The Last Life of Prince Alastor

Prosper Redding #2

by Alexandra Bracken

Three hundred years ago, fate bound Prosper Redding and Prince Alastor of the Third Realm together. Now the human boy and fiend heir to the demon kingdom must put aside a centuries-old blood feud to save everything they love.
Alastor will guide Prosper through the demon realm-under one huge condition: Prosper must enter into a contract with the malefactor residing in him, promising eternal servitude in the afterlife. With Prosper's sister in the clutches of the evil queen Pyra, Prosper has no choice but to agree.
But when they arrive in Alastor's deliciously demonic home, the realm is almost as alien to Alastor as it is to Prosper-the lowest fiends have dethroned the ruling malefactors, while an unfathomable force called the Void is swiftly consuming the realm. The desperate fiends cling to the one person who says she can stop it: Pyra.
As Prosper embarks on a perilous rescue mission to the Tower of No Return, he can't help but feel for the demons losing their home-even Alastor, who lives by a set of rules that have vanished in a new world.
With the fates of humans and demons at odds, the battle lines are drawn. Long ago, Prosper's ancestor Honor Redding proved that humans and demons could never be friends. But is Prosper like his ancestor? And is Alastor the same demon who was betrayed by the one human he cared for?

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Paranormal, Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult, Horror

448 pages, Hardcover

First published February 5, 2019

About the author

Hi! I'm Alex and I write books. Please note that I don't respond to messages here on GoodReads. Please send me a note on twitter or IG @alexbracken. xx A

Reviews

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

**4.5-stars**



The Last Life of Prince Alastor is a beautiful conclusion to a deliciously wicked Middle Grade duology!



Picking up directly after the events of The Last Life of Prince Alastor, this stunning sequel takes us deep into Alastor's world, The Downstairs. What on earth is The Downstairs, you may ask?

Think Goblin Market, mixed with The Nightmare Before Christmas aesthetic.



Prosper is on a mission to save his sister, Prue, from the clutches of the Queen of the Fiends, who also happens to be Alastor's sister, Pyra.

Siblings versus siblings, but whose side is Alastor really on?



This is an epic adventure through a dark and dangerous world. We learn so much more in this book about Alastor, his original deal with Prosper's ancestor, Honor, and the world of the Fiends.

We also meet new characters and get introduced to more complex forms of magic.



Bracken's signature descriptive styling is on full display throughout this story.

I was absolutely transported to this world. It was DARK and I loved every moment of it!



There were a few areas in the beginning where I felt the pace dragged a bit, but by the midway point, all traces of that were gone.

As with the first book, there is humor to this dark tale, and I laughed out loud numerous times at Alastor and his musings.



There are also some important lessons nicely incorporated into this Middle Grade story.

Please note, although this is technically Middle Grade, this book most definitely can be enjoyed by readers of all ages!



I loved the overall feeling of this book; touching upon topics such as:

* striving to do the right thing regardless of obstacles or an easier way out
* the value of strong friendships and familial connections
* the idea that it is okay to fail at something as long as you learn and grow from it
* traditions should not stand if the roots of them are not worth upholding



I won't lie. The end brought tears to my eyes. I have grown so attached to Prosper and Alastor over the course of these two books. Watching them both grow and evolve has been such a great thing to take part in.



Although that isn't a very eloquent way to describe it. I am at a loss for words as to how to describe the feeling otherwise. What seems like such a fun and uncomplicated story of a demon inhabiting a boy is really so much more.

If you haven't yet picked this up yet, I highly recommend it. They are short and quick to get through and an absolutely delightful reading experience. Two thumbs way up!!!



Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney-Hyperion, for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.

I appreciate the opportunity and had a wonderful time finishing this up.

