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The Shapeshifter #6
The Shapeshifter: Feather and Fang [Paperback] [Jan 01, 2016] Sparkes, Ali
Dax Jones will not be tamed. The Children of Limitless Ability can do all sorts of amazing things. Terrifying things too. Some can move things with their minds. Some can make themselves vanish. Dax Jones can change his form; can hurtle through the sky at 200km an hour, or swim underwater for minutes on end. But all is not well. Fenton Lodge, the school and home the COLA kids had grown to love over the past few years, is being turned into a prison. The new prime minister has set up a crack force of experts to manage, contain and use the COLA resource in the best interests of decent hardworking British people. And ...if necessary ...to shut it all down. Permanently. With all communication scrutinized, Dax's only option is to write to his spoilt little sister, Alice. Even she might notice something is amiss, if she reads his letters properly. And Alice, for all her annoying shallowness, does notice. And what she does about it is extraordinary. But then, she is the half-sister of Dax Jones.
272 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2016
11 people are currently reading
216 people want to read
About the author
Ali Sparkes
121 books145 followersAli Sparkes (born 1966) is a British children's author.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 1, 2024
NOTE: There will be no spoiler tags used in this review.
Ladies and gentlemen, this was just... painful.
(Dax Jones will not be tamed.
The Children of Limitless Ability can do all sorts of amazing things. Terrifying things too. Some can move things with their minds. Some can make themselves vanish. Dax Jones can change his form; can hurtle through the sky at 200km an hour, or swim underwater for minutes on end.
But all is not well. Fenton Lodge, the school and home the COLA kids had grown to love over the past few years, is being turned into a prison. The new prime minister has set up a crack force of experts to manage, contain and use the COLA resource in the best interests of decent hardworking British people. And . . . if necessary . . . to shut it all down. Permanently.
With all communication scrutinized, Dax's only option is to write to his spoilt little sister, Alice. Even she might notice something is amiss, if she reads his letters properly. And Alice, for all her annoying shallowness, does notice. And what she does about it is extraordinary.
But then, she is the half-sister of Dax Jones.) ~ Blurb from Goodreads
I'll give this entry some credit, it actually does try to fix one of the issues I had with Stirring the Storm. In Stirring the Storm, Dax acquired his third and final form, the otter. Despite this, there were very few scenes where the reader got to see this form in action. This entry, on the other hand, has quite a handful. I think one of my favorites has to be in chapter seventeen where he's jetting through the water, trying to get as far away from the college as possible. It's a small scene, but it was still a fun way to show off what the otter can do.
I also enjoyed the dynamic between Dax's sister Alice and Dax's journalist friend Caroline. Throughout this entry, the two work together in order to rescue Dax and it's pretty fun. For one thing, I love how Caroline and Alice work off of each other to trick the bad guys into doing things like getting them off their trail or distracting them in order to make an escape. Second, I don't believe this series has ever had these two team up before, so to me, it seemed rather fresh and new. I also think it was a clever way to expand upon the character development Alice got in Dowsing the Dead.
Sadly, these are the only compliments I have.
I hated the plot. It just felt like a low quality hodgepodge of different elements from the previous entries. For example, in addition to rehashing the "Government is an antagonistic force" element from Going to Ground, this entry rehashes the whole "tracker chip" element from Stirring the Storm, but for some reason, despite the fact that this entry is clearly set after Stirring the Storm, none of the characters (including Dax) ever acknowledge this. Sure, this entry does try to do something a little different with all these elements (including the COLA risk tier system, making the barriers at the college more secure, putting the tracker chips on their clothes instead of in their skin to comply with new regulations and so on). But it's not really enough to prevent it from feeling like a major rehash and in some cases, is downright stupid. Like, if the clothes were thrown in the wash or a COLA were to trip and fall in a certain way, wouldn't the chips just break? Honestly, I would've appreciated it if this entry focused on what the government planned to do with the COLAs once they got to university age. Do they permanently rejoin mainstream society in exchange for keeping their abilities out of the public eye or something? Would the college create their own university program? It would've allowed the series to explore some new territory and take advantage of the clear time skip in a logical manner. Which brings me to my next point.
This entry massively fucks up the timeline of this series. So Stirring the Storm took place in 2008 or so. This novel is clearly set in 2016, as Alice is now a teenager and social media is mentioned. However, the rest of the characters haven't seemed to been aged up as well, creating massive, unnecessary confusion. I think this entry would've really benefited if it had just clarified how old the rest of the characters were supposed to be like it did with Alice.
Oh and top of that, for some reason, this entry has a nasty habit of throwing things at the reader with little to no context and just expects the reader to accept it. For example, in chapter eleven, it's revealed that a year prior to the events of this entry, Mia was manipulated by Spook into almost burning Dax to death. Why? What prompted this? In Stirring The Storm, Mia and Spook did have their moments of struggle, but in the end, Mia was able to control her fire powers and Spook became a much better person who was on much friendlier terms with Dax. Given what was presented in Stirring the Storm and a lack of a reason for Mia and Spook to nearly incinerate Dax to death, it comes off as lazy writing. In Bullet Train (the second book in the Assassins series), there are references to characters and events from the previous entry (Three Assassins). However, Bullet Train provides the reader with enough context to understand what they are and how they're relevant to Bullet Train, so that even if the reader hasn't read Three Assassins, they still have a basic idea of things and can still follow along. Also, there's this character named Olu and he's basically a teleporter with attitude and within the context of this series, he never existed prior to this entry. Despite this, Feather and Fang never bothers to provide his backstory, how he was convinced to work with Mia, how he met the other COLAs, his hobbies, and a billion other things. As a result, he feels more like a plot device to easily get the characters from one place to another rather than an actual character. If you're going to introduce a new major character and you want them to feel like an actual character that readers can actually care about, you need to actually flesh them out.
Overall, Feather and Fang was a stupefyingly half-baked entry that made me question why and how it ever came into existence.
Overall Grade: F
Ladies and gentlemen, this was just... painful.
(Dax Jones will not be tamed.
The Children of Limitless Ability can do all sorts of amazing things. Terrifying things too. Some can move things with their minds. Some can make themselves vanish. Dax Jones can change his form; can hurtle through the sky at 200km an hour, or swim underwater for minutes on end.
But all is not well. Fenton Lodge, the school and home the COLA kids had grown to love over the past few years, is being turned into a prison. The new prime minister has set up a crack force of experts to manage, contain and use the COLA resource in the best interests of decent hardworking British people. And . . . if necessary . . . to shut it all down. Permanently.
With all communication scrutinized, Dax's only option is to write to his spoilt little sister, Alice. Even she might notice something is amiss, if she reads his letters properly. And Alice, for all her annoying shallowness, does notice. And what she does about it is extraordinary.
