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A review by chloefrizzle
Risen by Benedict Jacka
4.0
An absolutely satisfying ending. Gives balanced due to both the good and dark parts of Alex. Ends the series on a bang, wrapped up with a bow.
WHAT I LOVED:
This book was an absolutely satisfying ending to the Alex Verus series. All the loose threads were tied off in interesting and thematically resonant ways.
The pacing of this book is excellent. The threat is larger than it's ever felt before, and yet the book also takes scenes to just breathe and let the characters talk in between battles. I loved every page.
In the books leading up to Risen, Alex has been getting increasingly closer to being a seriously bad guy. So, this book had a lot to tackle with either giving him a redemption arc or making the ending satisfying with such a gray protagonist. I was worried that the book would go too far to one of those sides, and change the core of Alex's character in the process. However, I was delighted with how this novel balanced the light and dark sides of Alex, gave them both their due, and found a way to end this arc solidly on the foundation of all the books that came before.
The fox, Hermes, was at the forefront of many parts of this book. This is exactly what I have been hoping and waiting for, and he was used expertly to both give some lightheartedness and raise the stakes in key scenes. I give this book a fox score of 9.5/10.
Having finished the series, I would recommend the following reading order: 3-9, 1-2, 10-12. Books 1&2 are the weakest of the series, and they shouldn't be your first impression. Book 3 gives you enough background knowledge that you don't need to read 1&2 first. However, you should read 1&2 before book 10, because they finally become important around then.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
Though Alex gets a great arc and balancing to his character, Anne does not. In this book, her arc is again being pushed more by Alex than herself. This makes Anne feel passive and like she isn't getting her own character growth. This is disappointing, and feels like a waste to a fantastic and layered character.
Thanks to Berkley Publishing and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.
A video review of this book (with some of my more spoilery thoughts) will be appearing on my youtube channel. You can find that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl8sZsicbBs&list=PLzKif11L57ecKhiavwj-Arqp7y3qu3lQV
WHAT I LOVED:
This book was an absolutely satisfying ending to the Alex Verus series. All the loose threads were tied off in interesting and thematically resonant ways.
The pacing of this book is excellent. The threat is larger than it's ever felt before, and yet the book also takes scenes to just breathe and let the characters talk in between battles. I loved every page.
In the books leading up to Risen, Alex has been getting increasingly closer to being a seriously bad guy. So, this book had a lot to tackle with either giving him a redemption arc or making the ending satisfying with such a gray protagonist. I was worried that the book would go too far to one of those sides, and change the core of Alex's character in the process. However, I was delighted with how this novel balanced the light and dark sides of Alex, gave them both their due, and found a way to end this arc solidly on the foundation of all the books that came before.
The fox, Hermes, was at the forefront of many parts of this book. This is exactly what I have been hoping and waiting for, and he was used expertly to both give some lightheartedness and raise the stakes in key scenes. I give this book a fox score of 9.5/10.
Having finished the series, I would recommend the following reading order: 3-9, 1-2, 10-12. Books 1&2 are the weakest of the series, and they shouldn't be your first impression. Book 3 gives you enough background knowledge that you don't need to read 1&2 first. However, you should read 1&2 before book 10, because they finally become important around then.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
Though Alex gets a great arc and balancing to his character, Anne does not. In this book, her arc is again being pushed more by Alex than herself. This makes Anne feel passive and like she isn't getting her own character growth. This is disappointing, and feels like a waste to a fantastic and layered character.
Thanks to Berkley Publishing and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.
A video review of this book (with some of my more spoilery thoughts) will be appearing on my youtube channel. You can find that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl8sZsicbBs&list=PLzKif11L57ecKhiavwj-Arqp7y3qu3lQV