[Drew's ambitious reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished my fifth book for the month of November and really enjoyed this one and sad that another series is wrapped up!):
I really loved this sequel and kind of forgot that our main character have a sister. Lol is that bad? I think so...
Anyways I thought that the beginnign of this sequel was a little slow for me and then it picked up halfway through and then I couldn't put it down at all. Talking about this in a non-spoiler review for u guys is kind of hard for me to do because Idk what to say about this one without spoiling it!
Just know that this is totally worth the wait for me and can't belive it took me this long to read this sequel!(:
1) The dreadful tale of prosper redding 5/5 stars
2) The last life or prince alastor 4/5 stars

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star Rating: —> 4.5 Stars

My heart seriously HURTTTTSSSSS right now! I don’t want this wonderful little discovery of a series to be over! Two books is too short for Prosper Redding & Alastor 😭 I love them SOMUCHHHHHHHHH! Not to mention nearly the entire castttt of characters...

RTC!

[Heather Corvere ☠️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Alastor.

RTC

[Alexa (Alexa Loves Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an utterly delightful sequel! It was definitely a very neatly wrapped up ending to Prosper and Alastor’s story, and I may have enjoyed it a smidge more than the first.

[Bibliothecat · Rating 3 out of 5]

'"But - hey, look. There's a rat eating another rat. You love that kind of thing. Doesn't that make you feel better?"
He sniffed. It does, just.'

The first book of this duology was lots of fun and an all around enjoyable middle grade book. The Last Life of Prince Alastor, sadly, does not live up to it. This is a fine middle grade fantasy. There's nothing wrong with it, but that also doesn't mean it's a great book. I guess it's just disappointing when a sequel doesn't live up to the first one's standard.

For much of the book, I felt a little bored. I think it was largely because I didn't care much for the world of Downstairs which is where most of the book took place. There's still lots of fun snark between Prosper and Alastor and there were a few nice twists toward the end, but all in all, it was a moderately underwhelming and somewhat boring conclusion. I had a hard time deciding whether or not I want to keep this duology but, for the time being, I will hold on to it as I did really enjoy the first - too bad it has a cliffhanger and can't be read on its own.

[Megan (ReadingRover) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful conclusion to the story of Prosper Redding and Alastor. The end really made this book. I was hovering at the 4 star mark until I got there. Bracken did not disappoint. The audiobook version is fabulously produced and really adds to the whole story experience. I’d love to see more of these characters in future books so I hope this is a series and not just a duology.

[Rivka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great sequel 😍

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this book had some clever components and sharply funny moments, it was a significant step down from the first book in the series.

So much of what was good about Bracken's first Prosper Redding book was about atmosphere, and the decision to set the second book largely in the demon realm damaged that badly. The setting for this book had some flashes of brilliance (the Disney World parody was excellent), but otherwise it felt half-baked and generic.

The plot felt convoluted and meandering, and the heavy-handed moralizing was obnoxious and made me actually hate the book at times.

The book isn't a complete failure by any means, but it's a huge comedown from its predecessor.

*I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this second installment of Alexandra Bracken's follow up to The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding, Prosper, Nell and the malevolent being Alastor head "downstairs" to rescue Prosper's sister Prue. Meeting ogres and elves and having to face Alastor's own evil sister, Pyra, Prosper hopes to finally put an end to the Redding curse, save himself and everyone he loves before it is too late. With all the similar excitement from the first story and incredible imaginative settings, part two of this fantastical duo-logy is well worth your time.

[Amélie Boucher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a perfect conclusion to this duology!

It had been a while since I read The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding, so it took me a while to get back into this world and to remember everything that happened in the first book, but once I got into it, I was in for the ride!

The characters are still what I love the most about these books. Prosper and Alastor's relationship takes a new turn, and while they are both still antagonizing each other most of the time, they still have to work together to accomplish the task that is set before them. Their banter is definitely the best part of this story.

I also thought Alexandra Bracken did a phenomenal job with the world-building in this one. Our characters are exploring new realms in this sequel (quite literally), and the author did a great job of describing everything while not being completely boring with long descriptions.