But then, she is the half-sister of Dax Jones.) ~ Blurb from Goodreads
I'll give this entry some credit, it actually does try to fix one of the issues I had with Stirring the Storm. In Stirring the Storm, Dax acquired his third and final form, the otter. Despite this, there were very few scenes where the reader got to see this form in action. This entry, on the other hand, has quite a handful. I think one of my favorites has to be in chapter seventeen where he's jetting through the water, trying to get as far away from the college as possible. It's a small scene, but it was still a fun way to show off what the otter can do.
I also enjoyed the dynamic between Dax's sister Alice and Dax's journalist friend Caroline. Throughout this entry, the two work together in order to rescue Dax and it's pretty fun. For one thing, I love how Caroline and Alice work off of each other to trick the bad guys into doing things like getting them off their trail or distracting them in order to make an escape. Second, I don't believe this series has ever had these two team up before, so to me, it seemed rather fresh and new. I also think it was a clever way to expand upon the character development Alice got in Dowsing the Dead.
Sadly, these are the only compliments I have.
I hated the plot. It just felt like a low quality hodgepodge of different elements from the previous entries. For example, in addition to rehashing the "Government is an antagonistic force" element from Going to Ground, this entry rehashes the whole "tracker chip" element from Stirring the Storm, but for some reason, despite the fact that this entry is clearly set after Stirring the Storm, none of the characters (including Dax) ever acknowledge this. Sure, this entry does try to do something a little different with all these elements (including the COLA risk tier system, making the barriers at the college more secure, putting the tracker chips on their clothes instead of in their skin to comply with new regulations and so on). But it's not really enough to prevent it from feeling like a major rehash and in some cases, is downright stupid. Like, if the clothes were thrown in the wash or a COLA were to trip and fall in a certain way, wouldn't the chips just break? Honestly, I would've appreciated it if this entry focused on what the government planned to do with the COLAs once they got to university age. Do they permanently rejoin mainstream society in exchange for keeping their abilities out of the public eye or something? Would the college create their own university program? It would've allowed the series to explore some new territory and take advantage of the clear time skip in a logical manner. Which brings me to my next point.
This entry massively fucks up the timeline of this series. So Stirring the Storm took place in 2008 or so. This novel is clearly set in 2016, as Alice is now a teenager and social media is mentioned. However, the rest of the characters haven't seemed to been aged up as well, creating massive, unnecessary confusion. I think this entry would've really benefited if it had just clarified how old the rest of the characters were supposed to be like it did with Alice.
Oh and top of that, for some reason, this entry has a nasty habit of throwing things at the reader with little to no context and just expects the reader to accept it. For example, in chapter eleven, it's revealed that a year prior to the events of this entry, Mia was manipulated by Spook into almost burning Dax to death. Why? What prompted this? In Stirring The Storm, Mia and Spook did have their moments of struggle, but in the end, Mia was able to control her fire powers and Spook became a much better person who was on much friendlier terms with Dax. Given what was presented in Stirring the Storm and a lack of a reason for Mia and Spook to nearly incinerate Dax to death, it comes off as lazy writing. In Bullet Train (the second book in the Assassins series), there are references to characters and events from the previous entry (Three Assassins). However, Bullet Train provides the reader with enough context to understand what they are and how they're relevant to Bullet Train, so that even if the reader hasn't read Three Assassins, they still have a basic idea of things and can still follow along. Also, there's this character named Olu and he's basically a teleporter with attitude and within the context of this series, he never existed prior to this entry. Despite this, Feather and Fang never bothers to provide his backstory, how he was convinced to work with Mia, how he met the other COLAs, his hobbies, and a billion other things. As a result, he feels more like a plot device to easily get the characters from one place to another rather than an actual character. If you're going to introduce a new major character and you want them to feel like an actual character that readers can actually care about, you need to actually flesh them out.
Overall, Feather and Fang was a stupefyingly half-baked entry that made me question why and how it ever came into existence.
Overall Grade: F
June 28, 2019
The book is not as exciting as all the others but it has its moments of excitement when there is action or a plot and the author did a good job of having consistent action through ought the whole book. Near the start of the book it is quite confusing as the main character Dax Jones's friends have disappeared but in the middle and the end it shows us what happened to both him and his friends. I feel that the book is aimed at fifteen year olds and over as it doesn't have many child-friendly quotes in the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2022
Twist in the end was the greatest part
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2022
It was alright, not on the same level as Harry Potter, not much character
May 9, 2018
Seriously, what have I just read?
HOW was this an appropriate book for children???
I initially read Ali Sparke’s first five books many years ago when they were first released. The fifth book was intense, dramatic and – despite a few nit-picks - ended on a high note (Bravo!) I loved the series and reread these five books constantly when I was younger (I would highly recommend the first five books to children/young teenagers as they are easy to read with a range of likeable characters).
I don't know what made me type Ali Sparkes' name into google a few weeks ago (perhaps just a strong feeling of nostalgia) but I was shocked to discover that this book even existed. I was initially very excited about the prospect of having another opportunity to visit and explore Sparke’s world. However, I began to ponder over this: A brand new book released eight years after the final one? Eight years? That’s a little odd, isn’t it? While I did have a few doubt as to the Sparke’s intent with this new release (did she suddenly have a brilliant idea that she wished to share with her readers or did she simply need another pay cheque?). Deciding to give her the benefit of the doubt, I began to read the book with a neutral perspective. And this was the result….
A quick note before I continue: I first read this series when I was a child/young teenager (the target audience). However, … eight years later … I am now far older than the intended audience for this book. While I’ve tried not to let this effect my overall opinion and rating, it is something that I cannot shy away from/ thought you’d want to know.
The Horrible Train Wreck of a Book: Feather and Fang (Book 6)
The first thing I feel the need to comment on is the tone. The original five books revolved around a core group of characters. While they did have some suspenseful/ tense moments here and there (particularly towards the end of the series) where certain characters were in peril, they were mostly aimed at children/ young teenagers. Therefore, they tended to be light hearted with a good balance of humour, whimsy, action and drama. In comparison to Feather and Fang…yeah, … Book 6 is sooo not like that! For one, it is aimed at a much older audience - teenagers/young adults. Confusingly, the way some of the characters behave and speak make you think that the book is geared towards a younger audience, but don’t be fooled! Feather and Fang is BLEAK, where there are some seriously dark and horrific moments. If you are a parent searching for a book for your child, I would read the ‘Spoiler Section’ below to double check whether this is a type of book you would want to give your children.
Secondly, there are some serious issues with continuity. Only a few years (maximum) pass between the first book of the series and book five. Any time a time skip happened events were described in some detail to inform readers about any new developments. However, five years pass between the events of the fifth book and the events of this book. In that time, we come to realise that many, many, many things happen to the characters (etc.) but we only get the briefest of descriptions as to what really happened. Seriously, I had to stop reading twice to check google to see whether I had missed a book! Moreover, many things happen without there being a reason and a few things happen or are said that are major contradictions to what happened in the other books - (more detail given in the spoiler section). Overall, all of these continuity/time skip issues made the book very hard to read and understand what was happening (as well as why they were happening).
