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748 reviews by:
bookishdaydreaming
I really enjoyed this! I was slightly intimidated going in but found it such a pleasant read and you can definitely tell why it has stayed part of the literary canon all this time.
One of my favourite things in reading this was the narration - technically told in a first-person narrative from the perspective of Lucy Snowe, this is easy to forget. Her name itself is rarely spoken throughout the book, and she is so involved in telling the stories of those around her that the use of the first person almost comes across as shocking in reminding the reader of Lucy's existence.
I also really enjoyed the cyclical nature of the storytelling. The first time this really became clear with the alignment of Graham and Dr John being one and the same (which truly took me by surprise!) you start to see the foreshadowing and expect this to happen again with other characters from Lucy's earlier life and it makes for a beautiful story of inevitabilities and everlasting frienships.
Definitely a firm favourite of mine of the classics now!
One of my favourite things in reading this was the narration - technically told in a first-person narrative from the perspective of Lucy Snowe, this is easy to forget. Her name itself is rarely spoken throughout the book, and she is so involved in telling the stories of those around her that the use of the first person almost comes across as shocking in reminding the reader of Lucy's existence.
I also really enjoyed the cyclical nature of the storytelling. The first time this really became clear with the alignment of Graham and Dr John being one and the same (which truly took me by surprise!) you start to see the foreshadowing and expect this to happen again with other characters from Lucy's earlier life and it makes for a beautiful story of inevitabilities and everlasting frienships.
Definitely a firm favourite of mine of the classics now!
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you so much to Netgalley and HarperCollins for an e-arc of this book!
The Shadow Cabinet has absolutely managed to avoid 'middle book syndrome' and is thrilling the whole way through. Picking up immediately where the first book left off, there's immediate drama and tension as Ciara is trying to hide her identity and pretend to be her now-dead sister. Watching this through the perspectives of all the different characters both builds excellent tension and also twisted amusement as you see them write off these things rather than realise the truth - or Ciara rewrites it for them.
Something I think Dawson does really well throughout this series is using the multiple POVs to keep the reader included on everything that's happening and have the inside knowledge whilst still keeping the relevant characters in the dark, which enables you to keep the element of mystery but also that frustration where you know exactly what is needed to fix the problems but have to watch the narrative play out anyway.
I don't think there was a single POV in this book I didn't thoroughly enjoy - I loved getting to read Theo coming to grips with her new identity and continuing to work through past trauma, Ciara grappling with her sense of self and trying to work out both what happened and what kind of person she wants to be, and the twists of characters that both Elle and Luke went through, neither of which I would have expected but absolutely loved both.
To be expected, the last 10% was filled with so many twists and turns that left me on the edge of my seat and I now can't wait for both the upcoming prequel novella and the final book in this trilogy.
Something I think Dawson does really well throughout this series is using the multiple POVs to keep the reader included on everything that's happening and have the inside knowledge whilst still keeping the relevant characters in the dark, which enables you to keep the element of mystery but also that frustration where you know exactly what is needed to fix the problems but have to watch the narrative play out anyway.
I don't think there was a single POV in this book I didn't thoroughly enjoy - I loved getting to read Theo coming to grips with her new identity and continuing to work through past trauma, Ciara grappling with her sense of self and trying to work out both what happened and what kind of person she wants to be, and the twists of characters that both Elle and Luke went through, neither of which I would have expected but absolutely loved both.
To be expected, the last 10% was filled with so many twists and turns that left me on the edge of my seat and I now can't wait for both the upcoming prequel novella and the final book in this trilogy.
I was worried going into this as I found Legends & Lattes slightly lacklustre but this was so far improved. It still manages to encapsulate the cozy-fantasy vibes of the first book but the stakes even being marginally higher made the book much more enjoyable. This felt very much like the middle act of a book which is exactly what it was designed to be. Unlike L&L I thought there was so much more plot here and that made the difference between the two. I loved all the different plots - the reviving of the bookshop itself, Viv's romance with Maylee, and the whole plot with Varine and how that developed. It still managed to stay low stakes as a prequel but there was something to keep you interested the whole way through. I also hugely preferred the relationship between Viv and Maylee than with Tandri in L&L - you could tell from the first meeting that their relationship was romantic and it developed nicely throughout the book. I also really enjoyed the unhappy ending and thought it was an interestingly compelling ending to a cozy fantasy book. Knowing from the start that Viv is going to leave and go back to Rackham before settling down and opening a coffee shop actually added to the relationships she built throughout this book and made you feel them much more keenly throughout. My biggest issue with this book was that none of this is ever mentioned in L&L to my recollection and it very much feels like a prequel that's been written for the sake of it and not because it was built into the original story. For a period of time that changed Viv's life so much, the fact that she never mentions Fern, Maylee or Satchel feels wrong, and it also feels like Murk would have been a much likelier place for Viv to settle down and open her coffee shop. Overall, a much improved story from Baldree and I think anyone who found Legends & Lattes slightly lacking will really enjoy this and should definitely give it a go.
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