In the climactic battle at the end of the novel, Stroud explores this theme and juxtaposes two different characters’ responses to death. Minor Peeve: Every time the gang had to take tea and open a digestive. Like i get that tea and biscuits is a big part of the British culture, but i have a hard time wrapping my head around teenagers that want to pop the kettle on every freaking time to have tea and digestives. Not once did anyone take soda. Not once!!!

One of my favourite pieces of this series is that it doesn't go on forever and ever. Five books feels perfect in this instance. Stroud does such a great job of leaving the reader feeling satisfied at the end of the series; but still also loving it and wanting to revisit it again. To prove the truth behind the Skull's claim, the team decides to see for themselves, but the tomb contains more nasty surprises than what they were prepared to face. I really hope Stroud makes some sort of return to this series in the future. I will be there for it.and hey! even quill kipps! i liked quill freakin' kipps at the end of this book! who knew it was even possible?? For some reason i can't totally fathom right now, i've always thought of this series as YA and not middle grade. Boy was i proved wrong with this one. While i'm glad to have finally come to the end of this series, i really think this was one of the weakest books in the series. Stroud has crafted one hell of a brilliant setting, complex, believable, and utterly fascinating with its Problem: a world infected by supernatural beings that reduces humans to seek refuge at night in fear for their lives. Since adults cannot ‘see’ these ghostly apparitions, children and teenagers are roped in to become operatives, fighting these nefarious manifestations, often to their deaths. I haven’t thought about the foreshadowing being about the skull. I’m not sure I agree yet, but it’s a fascinating theory and now I want to reread the last few books (actually, I want to do that anyway just to relive moments with the skull). came to stand beside me. The sunlight was still on him. Right then, he was close to the idea i'd always had of him; the picture i saw in my mind's eye when drawing near to sleep

This is what the Problem means,” he went on. “This is the effect it has. Lives lost, loved ones taken before their time. And then we hide our dead behind iron walls and leave them to the thorns and ivy. We lose them twice over, Lucy. Death’s not the worst of it. We turn our faces away.” STARS, but i only rated it that because it wouldn't let me rate it more. IT DESERVES 1000000 STARS. IT DESERVES ALL THE STARS.

This entire series made me FEEL so many things. I had no idea when I started these books that I'd be this attached by the end. How am I going to be able to move on after this? *spoiler*: I probably won't. 😭 But above all, the ending scene really got me. And this is where we get to talk about my favorite character: the skull. young-adult. Хоча його цільовою аудиторією є підлітки, дорослим його читати буде також цікаво. Локвуд майстерно вибудовує світ альтернативного Лондона, закручує інтриги, які в перших частинах нагадують детективи, а от в останніх вже ближчі до трилерів чи пригодницьких романів. Це читання, яке, якби це не звучало дивно, заспокоює. Це оповідь, яка тримається не лише на інтризі та загадці, але на цінностях та емпатії до персонажів. Вони переживають проблеми, більш близькі підліткам, але які будуть знайомі і зрозумілі дорослим. А через це - навіть якщо ви знаєте спойлери - читати романи буде цікаво. Наприклад, я перші дві книги спершу "побачив", тобто переглянув екранізацію. А вже потім їх прочитав. І ні про що не шкодую: серіал додав картинки до тексту, але з часом "книжкові" образи витіснили "серіальні". Принаймі, Джордж Кабінс чи Кіпс для мене будуть "книжковими". Люсі та Локвуд - "серіальними", але лише тому, що актори дуже близькі до книжкових оригіналів.

All told, Stroud wrote an amazing and unique series and after finishing it, it will be more than just hard to find a worthy successor! <3 If you've read the Bartimaeus books, you've probably noticed that the skull's character is pretty much what would happen if you took Bartimaeus' spirit and shoved it into a jar. It's sarcastic, witty, rude, and, frankly, all-around lovable. (Well, I think so, anyway.) BUT NOW??? I LOVE HER. if that doesn't show you the genius of jonathan stroud's amazing ability to write and create and build characters, i don't know what will. I don’t want this series to end but I’m already at the fifth book and I know this ending is going to hurt! I don’t even know why, but I have a feeling that I’m probably going to cry an ocean while I read this.Brilliant as ever. Spectator I enjoyed it so much, I hope there will be yet another book soon to follow in this fabulously told series. Amazed Earthling, with Guardian Children's Books