Finally (only because this review would be too long overwise!), and most condemningly, Ali Sparkes completely butchered some of the characters that she herself created. That is, the characters don't act like how they used to, new characters are just randomly inserted (as if we are expected to know who they are) and old characters are just completely forgotten (again, see the spoiler section).
In conclusion, not only did this book hugely disappoint me, but it enraged and hurt me in ways I had never expected when I had first discovered that this book existed. What is worse, it has spoilt the happy, nostalgic feeling I always had whenever I looked back and thought of this series.
In short, I could never recommend this book.
1/5
Spoiler Section:
Well – that was the quickest and most nonsensical turn to the dark side I’ve ever seen (Anakin Skywalker’s slaughter of the Jedi children was nothing compared to this!)
What I found unforgiveable was that some of the characters have been transformed into almost unrecognisable characters. Mia is the character who has changed the most. [See the random quotations I pulled from book 1, 2, 5 and 6].
Mia (B.1): [Mia]: "What do you think happens, when Mia takes away your pain?" shouted Owen angrily. "Do you think the pain bin-men come on a Friday and collect it from her? No! She keeps it all inside herself. She hasn't learnt how to release it properly and she's been slowly destroying herself for the past term."
Mia (B.2): "I'm glad hunting has been made illegal, at least," said Mia. She was a committed vegetarian. "...All animals should be protected from human beings."
Mia (B.5.): "I want to cure people, not hurt them".
Mia (B.6.): Dax landed on the fireplace mantel and watched Mia, appalled. Her face was utterly composed. She was burning people alive and she wasn't even twitching...then he remembered her face as she'd set light to the men in the PM's office; coldly amused".
In book 1, Mia is portrayed as a warm-hearted, kind and selfless person who would heal anyone in a heartbeat, even if it meant herself being in tremendous pain herself. In book 6, Mia constantly threatens to kill people and in fact DOES go on to kill people! She threatens to kill a number of children and Dax believes it’s highly likely that she did kill children/innocent people by the end of the book. Moreover, she constantly uses the ‘Mia effect’ to force others to obey her and uses her powers (healing and being a pyrokinetic) to threaten and TORTURE others. I did tell warn you it gets dark, didn’t I?! There’s no gore but some of the descriptions of people being in pain/suffering/dying are pretty vivid – too vivid, I would say, for a child.
What is worse, the book never quite explains WHY this happens! There's a throwaway line that Spook made her go crazy so that she set fire to the campus and ran away but then Spook runs away with her? While Mia killed Catherine at the end of book 5, she did it to save everyone. She didn't want to! Whereas, as I’ve quoted above, Dax comments (B.6) more than one time that she looks AMUSED when she kills people! The hell???
As I said, the continuity between book 5 and 6 is a mess. We’re told that Mia, Spook and a kid called Olu (who we have never seen before and has powers no COLA has ever had before) escaped from the school but not sure why or how etc. The book sets Olu up as one of the main characters (he gets so much more “screen-time” than Gideon, Luke and Lisa) but you don’t know who he is (Dax doesn’t really know who he is as Olu has never seen Dax shapeshift!) and Sparkes doesn’t really tell you who he is/where he comes from/how did he develop his powers to that extent etc.). It’s bizarre as she clearly wants us to like him and think he’s a “cool” character as he comes across as an OP, laid-back character who constantly one-ups Spook, but she’s completely forgotten to introduce him properly to the readers (hence me thinking that I had missed a whole book!). [P.s. poor, poor Spook – the character development he received from the last book completely vanishes/regresses here where he’s back to being a one-dimensional bully/jerk character.]
Okay, since I’m running out of time, here are a few more issues I had with the book: There were 11 Colas in book 5 ("the true 11"). I have no idea how many there are in book 6 but there are SOOOO much more than there should be! How did this happen? Did they suddenly find more COLAs after years of not picking anymore or did all of the ones who previously lost their powers suddenly regain them? If they did, then why wasn't this made clear? And if they regained their powers again, how can you explain Olu? How has Olu never properly met Dax before? The book establishes that the government are well aware of his abilities and have put so many things in motion to prevent him teleporting – couldn’t they have only discovered the countermeasures by constantly studying him for a long period of time? And if he was in the school for a long period of time, how has he not seen Dax shift before (and back around we go…). When Dax found himself in trouble, why did he reach out to Caroline and not to Owen? Why was Alice suddenly a major character in this book (she did NOTHING useful!!!) Where was Chambers this whole time? What happened to Mrs Satre? Why didn’t Owen come back to help the COLAs out (why did he even leave in the first place?) There are so many plot holes and continuity errors that it makes this book simply unreadable.
Blah! Gosh, I hated this book :(
1/5
HOW was this an appropriate book for children???
I initially read Ali Sparke’s first five books many years ago when they were first released. The fifth book was intense, dramatic and – despite a few nit-picks - ended on a high note (Bravo!) I loved the series and reread these five books constantly when I was younger (I would highly recommend the first five books to children/young teenagers as they are easy to read with a range of likeable characters).
I don't know what made me type Ali Sparkes' name into google a few weeks ago (perhaps just a strong feeling of nostalgia) but I was shocked to discover that this book even existed. I was initially very excited about the prospect of having another opportunity to visit and explore Sparke’s world. However, I began to ponder over this: A brand new book released eight years after the final one? Eight years? That’s a little odd, isn’t it? While I did have a few doubt as to the Sparke’s intent with this new release (did she suddenly have a brilliant idea that she wished to share with her readers or did she simply need another pay cheque?). Deciding to give her the benefit of the doubt, I began to read the book with a neutral perspective. And this was the result….
A quick note before I continue: I first read this series when I was a child/young teenager (the target audience). However, … eight years later … I am now far older than the intended audience for this book. While I’ve tried not to let this effect my overall opinion and rating, it is something that I cannot shy away from/ thought you’d want to know.
The Horrible Train Wreck of a Book: Feather and Fang (Book 6)
The first thing I feel the need to comment on is the tone. The original five books revolved around a core group of characters. While they did have some suspenseful/ tense moments here and there (particularly towards the end of the series) where certain characters were in peril, they were mostly aimed at children/ young teenagers. Therefore, they tended to be light hearted with a good balance of humour, whimsy, action and drama. In comparison to Feather and Fang…yeah, … Book 6 is sooo not like that! For one, it is aimed at a much older audience - teenagers/young adults. Confusingly, the way some of the characters behave and speak make you think that the book is geared towards a younger audience, but don’t be fooled! Feather and Fang is BLEAK, where there are some seriously dark and horrific moments. If you are a parent searching for a book for your child, I would read the ‘Spoiler Section’ below to double check whether this is a type of book you would want to give your children.
