The Laughing Listener
September 2018
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Morena Baccarin
Length: 19 hours & 44 minutes

Story Rating: 4.5 Stars
Performance Rating: 5 Stars
Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars

Wow, I feel like I just ran a freaking marathon. My emotions! Oh god. This book was so good, but SO MUCH HAPPENS. And guys, this review is going to be full of spoilers. I have a deep, urgent NEED to talk about this and I can’t keep my chill. SO BUCKLE IN KIDS. IT’S A LONG ONE.



Let’s start with my absolute FAVORITE thing about this, which were the characters. My love of all the blackthorns (and Carstairs and Rosales too) runs so deep that I’m actually a bit concerned about myself. These are fake people that don’t actually exist and I am SO FREAKING INVESTED. I love them all! Emma is such a badass, sarcastic queen. Cristina is so observant and wise and wonderful. Ty and Livvy are smart, tech savvy marshmallows. Dru is my Wednesday Adams, horror-loving bff. Mark is so serious and yet wonderfully hilarious and playful. Tavvy is my adorable little cinnamon roll. And Julian. MY WONDERFUL HERO JULIAN. Ugh. I LOVE HIM. He gave me some serious Stranger Things season two Steve vibes and I WAS LIVING FOR IT. I just really really wanted to give that guy a hug the whole book.



And let’s hear it for diversity. I looooooooved all the rep in this!! So many diverse characters! I loved that Ty was never labeled with a “problem” and he just was who he was. YES! I loved my that my girl Dru had some curves. FINALLY. I loved that Mark was bi. I loved it all! This felt like such a normal family (you know, minus all the faeries and demon killing) and I want to hug Cassandra Clare for it.

As far as plot goes, so much happens in this book with high highs and low lows that gave me whiplash. Watching Julian and Emma dance around each other’s feeling—Low. Having Mark finally come home—high. Watching Mark not recognize his own family—low. Seeing Uncle Arthur go mad and watching poor Julian picking up all the slack—low. Watching the close bonds between all the siblings and seeing all the friendships—high. Kieran tattling on Mark and watching Julian and Emma get WHIPPED—FREAKING LOW. I was so close to tears! UGH. Feeling my heart melting my chest when Julian and Emma finally got together—HIGH. Getting slapped in the face by Malcolm’s betrayal—LOW.

See what I mean?? WHIPLASH. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love it though. I mean, is a book really worth reading if it’s not causing you mental distress????

The reason I ticked off a half star is because I’m salty as hell about the parabatai curse. I mean really?? A CURSE??? A curse that’s forcing one of the main protagonists to push their love interest away to protect them? A curse that’s almost EXACTLY like all the curses in the other shadowhunter books? Ugh. I’m so sick of that being the problem and I’m a little peeved because it feels like a cop out. This was such a great opportunity to get creative and come up with a new and interesting problem, but instead we just get another curse.

*Sighs* Okay, rant over.

FINAL WORD

Despite my word vomit there at the end, I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVED this book and I can’t wait to keep reading the series!! I must find out what happens to my children!

#1 ↦ [b:Lady Midnight|25494343|Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices, #1)|Cassandra Clare|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1460477682s/25494343.jpg|19104294] ↦ ✦✦✦✦✦
#2 ↦ [b:Lord of Shadows|30312891|Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices, #2)|Cassandra Clare|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479513427s/30312891.jpg|19104295] ↦ ✦✦✦✦✦
#3 ↦ [b:Queen of Air and Darkness|13541056|Queen of Air and Darkness (The Dark Artifices, #3)|Cassandra Clare|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1510447136s/13541056.jpg|19104298] ↦ ✦✦✦✦✦