The ending also took me completely by surprise. You expect the story to go one way, but Bracken manages to surprise you and bring you somewhere else entirely. I never saw the plot twists coming, and I could barely put the book down. I needed to know what would happen to our characters next!

The ending in itself was so wholesome and heartwarming, it did tug at my heart's strings a little bit. This duology couldn't have ended in a better way, even though I'm so sad it's over!

If you haven't read this duology yet, I HIGHLY recommend it!

[Aneta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stejně jako u prvního dílu mi trvalo než jsem se do této knížky pořádně začetla. Bohužel narozdíl od předchozího dílu to trvalo podstatně déle. Myslím si, že to bylo tím prostředím. Hned na začátku se totiž dostáváme do Posvětí, světa démonů, a autorka se tak snažila navodit atomosféru a zároveň popsat tento nový svět. Jenže právě díky příliš dlouhým popisů se ztratila právě ta správná atmosféra. V rámci této série rozhodně preferuji náš svět před Podsvětím.
Líbilo se mi, ale že tu máme i pár kapitol z minulosti. A vidíme tak jak se potkali Honor a Alastor a jak se oba dva v průběhu doby, co se znali změnili.
Tak nějak jsem čekala, že se Prosperovi jeho rodina alespoň omluví a ono nic!? Přišlo mi, že jejich chování se prostě jen přešlo.

Rozhodně doporučuju číst co nejdříve podočetení prvního dílu! Příběh začíná přesně tam, kde ten předchozí skončil a je tu spousta referencí bez kontextu. Myslím si, že kdybych druhý díl přečetla hned potom prvním, tak bych si to užila více.

[sally ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Power always comes at the expense of others, Prosperity Redding. That is the choice you make—the knowledge you live with.”

I honestly did not expect to cry this much for a middle-grade book and yet here I stand.

What a lovely, dark, touching, and wonderful finale. I did not expect to like it as much as I did, but Alexandra Bracken always manages to move me with her words and her endings. I've always had a huge soft spot for family and friendship moments though.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a perfect conclusion. I can’t believe it’s over now. The story was so much more than it seemed. I’m definitely going to reread this series.

[Marie the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

a cool and original ending to this tale i must say

[Alexis The Nerdy Bruja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously! I completely loved this book. It picks up right after the first, which was honestly refreshing, considering a lot of books have time jumps. Every book that Alexandra Bracken writes I feel like gets better and better. I’m not going to go into details as it’s a sequel. All that I can say is that this book delivered and I recommend reading this duology !

[explorerofbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

While in the previous novel a frigid gust of wind held a spell over its readers, here the warm, damp heat of the Downstairs will settle into your skin. As Bracken finds countless opportunities to put her protagonists in peril, the novel is continuously geared towards adrenaline spikes while additionally strengthening a moral backbone.

Decades ago, a curse was bound in blood for the Redding family after a deal gone awry with a malefactor. Now, Prosper Redding and Alastor must put a truce to their feud to save their own skin. Only with Alastor’s guidance can Prosper find his way throughout Downstairs, the realm of fiends. At the end of their route lies his sister, hostage to the claws of Pyra the Conqueror. Yet, it has been years since Alastor set foot in his realm, and things have shifted. A mysterious force called the Void is now consuming everything he’s known, threatening the future of the realm. Pyra claims the solution stands with the magic of the Ancients, but perhaps it just stands with the benevolence between a human boy and a fiend heir.

