Infernal Devices by Philip Reeve

Wildcard ~ May

infernaldevices

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

My opinion in three sentences:

When I first heard this was set 15 years after the first two, I was hesitant and sceptical that it was just another series trying to milk every last penny it could. Surprisingly, I liked it more than I was expecting, and I’m happy to report it offered its own, unique tale that built upon plotlines and ideas laid down in its prequels. Of course, with such a time jump, the characters were a struggle to reconnect to at first (and, in some cases, at all) but, once things got going, it didn’t detract too much from the thrilling tale.

(Without spoiling anything) the best bit:

Once again, Reeve triumphs with a fantastic plotline. Sure, it’s not as twisting or unpredictable as I’ve seen from him in previous works, but the novelty of it was great. Over the course of the previous two books, we’ve seen many interwoven storylines, and I was unsure how Infernal Devices was going to not be a repeat of at least one of these. The answer, it turns out, is in a clever and carefully-planned manner, and it was that that kept me reading even when some dodgy characterisation dried things up a little.

A warning for the book:

Reeve attempts something unusual with this third instalment, and whilst such a bold move pays off in many ways, it’s far from perfect. I never particularly liked Hester before, but at least I could understand her as a character. Unfortunately, over the course of the time jump, she’s (understandably) changed, and as a reader we’re given little insight into the motivations and events that have made her who she is. Instead, she’s a new version of a familiar character that (even by the end) remains a mystery, like a piece of a puzzle that just doesn’t quite fit.

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