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Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez – Locke and Key III: Crown of Shadows | Review

Title: Locke and Key III: Crown of Shadows

Author: Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 152

Rating 4/5

Another great installment in the Locke and Key series, and now I’m halfway through and I have to wait to read the other half until my other half finishes them. Too many “other halfs”? Oh well.

I particularly liked the way that this one ended, and it’s got me stoked to read more of the series. I also like how the backstory is still being developed at the same time as the main story, while new keys keep being introduced and changing the story on its head. I can’t wait to keep on reading, and the only thing I’m sad about is that at some point, it has to end. But at least it’s been a fun ride.

Click here to buy Locke and Key III: Crown of Shadows.

Neil Gaiman – The Graveyard Book | Review

Title: The Graveyard Book

Author: Neil Gaiman

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 298

Rating: 3.5/5

Neil Gaiman – The Graveyard Book

I have this problem with Gaiman where sometimes I love his stuff and sometimes I’m ambivalent. This one got off to a good start, but by the halfway mark I’d kind of lost interest. It reminded me of Johnny and the Dead by Terry Pratchett, and I’d rather have re-read that.

It’s not a bad book though, and it could well be my fault as a reader that I didn’t stick with it. I did love the initial setup, but it didn’t manage to keep my attention throughout the rest of the book. But then I’m probably not the target audience for it, and I was coming to this after really liking Fortunately, the Milk and so perhaps I read two Gaimans too close together.

What I do like is the overall vibe of the story. Gaiman’s writing style is unique and so you can tell you’re reading one of his books, and the story itself feels almost classical in that sort of timeless sense that can make it hard to tell when something was actually written. It has a lot going for it, but it wasn’t really for me. I’m still giving it a 3.5/5 though, and I’ll round it up to 4/5 for Goodreads and Amazon. It’s a’ight. It’s not his best and it’s not his worst.

What I will say is that I loved Chris Riddell’s illustrations and the way that they related back to the actual story. Riddell worked on Fortunately, the Milk as well, and I think he almost steals the show. And despite my lukewarm feelings towards this, I will be reading more of Gaiman’s stuff when I get my hands on it.