doomed to be one of those children's series that never really ends satisfactorily. I can see with this installment that that won't be the case. The stakes will continue to rise as we go on and I anticipate the series having a very satisfactory conclusion.
However, that said, I stand by my earlier statement that I wish these plot threads had been more obviously tied together earlier in the series. If I didn't already own up through this book (having received them in a box set as a gift a couple years ago) I honestly don't think I would have read this far. If I'd been taking them all from the library or purchasing them individually myself, I probably would have stopped after the seventh book, if I'm being honest. I wasn't at all convinced that the plots would tie together and the series would have a purpose. I would have given up if I wasn't determined to read all the installments that I already owned. As glad as I am that I read this far and was able to tell that it will likely be worth it in the end, I do consider it a serious flaw of the series that the connected plots weren't clear early on. I feel that this lack of clear overarching plot has probably deterred a lot of other readers who have since given up on the books. And I'm not just saying this as an adult who loves reading children's books. I know for a fact that if I were still an elementary or middle school student reading these books--the target audience age group--I would have given up on the series if I thought there wasn't a point to it all. If I were twelve years old and reading these books, and didn't see the plots start to weave together after a few books, I absolutely would have put them down and not looked back. I did so with plenty of series when I was that age. The fun and humor of the characters wouldn't have mattered as much in the face of a seemingly episodic plot. Even as a child, I just wasn't really into that sort of thing. I wanted substance. If I didn't see it, I would have been a lost reader.
That got a bit rambly, but I'm sure you get my point. This series probably could be half the number of books that it is and still have the important plot points retained if a lot of the more random stuff had been cut. And the series, honestly, would be better for it. This is not to say that I don't enjoy the series as it is now--I've consistently rated the books three or more stars and always enjoy my time reading each book--but I would certainly enjoy it more if it were a bit more concise.
I'm also starting to realize--and this is probably going to make me a pariah among the fans of the books--but I think I like the Dreamworks adaptations better. *hides in a dark hole* I like the cast of characters as a whole better in that version, and the slightly more mature storylines are just a better fit for me.
This series is really picking up again. I remember being vaguely disappointed when I read the eighth book, not because I disliked it or anything, but because I felt that the plot threads had taken too many books to start coming together. I wished that they had done so a bit earlier in the series. I think it was during the seventh book when I started to wonder if there really was an end-game in sight for the series, or if it was doomed to be one of those children's series that never really ends satisfactorily. I can see with this installment that that won't be the case. The stakes will continue to rise as we go on and I anticipate the series having a very satisfactory conclusion.
However, that said, I stand by my earlier statement that I wish these plot threads had been more obviously tied together earlier in the series. If I didn't already own up through this book (having received them in a box set as a gift a couple years ago) I honestly don't think I would have read this far. If I'd been taking them all from the library or purchasing them individually myself, I probably would have stopped after the seventh book, if I'm being honest. I wasn't at all convinced that the plots would tie together and the series would have a purpose. I would have given up if I wasn't determined to read all the installments that I already owned. As glad as I am that I read this far and was able to tell that it will likely be worth it in the end, I do consider it a serious flaw of the series that the connected plots weren't clear early on. I feel that this lack of clear overarching plot has probably deterred a lot of other readers who have since given up on the books. And I'm not just saying this as an adult who loves reading children's books. I know for a fact that if I were still an elementary or middle school student reading these books--the target audience age group--I would have given up on the series if I thought there wasn't a point to it all. If I were twelve years old and reading these books, and didn't see the plots start to weave together after a few books, I absolutely would have put them down and not looked back. I did so with plenty of series when I was that age. The fun and humor of the characters wouldn't have mattered as much in the face of a seemingly episodic plot. Even as a child, I just wasn't really into that sort of thing. I wanted substance. If I didn't see it, I would have been a lost reader.
That got a bit rambly, but I'm sure you get my point. This series probably could be half the number of books that it is and still have the important plot points retained if a lot of the more random stuff had been cut. And the series, honestly, would be better for it. This is not to say that I don't enjoy the series as it is now--I've consistently rated the books three or more stars and always enjoy my time reading each book--but I would certainly enjoy it more if it were a bit more concise.
I'm also starting to realize--and this is probably going to make me a pariah among the fans of the books--but I think I like the Dreamworks adaptations better. *hides in a dark hole* I like the cast of characters as a whole better in that version, and the slightly more mature storylines are just a better fit for me.
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've really appreciated the series and Tennant's narration the whole way through so far, but this one especially seemed to have a bigger impact than the others--maybe because of how all the plot threads and character beats have finally started to come to a head. The end really was one big rush that I couldn't bring myself to stop listening if I could help it. I'm really excited to start book 10.