Secondly, there are some serious issues with continuity. Only a few years (maximum) pass between the first book of the series and book five. Any time a time skip happened events were described in some detail to inform readers about any new developments. However, five years pass between the events of the fifth book and the events of this book. In that time, we come to realise that many, many, many things happen to the characters (etc.) but we only get the briefest of descriptions as to what really happened. Seriously, I had to stop reading twice to check google to see whether I had missed a book! Moreover, many things happen without there being a reason and a few things happen or are said that are major contradictions to what happened in the other books - (more detail given in the spoiler section). Overall, all of these continuity/time skip issues made the book very hard to read and understand what was happening (as well as why they were happening).
Finally (only because this review would be too long overwise!), and most condemningly, Ali Sparkes completely butchered some of the characters that she herself created. That is, the characters don't act like how they used to, new characters are just randomly inserted (as if we are expected to know who they are) and old characters are just completely forgotten (again, see the spoiler section).
In conclusion, not only did this book hugely disappoint me, but it enraged and hurt me in ways I had never expected when I had first discovered that this book existed. What is worse, it has spoilt the happy, nostalgic feeling I always had whenever I looked back and thought of this series.
In short, I could never recommend this book.
1/5
Spoiler Section:
Well – that was the quickest and most nonsensical turn to the dark side I’ve ever seen (Anakin Skywalker’s slaughter of the Jedi children was nothing compared to this!)
What I found unforgiveable was that some of the characters have been transformed into almost unrecognisable characters. Mia is the character who has changed the most. [See the random quotations I pulled from book 1, 2, 5 and 6].
Mia (B.1): [Mia]: "What do you think happens, when Mia takes away your pain?" shouted Owen angrily. "Do you think the pain bin-men come on a Friday and collect it from her? No! She keeps it all inside herself. She hasn't learnt how to release it properly and she's been slowly destroying herself for the past term."
Mia (B.2): "I'm glad hunting has been made illegal, at least," said Mia. She was a committed vegetarian. "...All animals should be protected from human beings."
Mia (B.5.): "I want to cure people, not hurt them".
Mia (B.6.): Dax landed on the fireplace mantel and watched Mia, appalled. Her face was utterly composed. She was burning people alive and she wasn't even twitching...then he remembered her face as she'd set light to the men in the PM's office; coldly amused".
In book 1, Mia is portrayed as a warm-hearted, kind and selfless person who would heal anyone in a heartbeat, even if it meant herself being in tremendous pain herself. In book 6, Mia constantly threatens to kill people and in fact DOES go on to kill people! She threatens to kill a number of children and Dax believes it’s highly likely that she did kill children/innocent people by the end of the book. Moreover, she constantly uses the ‘Mia effect’ to force others to obey her and uses her powers (healing and being a pyrokinetic) to threaten and TORTURE others. I did tell warn you it gets dark, didn’t I?! There’s no gore but some of the descriptions of people being in pain/suffering/dying are pretty vivid – too vivid, I would say, for a child.
What is worse, the book never quite explains WHY this happens! There's a throwaway line that Spook made her go crazy so that she set fire to the campus and ran away but then Spook runs away with her? While Mia killed Catherine at the end of book 5, she did it to save everyone. She didn't want to! Whereas, as I’ve quoted above, Dax comments (B.6) more than one time that she looks AMUSED when she kills people! The hell???
As I said, the continuity between book 5 and 6 is a mess. We’re told that Mia, Spook and a kid called Olu (who we have never seen before and has powers no COLA has ever had before) escaped from the school but not sure why or how etc. The book sets Olu up as one of the main characters (he gets so much more “screen-time” than Gideon, Luke and Lisa) but you don’t know who he is (Dax doesn’t really know who he is as Olu has never seen Dax shapeshift!) and Sparkes doesn’t really tell you who he is/where he comes from/how did he develop his powers to that extent etc.). It’s bizarre as she clearly wants us to like him and think he’s a “cool” character as he comes across as an OP, laid-back character who constantly one-ups Spook, but she’s completely forgotten to introduce him properly to the readers (hence me thinking that I had missed a whole book!). [P.s. poor, poor Spook – the character development he received from the last book completely vanishes/regresses here where he’s back to being a one-dimensional bully/jerk character.]
Okay, since I’m running out of time, here are a few more issues I had with the book: There were 11 Colas in book 5 ("the true 11"). I have no idea how many there are in book 6 but there are SOOOO much more than there should be! How did this happen? Did they suddenly find more COLAs after years of not picking anymore or did all of the ones who previously lost their powers suddenly regain them? If they did, then why wasn't this made clear? And if they regained their powers again, how can you explain Olu? How has Olu never properly met Dax before? The book establishes that the government are well aware of his abilities and have put so many things in motion to prevent him teleporting – couldn’t they have only discovered the countermeasures by constantly studying him for a long period of time? And if he was in the school for a long period of time, how has he not seen Dax shift before (and back around we go…). When Dax found himself in trouble, why did he reach out to Caroline and not to Owen? Why was Alice suddenly a major character in this book (she did NOTHING useful!!!) Where was Chambers this whole time? What happened to Mrs Satre? Why didn’t Owen come back to help the COLAs out (why did he even leave in the first place?) There are so many plot holes and continuity errors that it makes this book simply unreadable.
Blah! Gosh, I hated this book :(
1/5
May 21, 2023
What? It was so good? It was so good until the ending.
The sixth book in the Shapeshifter series, and the 11th book total, and the final overall, is an interesting ride. It starts by very much rehashing territory we’ve explored before, with Dax being upset because the college is being taken over by dictators who don’t understand the cola project. It basically started in book 1, then took a break with McGonagall as the principal for a while, but now literally all the old teachers are just GONE, and I find it annoying that that’s how the book starts. I wish we got to see where Ms Saterer and Owen and David Chambers and everyone are during the course of the book. I also feel like Caroline Fisher’s role is very much rehashed from Book 3, with being a person who Dax goes to outside the Cola project for help, which isn’t great but it’s certainly interesting, and then after Dax is out she just becomes completely irrelevant. Same with Clive, remember when he was a part of the book?
Man this book really really loses quality in context of the ending. It’s so incredibly rushed and I don’t get what the point or message is. I get that Mia is evil now and oh my god that scene where she was blowing up the boat was incredible, and it’s a cool thing that she gets a Marcy Wu I did it for us moment, but she didn’t actually do anything for “us” here. It was actually just allusions and it’s very clever.
The random government agreement stuff is such a deus ex machina at the end. Terrorists cannot just teleport in and threaten the PM’s daughter and send one signal drone and have that be that. Especially if Dax is not even around, and neither will Mia fully be really, since she would have just gotten murdered at the end by that little drone. Like the Prime Minister should just do a kill all colas scheme immediately, this is not remotely an ending.
