Step up and get on with it

‘The Desolations of Devil’s Acre’ – Ransom Riggs

The fate of peculiardom hangs in the balance in this epic conclusion to the Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series.

The last thing Jacob Portman saw before the world went dark was a terrible, familiar face.

Suddenly, he and Noor are back in the place where everything began – his grandfather’s house. Jacob doesn’t know how they escaped from V’s loop to find themselves in Florida. But he does know one thing for certain: Caul has returned.

After a narrow getaway from a blood-thirsty hollow, Jacob and Noor reunite with Miss Peregrine and the peculiar children in Devil’s Acre. The Acre is being plagued by desolations – weather fronts of ash and blood and bone – a terrible portent of Caul’s amassing army.

Risen from the Library of Souls and more powerful than ever, Caul and his apocalyptic agenda seem unstoppable. Only one hope remains – deliver Noor to the meeting place of the seven prophesied ones. If they can decipher its secret location.

To be honest, I was quite relieved that this was the last book in the series. (And it’s a series that definitely concludes at the end; I cannot see how Riggs can resurrect this one now.) After six books, it feels like the stories have merged into one with a single, common denominator: plenty of running. Now, with the concluding novel, I felt like the characters needed to step up, once and for all, to get the job done at defeating the enemy.

This is a story that continues on exactly where the previous one finished. Therefore, not only is this a series that you have to read in order, but it’s one that you don’t want to leave too long between instalments. If you do, you’ll suffer the same fate as me: find it difficult to place the different characters, make connections between significant events and, well, just drift a little bit until things become clearer. As a consequence of the above, I found the start of this book incredibly slow to get going and I don’t think it became pacey and interesting enough until nearly half-way through.

Like the predecessors, this books contains lots of frustrating running and escaping. I could not fathom Jacob’s significance to this series, despite the hero worship that others give him. In my opinion, he just seems to add to the numbers and I found his role, for the majority of the story, merely as one that helped to organise the peculiars. However, it wasn’t until things really start getting serious, and the threat to Devil’s Acre is on a countdown, that Jacob truly discovers himself. This was the point where I thought his character was most interesting.

When danger gets too close, I felt frustrated by the insistence of running and hiding, fearing this was Riggs’ method of not finishing the series properly. Therefore, I was quite pleased when some of the peculiars decide to take matters into their own hands. Their deference to the ymbrynes was quite frustrating and this is something I have thought throughout the series. Despite being children, they are older souls and I wanted this maturity to be reflected in the actions. Riggs does not do this, making the plot development a little more predictable and prolonging the action.

All in all, this was an alright book but I don’t think it was as powerful as it could have been. I liked seeing the peculiars travel to war-torn France and the images that accompanied this. However, the plot premise remained the same: seeking others to help defeat a bigger power. During the climatic fight-scene, I could not help but be sceptical that this was not truly over, that Riggs would find a way of lengthening the story even more. Whilst it did conclude, I don’t think the writer fully played to the supernatural powers that the character had in store, therefore creating a rather mundane narrative that took too long to get going.

If you have read all of the books so far, this is certainly one to conclude. I don’t think it is the best book in the series and think the length could have easily been shortened. Yet, if you are curious to see how the story ends, definitely give this your attention. Otherwise, it’s best to start from the beginning of the book to watch how unusual children can have a massive impact on the world around them.

Book Bingo 2022 category completed: Last book in a series.

Calamity after calamity

‘The Conference of the Birds’ – Ransom Riggs

‘Do you trust me?’

An instant bestseller, A Map of Days launched readers into the previously unexplored world of American peculiars, one bursting with new questions, new allies, and new adversaries.

Now, with enemies behind him and the unknown ahead, Jacob Portman’s story continues as he takes a brave leap forward into The Conference of the Birds, the next instalment of the beloved, bestselling ‘Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children’ series.

Knowing that the end of the series is coming in spring 2021, I feel quite relieved. Whilst this book was pretty good, it did feel like the characters were running from one problem to the next, never really solving what they were doing at the time. I found this a little frustrating, but it certainly kept the pace up for this novel.

The images continue to haunt the narrative, expertly placed to bring alive the peculiars being described. This, and the format of the hardback edition, meant it was actually a book under 300 pages. I think this explains why I consumed it so quickly, as well as being curious to see what problem presented itself next to Jacob and his friends.

This book continues immediately on from its predecessor. As well as being a novel that you need to have knowledge of the backstory, I would also recommend not leaving it too long between book four and five. It took me a while to recollect how the previous book had concluded and this distracted me from fully focusing on how Riggs establishes the plot.

That being said, it is clear from the onset that Jacob and his peculiars are in for a rollercoaster of a ride. Immediately, we are presented with Jacob and Noor escaping in New York. Pages are barely turned after their safety is established, before another threat appears in Devil’s Acre. In the end, the narrative seems divided into preventing war in America and finding out more about Noor’s past. I found this made the narrative rather manic because characters kept splitting between tasks and Jacob, who was initially helping Noor, gets pulled on to another crisis.

