The Book of Life

"A few grumbles... <br/><br/>Writing:<br/>The beginning of the book was very difficult for me to get into. It later set the stage for much of the happenings in the story, but getting through it felt like watching a pompous family political drama with tedious with tedious writing. My advice to new readers is to bear through the slog -- it's worth it in the end. <br/><br/>I was also frustrated by the sheer number of characters that the reader has to keep up with. There were several times in this series that I thought "Wait who the eff is that guy??". It was a lot to follow, especially when some of those characters were seldom seen throughout the story. <br/><br/>Narration:<br/>If you listen to the Audible version of the book, the narrator does a stunning job of juggling tons characters and their varied accents. Some are even believable as normal speech for her. But her accent for the author's Japanese character bordered on sounding racist (and the "manga" comment from that character felt so heavy-handed and contrived for the author). I also quickly tired of the narrator's breathiness as she read non-dialog text. It was distracting, overdramatized, and hard to take seriously sometimes. <br/><br/>Overall:<br/>All of those grumbles aside, this is a transporting and intricately woven tale of high magic and drama. The author researches her material like a pro, even the witchcraft feels real and surprisingly accurate. Harkness spins quite an epic tale and I'll be sure to keep an eye out for more of her books. <br/><br/>4/5 Would definitely recommend to lovers of supernatural romance, colorful history, and powerful witchcraft."

"ending was great but like i wanted more of the “queens gambit”"

"Most of the loose ends were tied up, there were a few copouts as far as plot goes. Overall the characters had a decent amount of growth and were fleshed out well"

"A satisfying ending to a good series."

"Book hangover from this one! You get to fit more of the puzzle pieces together. Can't wait to read Times Convert"

"It's perfect. This whole series is perfect. I haven't felt this way about a series since I was first reading Harry Potter at the tender age of eleven, and I realize now how much I missed that feeling of reading a really remarkable book. And even though I have only just finished, I know I will revisit this for years and years to come, because it's one of those rare series that makes you believe. Now if only I could stop crying about it being over...what can I say, I'm sensitive to a good story"

"I liked the first book of that series. Not a huge fan of the show though"

"A great finale to the series. This is the perfect series if you are looking for a plot that is engaging and a mix of fantasy and romance to give your mind a break from the real world. The historical information and alchemical history throughout the series is fascinating, as well!"

"When i first saw the cover of this book i wanted to read it. Unfortunately i have this strange thing with series and reading them in order. So i held out and ordered the first two and read them first. With as much as i wanted to read this one i still put it off for weeks. <br/>My anticipation was definately worth it though. As with the first book, the more i read the more i wanted to read. The more engrossed i became in the lives of my characters. The more i wanted to kill others. This book is very complex and very action packed. It will keep you on the edge of your seat at every twist and turn. You won't want to put it down. <br/>I didn't want to part with this book while i was reading it, and at times not only did i laugh, but i almost cried as well. The emotion that's packed into the pages of this book as well as the description is overwhelming."

"The entire series was amazing, but as the last book in the trilogy, it was definitely one of her best. "