The villain for this book is out of nowhere. Like what does he want? Who on earth is he? What does he do at the end of the book?
Also Lisa is kind of annoying in the middle there with worrying about her dad.
Honestly the dealing with the maths of the forcefield and how to escape was a really fun exciting part of the book but feels super pointless in retrospect.
And what, they’re just gonna be outlaws now living in caves forever?
And what on earth was that stuff about Dax’s dad being around at the end? That final huddle where Dax has finally, after the entire book has finally reunited with everyone all these lovely characters and they all just appear out of nowhere and get practically zero lines of description and then he just teleports away is so weird. Especially since his father showing up in the fifth book is such a big deal, and here he doesn’t even get to say anything, he’s just a weird non-verbal animatronic that Dax doesn’t even regard?
It’s just so incredibly confusing. I love Ali Sparkes and her writing and world and characters so very much. But the ending of this so very much feels like the deadline wasn’t just in a week and she was short, but within an hour, and she as quickly as possible wrote an ending.
Also, I can’t fathom that Granite didn’t show up after being left on a cliffhanger in Book 5. I think. I read book five of Unleashed a long time ago and cannot find anything on the internet about how it ends.
It’s a shame, the book was overall written phenomenally and even though Alice and Caroline became very uninteresting after their purpose in the plot was fulfilled, their bits at the beginning were phenomenal. Clive had a wonderful role and it’s tragic that he’s not even so much as mentioned after he helps Dax leave, let alone what happens to him afterward. Olu is a great new character and it’s wacky to think he wasn’t in it before, having a teleporter is so cool. The world really is awesome and the scenes of Mia using her power to heal/blackmail the receptionist into leaking her info was awesome, Dax escaping was awesome, the team blowing up the boat was awesome, Alice tricking the feds and running away was awesome (but so, so unjustified. I don’t want to be snide but it’s an idiot ball — there was no reason Alice should have run away and no reason that a reasonable adult like Caroline would have said yes to the 13-year-old traveling the country on her own. I guess maybe they could have been worried about the government kidnapping her? And I guess they did very much kidnap Dax in the first book?)
Alice has had a major character glow up she’s become really interesting and sweet, but it’s sad she has about 2 lines back and forth with Dax before he just leaves her again.
I also surprisingly enjoyed the level of Dax and Spook’s over the top rivalry but also didn’t miss the peace of when Spook was just gone at the beginning.
I wish there was more Gideon and Lisa, and I want to know more about what that Bunker was like. Also Luke. I like that his muteness hasn’t been completely erased.
The lack of Caroline mentions is I guess approximately acceptable seeing as she’s not in this book and not to spoil her? But it’s really weird. because they annoyingly don’t fully spoil Unleashed, which isn’t even important because Granite doesn’t mention, and why and how could you do that and how could you not bring back Granite…
But they also don’t fully spoil and catch you back up on The Shapeshifter series with Catherine, and that’s not relevant either.
It seems the only bit that’s important is that Mia killed people, but when? And who? Was it at the end of Stirring the Storm?
I wish it would just full spoil the whole series. I thought it was fine enough while I was reading but now that I’ve gotten to the end and I’m confused, and this book did come out eight years after the end of Stirring the Storm and two years after the Burning Beach, the last unleashed book, it doesn’t seem too unreasonable to me.
Reading this was still one of the funniest experiences I’ve had in a long while, but it became a really incoherent payoff-less deus-ex-machina filled ending that started skipping important plot beats like me trying to finish my essays in the final two minutes of an exam, which is a shame.
And it’s a shame there’s no more. I really, really like these characters!
Give it a read I think. Obviously don’t read this review first. But yeah. Truly a finale I guess
The sixth book in the Shapeshifter series, and the 11th book total, and the final overall, is an interesting ride. It starts by very much rehashing territory we’ve explored before, with Dax being upset because the college is being taken over by dictators who don’t understand the cola project. It basically started in book 1, then took a break with McGonagall as the principal for a while, but now literally all the old teachers are just GONE, and I find it annoying that that’s how the book starts. I wish we got to see where Ms Saterer and Owen and David Chambers and everyone are during the course of the book. I also feel like Caroline Fisher’s role is very much rehashed from Book 3, with being a person who Dax goes to outside the Cola project for help, which isn’t great but it’s certainly interesting, and then after Dax is out she just becomes completely irrelevant. Same with Clive, remember when he was a part of the book?
Man this book really really loses quality in context of the ending. It’s so incredibly rushed and I don’t get what the point or message is. I get that Mia is evil now and oh my god that scene where she was blowing up the boat was incredible, and it’s a cool thing that she gets a Marcy Wu I did it for us moment, but she didn’t actually do anything for “us” here. It was actually just allusions and it’s very clever.
The random government agreement stuff is such a deus ex machina at the end. Terrorists cannot just teleport in and threaten the PM’s daughter and send one signal drone and have that be that. Especially if Dax is not even around, and neither will Mia fully be really, since she would have just gotten murdered at the end by that little drone. Like the Prime Minister should just do a kill all colas scheme immediately, this is not remotely an ending.
The villain for this book is out of nowhere. Like what does he want? Who on earth is he? What does he do at the end of the book?
Also Lisa is kind of annoying in the middle there with worrying about her dad.
Honestly the dealing with the maths of the forcefield and how to escape was a really fun exciting part of the book but feels super pointless in retrospect.
And what, they’re just gonna be outlaws now living in caves forever?
And what on earth was that stuff about Dax’s dad being around at the end? That final huddle where Dax has finally, after the entire book has finally reunited with everyone all these lovely characters and they all just appear out of nowhere and get practically zero lines of description and then he just teleports away is so weird. Especially since his father showing up in the fifth book is such a big deal, and here he doesn’t even get to say anything, he’s just a weird non-verbal animatronic that Dax doesn’t even regard?
It’s just so incredibly confusing. I love Ali Sparkes and her writing and world and characters so very much. But the ending of this so very much feels like the deadline wasn’t just in a week and she was short, but within an hour, and she as quickly as possible wrote an ending.
Also, I can’t fathom that Granite didn’t show up after being left on a cliffhanger in Book 5. I think. I read book five of Unleashed a long time ago and cannot find anything on the internet about how it ends.
It’s a shame, the book was overall written phenomenally and even though Alice and Caroline became very uninteresting after their purpose in the plot was fulfilled, their bits at the beginning were phenomenal. Clive had a wonderful role and it’s tragic that he’s not even so much as mentioned after he helps Dax leave, let alone what happens to him afterward. Olu is a great new character and it’s wacky to think he wasn’t in it before, having a teleporter is so cool. The world really is awesome and the scenes of Mia using her power to heal/blackmail the receptionist into leaking her info was awesome, Dax escaping was awesome, the team blowing up the boat was awesome, Alice tricking the feds and running away was awesome (but so, so unjustified. I don’t want to be snide but it’s an idiot ball — there was no reason Alice should have run away and no reason that a reasonable adult like Caroline would have said yes to the 13-year-old traveling the country on her own. I guess maybe they could have been worried about the government kidnapping her? And I guess they did very much kidnap Dax in the first book?)
