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A review by wulvaen
Mortal Coil by Derek Landy
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book repeatedly hit me on the back of the head unexpectedly, kicked me in the balls, pissed on me, ripped out my heart and then topped it off with a nice little cherry on top in the form of a good joke 🍒. That's how this book felt.
And I fucking loved every second of it.
Quite a summary, isn't it?
I no longer allow myself to be gaslit by the author and each books' blurb and the rating they're given and led to believe these are children's/ YA books.
I refuse. Fuck right off.
I do not believe you.
I'm sure a certain character in the book who was conscious while their body was torn open and had hands rummaging around inside them and literally pulling their heart out, I'm sure that character would agree with me 👀
So, how was it?
Ah, it was okay......is what I'd say if I was a little fucking liar like the author is for making us believe these are children's books! However! I'll be honest and say this was my favourite book so far.
It was really funny, more so then it had been in the series, at least since book 1 (I will say Landy needs to reign it back in certain circumstances, there's moments of real beauty in the book, emotional moments, and it gets tainted with a prolonged comedy routine that overstayed it's welcome).
The action was as gripping as ever.
The story was not another reskin of the original three books' formula.
The character work was heartbreaking and tantalized the soul. I swear there is more death in these books than I've come across in most books I've read and they also seem to come unexpectedly now.
The premise and execution was actually brilliant.
Valkyrie, Sculduggery and friends were faced with 2000 foes who could inhabit anyone they came across and control them and essentially become them. It meant each character we met is a suspect, are they secretly a remnant? Are they next? What would happen to the whole plan if this person was taken over by a remnant? How on earth do they stop them!? The premise made the whole book very exciting and it felt like any form of tragedy was on the table.
And I fucking loved every second of it.
Quite a summary, isn't it?
I no longer allow myself to be gaslit by the author and each books' blurb and the rating they're given and led to believe these are children's/ YA books.
I refuse. Fuck right off.
I do not believe you.
I'm sure a certain character in the book who was conscious while their body was torn open and had hands rummaging around inside them and literally pulling their heart out, I'm sure that character would agree with me 👀
So, how was it?
Ah, it was okay......is what I'd say if I was a little fucking liar like the author is for making us believe these are children's books! However! I'll be honest and say this was my favourite book so far.
It was really funny, more so then it had been in the series, at least since book 1 (I will say Landy needs to reign it back in certain circumstances, there's moments of real beauty in the book, emotional moments, and it gets tainted with a prolonged comedy routine that overstayed it's welcome).
The action was as gripping as ever.
The story was not another reskin of the original three books' formula.
The character work was heartbreaking and tantalized the soul. I swear there is more death in these books than I've come across in most books I've read and they also seem to come unexpectedly now.
The premise and execution was actually brilliant.
Valkyrie, Sculduggery and friends were faced with 2000 foes who could inhabit anyone they came across and control them and essentially become them. It meant each character we met is a suspect, are they secretly a remnant? Are they next? What would happen to the whole plan if this person was taken over by a remnant? How on earth do they stop them!? The premise made the whole book very exciting and it felt like any form of tragedy was on the table.