I think it was only in the closing chapters did Riggs really find his stride with the narrative. Plot strands started to pull together and I found the final loop the most exciting of them all. This book completely ends on a cliff-hanger and I did find myself sighing with frustration at the end: I want to know exactly what happens next! Too bad that there is a pretty long wait to go.

I do enjoy reading this series because it feels rather unique and imaginative. However, I have found it has become increasingly more complex as the novels go by; further, keeping track of the peculiars and their special talents has become nigh impossible and I use narrative clues instead to jog my memory.

Undoubtedly, I look forward to seeing what happens in what I hope will be the final instalment of this series. I can’t see how Riggs can keep the stories different; I find that some parts are starting to get repetitive even now. This was a good read that improved as the story had established itself. The accompanying photographs added to the imagery and visual descriptions. I think it is this combination that gives this series such a personality.

A little bit different

‘A Map of Days’ – Ransom Riggs

Having defeated the monstrous threat that nearly destroyed the peculiar world, Jacob Portman is back where his story began, in Florida. Except now Miss Peregrine, Emma, and their peculiar friends are with him, and doing their best to blend in. But carefree days of beach visits and normalling lessons are soon interrupted by a discovery—a subterranean bunker that belonged to Jacob’s grandfather, Abe.

Clues to Abe’s double-life as a peculiar operative start to emerge, secrets long hidden in plain sight. And Jacob begins to learn about the dangerous legacy he has inherited—truths that were part of him long before he walked into Miss Peregrine’s time loop.

Now, the stakes are higher than ever as Jacob and his friends are thrust into the untamed landscape of American peculiardom—a world with few ymbrynes, or rules—that none of them understand. New wonders, and dangers, await in this brilliant next chapter for Miss Peregrine’s peculiar children. Their story is again illustrated throughout by haunting vintage photographs, but with a striking addition for this all-new, multi-era American adventure—full color.

In my previous Ransom Riggs’ review, I was very skeptical about how the writer could continue the series without being repetitive. To be honest, I approached this book expecting boredom and no new ideas but, I am pleased to say that Riggs has got it right and I am left looking forward to reading the next one of the series (once it is released!).

Not being trapped in one loop helped make this story more varied. This time, most of the story is set in America and I enjoyed the travelling around that the Peculiars undertake. Whilst the group do experience some loops, the majority of the book is like a road trip, discovering new loops and Peculiars. Reading about how Emma, Horace, Enoch and the gang try to fit in with present culture was quite entertaining, adding to the variety of this story.

The plot felt like it had more purpose this time, rather than me reading about a bunch of teenagers muddling their way through disasters. The story immediately picks up from the last one, with a helpful Prologue that shares the ending scene of the previous novel. We see the aftermath in Devil’s Acre from the last epic battle and it was enjoyable to read about how the Peculiars have moved on since. However, Miss Peregrine’s role was quite irritating in how she continued to infantilise her charges. The characters have been through so much, have had so much independence yet, the mothering was suffocating that I wanted to scream on behalf of the Peculiars! I sincerely hope that changes for the next book.

Jacob once again comes into his own light, continuing the theme of being the heroic protagonist. He is keen to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and this time we discover more about Abe and his Peculiar presence in America. Riggs has a whole new playground to describe with the setting being in America and, towards the closing of the book, we are presented with ideas of clans, the threat of war and conflict between Peculiars. All in all, it creates a story with more depth and, whilst the novel finishes on a cliffhanger, I am totally ready for the next one.

I am so pleased to say that I enjoyed this book more than I anticipated. The dread towards this series has lifted and reading this book was not the chore I had thought it would be. Riggs has definitely upped his game this time and, with fewer photographs, I feel like his creativity has been set free to fully explore the world of the Peculiars. I look forward to what he can bring to the table in the fifth book of the series. And, hooray! I have read this series in the correct order!

Missing peculiars

‘Library of Souls’ – Ransom Riggs

A boy with extraordinary powers. An army of deadly monsters. An epic battle for the future of peculiardom.

The adventure that began with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and continued in Hollow City comes to a thrilling conclusion with Library of Souls. As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discovers a powerful new ability, and soon he’s diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children.

They’ll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil’s Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It’s a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all. Like its predecessors, Library of Souls blends thrilling fantasy with never-before-published vintage photography to create a one-of-a-kind reading experience.

I enjoyed this book but was not blown away. Once again, I feel as if I have fallen into the trap of leaving it far too long between series instalments, thereby losing pace, interest and understanding in the novels as a whole.

I have to admit, I am a fan of character lists at the start of the book: particularly for novels that are part of a series or have a large cast. Again, I feel like this was missing from this book and this prevented me from getting immediately sucked into the plot. Although the story continued straight off from the previous book, it took some time for me to get my head around where the characters were, what was the immediate threat, and who was who. Indeed, by the time I was all caught up, I felt as if I had missed the initial “wow factor” of the story and consequently it came across as a bit lack-lustre afterwards.