Alice has had a major character glow up she’s become really interesting and sweet, but it’s sad she has about 2 lines back and forth with Dax before he just leaves her again.
I also surprisingly enjoyed the level of Dax and Spook’s over the top rivalry but also didn’t miss the peace of when Spook was just gone at the beginning.
I wish there was more Gideon and Lisa, and I want to know more about what that Bunker was like. Also Luke. I like that his muteness hasn’t been completely erased.
The lack of Caroline mentions is I guess approximately acceptable seeing as she’s not in this book and not to spoil her? But it’s really weird. because they annoyingly don’t fully spoil Unleashed, which isn’t even important because Granite doesn’t mention, and why and how could you do that and how could you not bring back Granite…
But they also don’t fully spoil and catch you back up on The Shapeshifter series with Catherine, and that’s not relevant either.
It seems the only bit that’s important is that Mia killed people, but when? And who? Was it at the end of Stirring the Storm?
I wish it would just full spoil the whole series. I thought it was fine enough while I was reading but now that I’ve gotten to the end and I’m confused, and this book did come out eight years after the end of Stirring the Storm and two years after the Burning Beach, the last unleashed book, it doesn’t seem too unreasonable to me.
Reading this was still one of the funniest experiences I’ve had in a long while, but it became a really incoherent payoff-less deus-ex-machina filled ending that started skipping important plot beats like me trying to finish my essays in the final two minutes of an exam, which is a shame.
And it’s a shame there’s no more. I really, really like these characters!
Give it a read I think. Obviously don’t read this review first. But yeah. Truly a finale I guess
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2019
*In its defence*
There is another series, called unleashed, in the gap between book 5 and this one. Over the course of that series the tone and characters have gradually shifted (perhaps Sparkes wanted to grow with the audience a bit a la Harry Potter), wether this was successful is perhaps debatable. I loved the first five, but then I was a lot younger when I read them and it now seems just a little bit awkward.
There is another series, called unleashed, in the gap between book 5 and this one. Over the course of that series the tone and characters have gradually shifted (perhaps Sparkes wanted to grow with the audience a bit a la Harry Potter), wether this was successful is perhaps debatable. I loved the first five, but then I was a lot younger when I read them and it now seems just a little bit awkward.
January 21, 2017
Feather and Fang: just when you thought the childhood trauma was over. (Kidding. You know I adore these books.) Seriously though, that scene with the boats? Damn, Mia. Also, shout-out to Dax for finally connecting with his sister.
I really wanted to know more about the minor COLAS, though. Was sad to not see much of Darren, Jenny, etc.
I really wanted to know more about the minor COLAS, though. Was sad to not see much of Darren, Jenny, etc.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2019
It’s a really good book that I recommend for people 12+ as it’s an exciting eventful story. It is a part of a series and the plot twist with this book is so different compared to the other ones in the series. The series just makes you want to keep reading the story and see where it ends.
January 19, 2021
I read the previous books when I must have been about 9, they were the first books I ever got truely invested in. I can’t quite remember why, it wasn’t fantasy, it wasn’t sci fi, it was more of an alternate universe similarly to how Philip Pullman set his ‘Dark materials’ series. But being set near Devon, my home county, made it even easier to follow the story and be whisked away to a place which can be whatever you want it to be. The entire shapeshifter series captivated me even until today, now 16 years old.
I read each an every book in the series, including the ‘Unleashed’ series of books which continues on the original 5 books. I remember the characters fondly, and although their precise looks have escaped me after not reading the books for 6 years, reading this book has brought back all those images and memories of the fantastic setting of Tregarren and Fenton Lodge, all the characters and their histories together which no other book series has done.
Not to mention the whole superpower thing. Maybe that it was captivated me the first time reading the series, the fact that although the idea of superpowers is very clearly sci-fi, it was wavering on the boundary of what could be possible, and it made me ask “what if?”. What if I could lift buildings with my mind? What if I could create magical apparitions with the flick of a wrist? What if I could turn into an animal and feel complete freedom and peace at will?
It was these things that have made this series my favourite book series by far, and I must congratulate Ali Sparkes for being able to captivate my younger self and even my now teenager self, with a world which was so like ours I could truely see myself being part of, which is the very reason for a book’s existence.
Now I must talk about this book in particular. I had not known about its existence until a week ago, and after not hearing the name for years it immediately caught my attention, being written almost 7 years after the previous book, and only a couple of years after the final unleashed book, I just had to read it and see how Sparkes wanted the story to end. And I believe she did it brilliantly.
I have to admit, It’s been so long since I’ve read the previous books that certain details have escaped me, but the way Ali weaved in snippets of history during conversations and monologues made it seem like it was written for me, to remember those nights of countless hours reading and dreaming of what it may be like to live in this world. And as such by about half way through I had already recalled all the characters, locations and stories that had unfolded in every book before it.
The story behind this one is satisfying, it includes the redemption of a friend turned enemy, action which is meaningful and twists everywhere you go. All accompanied by the extraordinary detail in the descriptions of the locations. I myself imagined Fenton lodge to be a great collection of circular buildings, connected by bridges and towering over a great river, a safe haven surrounded by hills and forests. Your Fenton may look different, but I owe it to Ali for making such amazing places for your mind to explore.
All in all, I’d consider the entire shapeshifter series to be a must read, whether you are young looking for something to keep you occupied or a teenager like me who wants a world to escape to.
If Ali Sparkes ever read this review, I would just want to congratulate her on 9 years of an amazing series, I am completely satisfied with the ending and am tempted to read them all over again, if I had the time.
I read each an every book in the series, including the ‘Unleashed’ series of books which continues on the original 5 books. I remember the characters fondly, and although their precise looks have escaped me after not reading the books for 6 years, reading this book has brought back all those images and memories of the fantastic setting of Tregarren and Fenton Lodge, all the characters and their histories together which no other book series has done.
Not to mention the whole superpower thing. Maybe that it was captivated me the first time reading the series, the fact that although the idea of superpowers is very clearly sci-fi, it was wavering on the boundary of what could be possible, and it made me ask “what if?”. What if I could lift buildings with my mind? What if I could create magical apparitions with the flick of a wrist? What if I could turn into an animal and feel complete freedom and peace at will?
It was these things that have made this series my favourite book series by far, and I must congratulate Ali Sparkes for being able to captivate my younger self and even my now teenager self, with a world which was so like ours I could truely see myself being part of, which is the very reason for a book’s existence.
Now I must talk about this book in particular. I had not known about its existence until a week ago, and after not hearing the name for years it immediately caught my attention, being written almost 7 years after the previous book, and only a couple of years after the final unleashed book, I just had to read it and see how Sparkes wanted the story to end. And I believe she did it brilliantly.