Beginning right where its prequel resulted, the audience is now plunged into the Downstairs, causing a drastic but enthralling change of ambience. The mundane reality of school and popularity ranks is forsaken here, which justifies a beneficial improvement to the zeal of each scene. With such an elusive force as the Void gaining ground like ink, and a sublime supply of this universe’s component to be revealed, the excitement level is ramped up in no time. In Downstairs, fiends reside in a mountainous form of hierarchy, all clouded by sheens of green smoke among the darkness. The bargainers slip into the elusive Market of Neverwoe, a musing place with an endless supply of wonders and time pockets, and not to reveal too much, here you’ll be even taking a short eccentric ride to Disneyland. Bracken artistically liberates the mind of her readers featuring stunning visual imagery and carefully crafted vocabulary, which stands at the edge of lavish excess without quite falling over. On the contrary, her sensuous imaginative descriptions kept me visually grounded in each scene, as if I had a role to play in her own lucid dream. Considering all the forking paths of possibilities tumbling from her imagination’s fiery forge, this novel truly made me review Bracken’s craftsmanship with a pen. For example, it was quite a remarkable turn of events when it was clarified the magic system was built upon the darkness and the light within humans individually. This resourceful magic system instantly leaves its readers wanting more, with latent values and regulations. Understanding the essence and potential of magic is at the glowing heart of this novel, while still portraying elegant validity. The creatures she established were a mix of traditionalism and innovative attributes, all descriptions ringing seamlessly together like well-established lore. I was truly fascinated by the crimson widows and their fatal glare, or the elves who seemed to be hewn from a juniper tree with an appreciation for jewelry.

While I was never wholly charmed by Bracken’s mingled plot lines and generic ideas of magic in The Darkest Mindest, branding her characters has nonetheless always proved to be the defining core of her writing. Filled by restless energy, Prosper has had enough of being a plaything, his own actions left at the whim of others. His sharp mind has now been heightened, and he has no trouble putting arduous situations into perspective. Sentiments like guilt and duty grow rather heavily on him, and as a result, his courageous and determined attitude has found its thriving point. Though he wishes he would have physical prowess in abundance, he fully defends his own goals, even when they come with a sprinkle of self-indulgence. While Alastor is driven by a menacing nature, he knows a fair share about self-preservation, and bustles with a sense of responsibility over his subjects. Contrary to his swelling pride, he’s confronted by what view others have of him. His fury can be a sharp, driven element, and while he might forget his own faults out of naivety, he has a clear eye opened towards the faults of others. He’s no fan of change, but never believed he was capable of changing his instincts either. Now, captivated by valor and bravery, he’ll see there is some value to be found in saving others - and himself.

The history and future of the Reddings settle here for a satisfying close, with matters never being as simple or biased as they were shown before. The enticing internal conflict, such as Prosper struggling with what kind of malicious intent was justified for the greater good, evidently becomes the anchor of this series. This duology efficiently becomes a memorable and thematically layered series that would have effortlessly resonated with me as a child due to its comical dialogue and its animate quality. I was a little disappointed to see Alastor, Bracken’s most authentic character without removing his cryptic ambiguity, shift more into the background here, and as there had been some lack of depth to Prue’s introduction, I also grandly lost interest for the result of Prosper’s impelled mission. Near to the end, all plot lines began to add up and intersect in chaos, making the novel lose its organic flow, but still, this novel proudly nurtures a 4.5 star rating. It’s a lesson in privilege and humanity, proving us that all hearts are flawed and mouldable to forgiveness and empathy at the same time. For Bracken’s overture into the middle grade genre, this was a fairly ingenious concept lead by excellent whimsical story-telling, presenting just enough authenticity within the gloomy smog to wire up the audience.

[Romanticamente Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maljka - per RFS
.
Se il primo capitolo di questa dilogia mi aveva lasciato dubbiosa, questo mi ha conquistata! Troviamo dei personaggi molto più maturi, non tanto come età ma per il carattere; più temerari, caparbi, coraggiosi e a volte imprevedibili nelle loro decisioni.

L’età di lettura consigliata per questo romanzo è dieci anni, ma direi che non è affatto per ragazzini, anzi! Io alla veneranda età dei trent’anni suonati l’ho apprezzato tantissimo.