One main difference about this instalment in the series is that it mainly focuses on Jacob and Emma. All of the other characters from the previous books are missing for the most of the story. Once the fights with hollows and wights began, the plot became more exciting. Something was certainly missing that would have undoubtedly been provided by the colourful characters that we have come to know in books one and two. Consequently, the plot was a little tricky to get in to and I found it sometimes tedious in places. True, new characters are introduced to the story but, I do not think they had as much impact as some of the peculiars. It’s a shame really; I believe the peculiars are what make the story and Riggs choosing to make them absent for the majority meant readers were just following Emma and Jacob’s battle. Instead, it would have been nice to have the perspective shift to the peculiars every once in a while.

Once again, the paperback copy uses old photographs to accompany the narrative. I strongly believe that an ebook version would be less powerful so, if you are considering reading this series, it’s definitely worth having the physical copy in your hands. The images continue to be varied and unexpected; they add to the enjoyment of the story and break up some of the tedium that I felt.

It feels as if Riggs created this story with the idea of concluding the trilogy. However, I was disappointed to learn that there are several more books to follow this one! I’m not quite sure how I feel about this: will Riggs be able to write something new? Will he be able to recapture the excitement and adventure of the first two novels? I really hope that the writer isn’t trying to capitalise on an opportunity and instead avoiding writing new material.

Despite my (many!) misgivings, I did enjoy reading about the adventures of Emma and Jacob. It was lovely to see Jacob’s abilities develop and how he became a stronger character. I enjoyed the showdown towards the end of the story and desired to see more of this action throughout the rest of the plot. The ending was sweetly satisfying and left me imaging what the future would hold.

I am glad to have read this trilogy and would be interested to see where this goes next. I am certainly going to try and read the next book sooner rather than later, as I believe this will significantly improve my enjoyment of the story.

Wartime adventure

‘Hollow City’ – Ransom Riggs

This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises.

Being several months since I read the first novel, I easily slipped back into the plot. The character list at the beginning was a good prompt and I could effortlessly recall what had happened. That being said, I found the novel had a slow start and it did take a while for me to get into it.

The writer continues the visual experience of this series with the many photographs. Not as spooky as the previous novel, it became a lovely way of retelling the story behind such eclectic pictures. In fact, I found myself looking forward these visual delights because it helped break the intensity of the story and I was curious to see another interpretation of events.

What made this novel so different for me was the fact that it is set in London during the Second World War. Combined with some of the photos, I have yet to read a young adult fantasy novel in this period and as result, it totally piqued my imagination. As the children continue on their adventures, they encounter other peculiars and I liked how this added extra depth to the plot and characters. Whilst I found it slow start, once I became immersed into the story, I was keen to see how it would develop and eventually conclude.

Having many unexpected twists and turns made this story even better to read. When I thought I had predicted how the plot would develop, Riggs throws in another curve ball and takes the story off into another direction. Crossing through various time loops added to this variety, I liked how this made this more of an adventure story as a result. Keeping the plot fresh and interesting made up for the slow start and am I keen to know the eventual fate of the peculiar children.

This was a great read and a nice break from some of the recent genres I have encountered. Probably stronger than the first book of the series, the novel is established in the story and this allows it to go from strength to strength. It’s a unique fantasy piece of writing that at times reminded me of something ‘Marvel’ would produce, and I look forward to seeing how the story develops further.

Book Bingo category completed: The second book in a series.

Spooky

‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’ – Ransom Riggs

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that Miss Peregrine’s children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

Wow, this a great Halloween read, perfect for this time of year! Aimed at young adults, this is still a good book for the older reader and I really enjoyed this paranormal read. If you are looking for something spooky but not too scary, then this is a perfect choice for these darker days.

The plot itself is quite spooky with the concept of children not ageing and stuck in a “loop” on a remote Welsh island. At first I was totally suspicious of Miss Peregrine, believing that she was not looking out for the children but actually holding them prisoner. However, once the truth is revealed to us and Jacob, our protagonist, we begin to appreciate the steps that Miss Peregrine takes to keep her odd charges safe from the outside world. It is an unusual story and one that I feel will fascinate both young and older readers.

This edition includes many black and white photographs and for me, this is what really added a chilling factor to the read. So many quirky, unaltered photographs of young children that fit within the narrative and, at times, it felt like the subject was staring straight back at you! I couldn’t read this in the company of my young children as I didn’t want them to be scared – so this is something to consider. Perhaps it becoming more a “secretive” read is what also enticed me through the pages. Coupled with the intrigue towards what would be the next photograph, this became a gripping story that gave some unexpected surprises along the way.

I haven’t read a book with pictures for soooooo many years, and this was quite a novelty! I found it really interesting that these photographs are genuine and the author does include references to his research undertaken, at the closing of the novel. It did lead me to question – which came first? The book? Or the photographs? Also, would I have enjoyed the novel less without this illustrative theme?

I tend, for some unknown reason, not read too many paranormal, ghostly novels and I found this one really enjoyable. It was not difficult to grasp the essence of the plot and I am pleased to see that this is part of a short series. The peculiar children were fun to discover, as was the truth about their behaviours. A little bit like X-Men… but more ghostly and less “super-powers”.