I have to admit, It’s been so long since I’ve read the previous books that certain details have escaped me, but the way Ali weaved in snippets of history during conversations and monologues made it seem like it was written for me, to remember those nights of countless hours reading and dreaming of what it may be like to live in this world. And as such by about half way through I had already recalled all the characters, locations and stories that had unfolded in every book before it.
The story behind this one is satisfying, it includes the redemption of a friend turned enemy, action which is meaningful and twists everywhere you go. All accompanied by the extraordinary detail in the descriptions of the locations. I myself imagined Fenton lodge to be a great collection of circular buildings, connected by bridges and towering over a great river, a safe haven surrounded by hills and forests. Your Fenton may look different, but I owe it to Ali for making such amazing places for your mind to explore.
All in all, I’d consider the entire shapeshifter series to be a must read, whether you are young looking for something to keep you occupied or a teenager like me who wants a world to escape to.
If Ali Sparkes ever read this review, I would just want to congratulate her on 9 years of an amazing series, I am completely satisfied with the ending and am tempted to read them all over again, if I had the time.
May 3, 2024
Wow - this is my favourite one in the whole series! What a way to conclude the books…!
Despite being written years after the previous instalment, I felt that Ali’s writing had only gotten better, and I was wrapped up in the plot from the beginning!
The best word to describe this book (and series) is simply, ‘COOL!’
The characters, the tension, the storyline unravelling - it was unpredictable, fast-paced, and I even felt pretty emotional towards the end, as I’ve come to love the characters and don’t really want to say goodbye. Flashbacks to all of their previous adventures rolled like a movie in my mind, and I just about choked up!
Ali - this was an awesome series. I love it! I can’t believe I’ve finished it now - and on such a high note!
It was written so that you really could believe it! No ‘W
wifty-wafty’ as the author calls it - just what would happen if British kids suddenly awoke with superhero-like powers.
So much happens over the course of this series…and in short punchy books with writing that sweeps you through the pages - this is a triumph!
There’s more that I could say, but I have to get to sleep because I stayed up to finish this.
I can’t stop gushing! FIVE STARS!!
Despite being written years after the previous instalment, I felt that Ali’s writing had only gotten better, and I was wrapped up in the plot from the beginning!
The best word to describe this book (and series) is simply, ‘COOL!’
The characters, the tension, the storyline unravelling - it was unpredictable, fast-paced, and I even felt pretty emotional towards the end, as I’ve come to love the characters and don’t really want to say goodbye. Flashbacks to all of their previous adventures rolled like a movie in my mind, and I just about choked up!
Ali - this was an awesome series. I love it! I can’t believe I’ve finished it now - and on such a high note!
It was written so that you really could believe it! No ‘W
wifty-wafty’ as the author calls it - just what would happen if British kids suddenly awoke with superhero-like powers.
So much happens over the course of this series…and in short punchy books with writing that sweeps you through the pages - this is a triumph!
There’s more that I could say, but I have to get to sleep because I stayed up to finish this.
I can’t stop gushing! FIVE STARS!!
April 14, 2022
Absolutely loved this. A satisfying conclusion to the Shapeshifter and Unleashed series. I've read and reread these books so many times, and they will forever remain one of my most loved book series.
To anyone discovering this book after only reading the original five Shapeshifter books... Please do yourself a favour and check out the Unleashed series before you read this, as Feather and Fang follows on from the Unleashed series and not from the fifth Shapeshifter book. Feather and Fang will make no sense to you if you haven't read this bridging series. Over the course of the Shapeshifter and the Unleashed series the tone and content of the books definitely graduates from a younger audience to at least YA, so keep that in mind if you want to feed these books to younger kids.
Overall I felt like this book tied up a lot of loose ends and brought a sense of a new beginning for the core characters. I really wish it had been longer (so I could spend more time with these characters that I love!) but I do think Ali Sparkes did great job wrapping up this series. I love her writing and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future!
X
To anyone discovering this book after only reading the original five Shapeshifter books... Please do yourself a favour and check out the Unleashed series before you read this, as Feather and Fang follows on from the Unleashed series and not from the fifth Shapeshifter book. Feather and Fang will make no sense to you if you haven't read this bridging series. Over the course of the Shapeshifter and the Unleashed series the tone and content of the books definitely graduates from a younger audience to at least YA, so keep that in mind if you want to feed these books to younger kids.
Overall I felt like this book tied up a lot of loose ends and brought a sense of a new beginning for the core characters. I really wish it had been longer (so I could spend more time with these characters that I love!) but I do think Ali Sparkes did great job wrapping up this series. I love her writing and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future!
X
Read
August 4, 2020I enjoyed it- found it as fast-paced and unputdownable as the other Shapeshifter books, which like many other reviewers I adored when I was younger. In Dax Sparkes has created one of the most loveable, would-go-to-war-for characters- you so, so badly want everything to work out for him. Her characters feel real- no one's perfect, people make mistakes but they're all trying their hardest. They all have agency in their own story.
Like other reviewers I checked multiple times to make sure I hadn't skipped a book- it's only just now I've found out that the Unleashed series explains a lot of the events mentioned, tone shift and surprising character developments. No fault of the author- but would be good for any reprints to include a note at the start.
Like other reviewers I checked multiple times to make sure I hadn't skipped a book- it's only just now I've found out that the Unleashed series explains a lot of the events mentioned, tone shift and surprising character developments. No fault of the author- but would be good for any reprints to include a note at the start.
June 19, 2023
This had very different vibes to the rest of the series. We got to know Alice, Dax’s sister, a lot more which I quite enjoyed. And we spent more time with Caroline Fisher which I also rather enjoyed. But it didn’t really feel like Dax and “the gang”. The plot was quite dark and twisted. I missed Owen. The storyline was quite similar to #3 in that the government played quite a strong feature. Dax wasn’t the main protagonist; we had other characters sharing their dialogue and adventures. Mia’s character development was also a bit sad - I think the author potentially took it a tad too far. I feel like the series probably could have done without this one, if truth be told.
August 15, 2017
Hmm... I read this when I found all the others, as the final (?) line to the Shapeshifter collection. I think Sparkes intended this for an older, teenage audience because that's what the writing and events sounded like. I don't know why this appeared after a number of years, but in my opinion it just spoiled the original series. It wasn't a well thought-out plot, the unexplained time gap from the last book just made it all confusing and it felt like a lacklustre addition to a series of books. It added an unneeded new enemy and I think it's best left unread, really.
November 7, 2021
Ahhhh these books! This was an incredible addition to the Shapeshifter series, tying up some loose ends from the Unleashed books and going back to a focus on Dax from the original series. I loved this book! I got to a certain point with this book where I realised it was going to be amazing and I kept not reading it because I didn’t want it to end. Although it deals with some more adult themes, like the concept of freedom and government mistrust, I definitely don’t think it’s too “grown up” for kids. I absolutely loved it.