Nel precedente volume avevamo lasciato un Prosper privo di polso, non nel senso letterale del termine chiaramente. Poiché è il personaggio principale, lo avrei voluto con un po’ più di carattere, cosa che ritroviamo invece in questo scritto. Dentro di lui coesiste un’entità demoniaca, Alastor, un principe, o meglio, ex principe della Terra Di Sotto. Ora, è proprio in quel luogo che deve tornare Prosper per ritrovare la propria gemella rapita dalla crudelissima Pyra, nonché sorella di Alastor. Peccato che nel percorso, una volta oltrepassato l’ultimo specchio esistente, trovano il Vuoto, nessuno sa cosa sia realmente, possiamo dire che è un’entità che tutto travolge e tutto divora. Gli ultimi demoni rimasti si trovano quindi davanti a una scelta: continuare a vivere nel loro amato regno, ormai prossimo all’estinzione, o invaderne uno nuovo, e qual è il più agognato se non quello umano?

Se nel primo capitolo Alastor era un’entità crudele, qui lo vediamo un po’ più ammorbidito, complice il fatto che per salvare il regno vicino alla distruzione, non potrà più essere un parassita succhia energie, ma si dovrà trasformare in un vero e proprio alleato del suo coabitante.

Al suo fianco troviamo un ancor più improbabile eroina, Nell, e il suo Bat gatto; una streghetta ninja con il suo animaletto insostituibile, una sorta di compagno che la segue e la difende ovunque lei vada. Prosper riuscirà a salvare la sua famiglia, il suo mondo e anche la sua anima?

Nell’ultimo volume di questa dilogia YA, ci ritroveremo a leggere un’avventura esilarante e ricca di colpi di scena, dove l’amicizia e i ripensamenti regnano sovrani. Troviamo una moltitudine di strani personaggi tra cui vampiri, lycan, ghoul, fairies e chi più ne ha più ne metta, chiaramente tutti abitanti del regno Di Sotto. Ricorda moltissimo le atmosfere dei film di Tim Burton e, se amate quel genere, sicuramente non ne resterete delusi.

Le atmosfere cupe di questo nuovo mondo sono magistralmente descritte. L’autrice è stata in grado di far credere al lettore di trovarsi nella storia con i protagonisti, rendendola talmente reale da mettere i brividi. Mi è piaciuto tantissimo il personaggio di Alastor, un demonietto crudele al cui interno però si cela un cuore nobile.

Ho amato davvero tanto questa dilogia, soprattutto questo secondo capitolo conclusivo, mi sento quindi di consigliarla agli amanti del genere, sia grandi che piccini. Credo sia un bel modo di far apprezzare la lettura a chi si approccia da poco ai libri, perché fa capire quanto l’amicizia e il buon cuore siano importanti, sia nella quotidianità che nella vita stessa.

[Cindee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book it was the best Middle-Grade book that I have read in a long while. I really loved the characters even more than before especially Alastor and Prosper I liked the other characters as well. I really liked how Prosper's and Alastor's relationship developed into a really good friendship it grew so much that they would do the unthinkable to save the other. I really liked the plot of the story it started out as Prosper and company going to save his sister and it just grew from there I really loved how the story ended it had the perfect ending. So overall I really loved this book and would read more like it by this author.

[Kalina Mincheva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ох, след дълго ходене по мъките, най-накрая завърших и тази книга. Силата на Бракен определено не ѝ е в дуологиите - винаги започват добре, а после нещо сериозно се изгубва в динамиката на продълженията и историите става скучновати и тегави. Макар че тук действието наистина се постара с нестихващото си развитие, непрекъснатата смяна на сцените, обстановката, драмите и финала. Все така обаче не ми бе кой знае колко интересно да чета тази книга. Все пак достатъчно внимание задържа като за 3 звезди. Тъй че толкова и ще получи.

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was lacking some of the Salem and Halloween/autumn charm of the first book.
I loved the shared responsibility of guilt over our ancestors actions. Not only is it important to acknowledge the actions of our ancestors, but it is also our responsibility to make amends. I loved that that was put into an easily accessible message for kids.

[Irmak ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

[☠Kayla☠ · Rating 5 out of 5]

As expected I loved this book just as much as the first, we get to meet new characters and see some old which I really loved.

[Casper · Rating 5 out of 5]

God, I’m not emotional, you’re emotional. This was so good. I can’t believe an ancient demon and a disaster of a kid and a cat with bat wings gave me enough feelings to wish I could go off and make a contract to take my heart away from me?? I don’t want it?? I cannot believe the audacity.

So simply put—you know, in case it wasn’t blatantly obvious in anything—I loved this book.

Picking up directly after the events of the first book, The Last Life of Prince Alastor takes us to the Downstairs to rescue Prue which is a literal goblin market, I swear to God. Sneaking around creepy creatures, exploring strange demonic carnivals that may or may not be dabbling in some black market implications, and climbing towers in the most twisted kind of fairy tale way, Prosper, Alastor, and Nell have to go sibling vs. sibling to face Alastor’s own sister, Pyra, to save Prosper’s sister.

Sometimes I forgot this was a middle grade book because everything about it was so wild. So wild, nothing hurt, it was a blast.

I loved the character development in this book so, so much. Where Prosper and Alastor still spend most of their free (and even occupied as in this-is-an-extremely-inconvenient-time-to-be-duking-it-out) time antagonizing each other, they also spend the duration of this book figuring each other out and learning how to coexist to face Pyra, save Prue, and break the Redding curse—you know, with the token squinting in Alastor’s direction because there is a tiny part of you that wants to trust him but then he does or says something particularly questionable. You would have thought I needed glasses handling him throughout this, honestly.

Bracken also did a fantastic job exploring a whole new fantasy realm without losing focus or info dumping. I am not of the middle-grade age and even I get bored and sigh my breath out when authors drag things out so at least I can say I more than likely have the attention span of a sixth grader if that has any weight! The back-and-forth banter is always going to be a favorite of mine. The ending was also surprisingly wholesome and heartwarming. As mentioned before, it gave me emotions and I hated it. I don’t like being reminded I have a heart??

Anyway. This book is witty, hilarious, creative, and downright spooky at times. It’s a fantastic read for the Halloween season—which I am not posting this review during (because I, uh, read this book in October 2018 when I had the ARC and then promptly forgot to post the review when the book was published a few months later and now have been reminded by Netgalley that I never posted it) but I did actually read both books in October! So take my word for it! I swear I know what I’m talking about!!

So yes! Absolutely! I would highly recommend this in a heartbeat! Not even just for kids, but it’s such a unique and fun duology. I am probably fated to read these books every October for the rest of my life now.

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Q:
Life is a blank page on which we write our destiny. A life lived by another’s book is no life at all (c)
Q:
“That’s our gal,” Barbie muttered. “Always picking fights with mythological forces of creation.” (c)
Q:
... you have to fail in order to grow. (c)

[Rachel E. Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 Review:
I found this book much easier to follow the second time around. It was still confusing in parts, and I felt like the ending was a bit cheesy, but this duology is still quite fun.

Original Review:
This was a fun follow-up to the last book, and the read I was looking forward to most in October. My reading of it was kind of sporadic, so I don't feel like I got to enjoy it as much as I would have liked, but it was still fun.

It might be just me, but because we were in the fiend world, I felt like things were a little more confusing. But it was really cool to see another realm and have all the dangers that posed. As always, Alastor was a gem. Sneaky, hilarious, so ignorant about how people actually see him. Prosper was good too, and Nell. There were fun antics to enjoy, worlds to explore, and fiends to defeat.

A nice duology for anyone looking for spooky but not overly scary books.

[Brittney · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you Disney Book Group for sending me an eARC copy of this via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
*Please refrain from reading this review if you have not yet read The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding (Prosper Redding Book #1).