January 21, 2022
I loved this series of books, and the ending was well tied up as it were. Really recommend to both adults and children of all ages.
September 26, 2024
It was an amazing book, and the ending was very satisfying!
April 11, 2020
Caroline felt the hairs on her arms and shoulders begin to prickle. 'OK, Alice Jones... and why would your brother need to fly?'
'Because he's Dax Jones. And if he can't fly… he'll die.'
As you'll know by now, I wasn't too happy with the five Unleashed books. I figured I needed to finish the series, though, so I did buy this book.
It was better than I expected. There were two main reasons for this:
1) Caroline Fisher. I've always liked her very much, and the fact that she is a main character in this book makes up for a lot.
2) Alice. For the very same reason. I could hardly believe what I was reading. The two of them have come a long way, it doesn't happen very often that I'm so surprised by where a character starts and where they end up, let alone two of them. That was fantastic.
But the book, and the story itself… they're rather negative. Reading this won't cheer you up, believe me. It's not relaxing. Dax's world has turned bad, there are only a few people left he can trust, wherever he and his friends go, they never quite know if it's safe. It makes you paranoid, and quite unhappy too.
Okay, fine, I'll be honest with you: I purchased this book for one sole reason, in the end. I was just hoping that Dax and Lisa would FINALLY get together. God. It had been lasting long enough, if you ask me. So, here goes:
However, I completely agree with both Dax and especially Lisa when we're talking about Mia. What she did… No. Just no. Sparkes took things much too far there. Even if it was all just a bluff, and illusions… The fact that she even came to that plan makes her even crueller than Catherine ever was, if you ask me. This is just... pure betrayal of what once was a beloved character. Character treason. Is anyone happy with this decision? I very much doubt it. And I do not understand in the slightest why for heaven's sake the author came up with this idea. I just… I can't. God.
Thankfully, the ending is not all bleak. Dax, Lisa and Gideon all find peace - relatively speaking, of course. Caroline accompanies them, which I feel is one of the best decisions/plot twists in the entire series. So, I'll give you that, Sparkes. You did a good job there. Shame Mia isn't with them - the normal Mia, that is.
As far as I'm aware, there aren't any plans for a sequel (book or series). There doesn't really need to be one, either, but just in case you're really reading this, Ali, and you're doing something after a year or ten or so: I think we could all do with a bit more positivity, and also with a redemption story for Mia. To lift the treason. Then maybe I'll enjoy her story more. But it better be good then.
6,2/10
Average rating for the series: 7.45/10
'Because he's Dax Jones. And if he can't fly… he'll die.'
As you'll know by now, I wasn't too happy with the five Unleashed books. I figured I needed to finish the series, though, so I did buy this book.
It was better than I expected. There were two main reasons for this:
1) Caroline Fisher. I've always liked her very much, and the fact that she is a main character in this book makes up for a lot.
2) Alice. For the very same reason. I could hardly believe what I was reading. The two of them have come a long way, it doesn't happen very often that I'm so surprised by where a character starts and where they end up, let alone two of them. That was fantastic.
But the book, and the story itself… they're rather negative. Reading this won't cheer you up, believe me. It's not relaxing. Dax's world has turned bad, there are only a few people left he can trust, wherever he and his friends go, they never quite know if it's safe. It makes you paranoid, and quite unhappy too.
Okay, fine, I'll be honest with you: I purchased this book for one sole reason, in the end. I was just hoping that Dax and Lisa would FINALLY get together. God. It had been lasting long enough, if you ask me. So, here goes:
However, I completely agree with both Dax and especially Lisa when we're talking about Mia. What she did… No. Just no. Sparkes took things much too far there. Even if it was all just a bluff, and illusions… The fact that she even came to that plan makes her even crueller than Catherine ever was, if you ask me. This is just... pure betrayal of what once was a beloved character. Character treason. Is anyone happy with this decision? I very much doubt it. And I do not understand in the slightest why for heaven's sake the author came up with this idea. I just… I can't. God.
Thankfully, the ending is not all bleak. Dax, Lisa and Gideon all find peace - relatively speaking, of course. Caroline accompanies them, which I feel is one of the best decisions/plot twists in the entire series. So, I'll give you that, Sparkes. You did a good job there. Shame Mia isn't with them - the normal Mia, that is.
As far as I'm aware, there aren't any plans for a sequel (book or series). There doesn't really need to be one, either, but just in case you're really reading this, Ali, and you're doing something after a year or ten or so: I think we could all do with a bit more positivity, and also with a redemption story for Mia. To lift the treason. Then maybe I'll enjoy her story more. But it better be good then.
6,2/10
Average rating for the series: 7.45/10
September 6, 2022
I would just like to preface that you should read the Unleashed series before reading the last book in the Shapeshifter series. If you don't some situations/characters will be confusing. I've read this series twice, and only one time with the Unleashed series and it was a much better experience.
That being said, I found the ending a tad disappointing. The villain character that was introduced in Unleashed was not even in this novel (only mentioned briefly). I feel like there was so much wasted potential there for him to be the ultimate villain, but it was almost like he was tossed to the side. It felt weird that (I won't spoil her name, but you guys know who I'm talking about) was made the main villain. Even with the backstory in Unleashed, it feels odd that she changed so drastically and that everyone decided to just give up on her despite their past friendships. I also wished there would be more character development with Spook (especially after his solo novel, which seemed like it would set up some good opportunity for his growth) but his character stays the same for the most part.
I have a few other things I can nag about, but otherwise I could say this novel is still a good read. Don't let some of these reviews scare you away from enjoying these books. If you want the ending to feel more complete and get those character interactions you think may not have been enough, please please please read the Unleashed series before this book.
That being said, I found the ending a tad disappointing. The villain character that was introduced in Unleashed was not even in this novel (only mentioned briefly). I feel like there was so much wasted potential there for him to be the ultimate villain, but it was almost like he was tossed to the side. It felt weird that (I won't spoil her name, but you guys know who I'm talking about) was made the main villain. Even with the backstory in Unleashed, it feels odd that she changed so drastically and that everyone decided to just give up on her despite their past friendships. I also wished there would be more character development with Spook (especially after his solo novel, which seemed like it would set up some good opportunity for his growth) but his character stays the same for the most part.
I have a few other things I can nag about, but otherwise I could say this novel is still a good read. Don't let some of these reviews scare you away from enjoying these books. If you want the ending to feel more complete and get those character interactions you think may not have been enough, please please please read the Unleashed series before this book.
March 9, 2018
I like it but I would have preferred it if the part about Mia was different. Disappointing. But otherwise this was a great series - shame that the last book in the series wasn't so good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2016
not as good as book 5, but the plot is alright
August 5, 2016
Remind me to update the book description...
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