4.25 / 5 stars
The Last Life of Prince Alastor continues the tale of Prosper Redding. Alexandra Bracken weaves well-represented friendship, self-finding, good purpose and understanding, as well as change for the benefitual within this novel. Prosper Redding must journey to the Third Realm to find and save his sister as he tries to do what is right along the way.

I enjoyed being back in this world and learning more about it. Alexandra Bracken gives the reader more insight to the realm of fiends and their culture. I also appreciated the flashbacks between Alastor and Honor Redding. It was interesting to compare Honor to both Alastor and Prosper in this story. The journey that Prosper takes in this novel is very fun and entertaining. The world of the fiends is so rich with description and craftsmanship. The reader gets to learn more about characters from the previous book as well new characters that Prosper meets along this action-packed journey to save Prue.

Alexandra Bracken includes a lot more character growth within this novel. The reader gets to see how these two worlds compare and how they affect each other. I think Middle Grade readers will greatly appreciate the tale of Prosper and his companions. I believe that students can learn from this journey and have a great reading experience as well. I would recommend this one to my students and others.

[Clarabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ai trop attendu pour lire ce roman qui fait suite à La terrifiante histoire de Prosper Redding si bien que j'avais un peu perdu le fil de l'histoire.
Prosper Redding cohabite avec un démon qui a pris possession de son corps et qui influence ses pensées et ses actes pour accomplir ses sombres desseins. Du moins, c'était ce qu'on découvrait dans le premier tome car celui-ci fait la part belle à leur étonnante complicité.
Eh oui, les fourberies d'hier ont révélé qu'elles desservaient leurs ambitions personnelles et qu'en combinant leurs efforts ils pouvaient accomplir des miracles. Mais d'abord, ils doivent sauver la jeune Prue retenue prisonnière du royaume d'En-Bas. C'est aussi l'occasion de découvrir le versant sombre du démon (personnage ô combien sarcastique et pernicieux) et des terribles enjeux qui se prêtent dans ce monde longuement décrit dans le premier tome.
Ce que j'apprécie par-dessus tout dans cette série, c'est la relation « meilleurs ennemis » entre Prosper et Alastor parce qu'ils s'insupportent et se cherchent avec des répliques pleines d'ironie mais qui ne masquent pas l'attachement entre eux. Et puis c'est vrai que l'aventure est prenante et riche en rebondissements. C'est difficile de s'ennuyer !
Simplement, pour moi, c'est une faute d'avoir tardé entre mes deux lectures (j'ai découvert Prosper Redding en juin 2018). OUPS !

[Ophelia 💛 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am so, so sad. I loved the first installement so much! But this one really disapponted me...
Here are some reasons:

- Those descriptions! Way too many. I was getting really angry at all those unnecessary descriptions. This book could've easily been 100-150 pages shorter than what it was. I didn't truly get interested until about 2/3rds of the way through the book and that's because the first 1/3 of the book was simply filler and describing the atmosphere of Downstairs.

- I especially loved the autumnal vibe of the first book. But as the second installement took playce merely "downstairs" it truly lacked of the atmosphere I longed for. All in all it was just all darkness and despair.

- Bad stuff after bad stuff happens. There's no time of refflection or just simple to catch a breath. It just doesn't feel like a middle grade book anymore. It's just too gruesome.

- All in all it felt like a feverish dream.... Everytime the situation gets too hopeless, a completly new charcter gets introduced out of nowhere and then *bouf* magically saves the day.... argh.


I really, really wanted to love it! I waited a whole year to read this at the perfect time (October) and now I'm just disappointed.... it was a significant step down from the first book in the series.
A generous 2,5 stars

[Hope Anderson (HopelessBookAddict) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loveddddddddd this book. It was so good. While it was not as great as the first, which set the world and characters up, it did go into a whole new world. I loved the characters and story! I highly recommend this book not just for middle grade but for adults and teens too!