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Archibald Lox #8
Archibald Lox and the Pick of Loxes
When Archie finds himself trapped in a claustrophobic zone from which there seems to be no escape, he's thrown a lifeline by the most unlikely of allies. A showdown with a troubled royal ends in chaos and betrayal, and Archie is abducted and imprisoned in a cold, forgotten area of the Merge. With a collection of fellow locksmiths, Archie is set to work on an apparently unpickable lock, but if he manages to do what no other Lox has achieved, he might also seal his doom... Book eight of the Archibald Lox series by Darren Shan, the New York Times bestselling author of Cirque Du Freak and Lord Loss.
- GenresYoung AdultFantasy
185 pages, Paperback
First published June 28, 2022
5 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Darren Shan
242 books8,267 followersLibrarian's note: Also writes books for adults under the name Darren Dash. And in the past he has released books for adults under the names D.B. Shan and Darren O'Shaughnessy.
Darren Shan (born July 2, 1972 in London, England) is the pen name of the Irish author Darren O'Shaughnessy, as well as the name of the protagonist of his book series The Saga of Darren Shan, also known as The Cirque Du Freak Series in the United States. He is the author of the series The Demonata, The Saga of Larten Crepsley, and Zom-B. He has also released the stand-alone novel, The Thin Executioner, and the stand-alone short novels, Koyasan, and Hagurosan. Plus, for adults, he released The City Trilogy (originally under the name of D.B. Shan), and Lady of the Shades..
Darren Shan (born July 2, 1972 in London, England) is the pen name of the Irish author Darren O'Shaughnessy, as well as the name of the protagonist of his book series The Saga of Darren Shan, also known as The Cirque Du Freak Series in the United States. He is the author of the series The Demonata, The Saga of Larten Crepsley, and Zom-B. He has also released the stand-alone novel, The Thin Executioner, and the stand-alone short novels, Koyasan, and Hagurosan. Plus, for adults, he released The City Trilogy (originally under the name of D.B. Shan), and Lady of the Shades..
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 13, 2022
Archie finds himself chased by deadly hell jackals. And while running away eventually manages to stumble into one of Stefan’s old traps. The trap was designed by Stefan to imprison a blooder and force it to bring back Old Man Reap from the lost zone. But the blooder refused and has been trapped there ever since, lusting for freedom and vengeance against Stefan. And the blooder thinks Archie looks quite a lot like Stefan.
The previous story ended with a cliffhanger so the story continues right where we left off, starting things off with a bang and gripping us from the get go. And the story just keeps grabbing us with unexpected and shocking twists and turns, constantly keeping us on our toes. And while all of those twists and turns are quite unexpected, they all make sense because everything’s been so neatly built up leading up to this. And that ending … What a cliffhanger!
This is just an absolute sprint to the finish of the series. Can’t wait for the final book to come out.
The previous story ended with a cliffhanger so the story continues right where we left off, starting things off with a bang and gripping us from the get go. And the story just keeps grabbing us with unexpected and shocking twists and turns, constantly keeping us on our toes. And while all of those twists and turns are quite unexpected, they all make sense because everything’s been so neatly built up leading up to this. And that ending … What a cliffhanger!
This is just an absolute sprint to the finish of the series. Can’t wait for the final book to come out.
May 21, 2022
What can I say about Archibald Lox and the Pick of Loxes, except oh boy, I hope you’re ready?
Book eight in this sprawling young adult fantasy adventure is the penultimate book in the series. We pick up straight away where book seven left off, and I’m glad about that, because it left us on quite the cliff hanger.
Unlike its previous instalment, the pace of this book never lets up for long. It’s one of the twistiest I’ve read so far and I found myself on my toes throughout alongside our hero, who’s mettle is really tested in all kinds of fun and nerve-shredding ways. Chock full of action, tension, mystery and some dark, sobering moments, this is a worthy addition to what has shaped up to be a fantastic series.
More than any other to date, Archie carries this book single-handedly, and I was hooked throughout. There’s a stifling, almost claustrophobic feel throughout this book that subtly reminds me of the elements of a good horror. This is something that works well for the overall atmosphere of the book, letting Mr Shan bend certain chapters so that the pace somehow feels both fast and slow and the same time.
Once again, we’re left on a pretty big cliff hanger at the end, and I can’t wait to see how this series concludes with the finale!
Book eight in this sprawling young adult fantasy adventure is the penultimate book in the series. We pick up straight away where book seven left off, and I’m glad about that, because it left us on quite the cliff hanger.
Unlike its previous instalment, the pace of this book never lets up for long. It’s one of the twistiest I’ve read so far and I found myself on my toes throughout alongside our hero, who’s mettle is really tested in all kinds of fun and nerve-shredding ways. Chock full of action, tension, mystery and some dark, sobering moments, this is a worthy addition to what has shaped up to be a fantastic series.
More than any other to date, Archie carries this book single-handedly, and I was hooked throughout. There’s a stifling, almost claustrophobic feel throughout this book that subtly reminds me of the elements of a good horror. This is something that works well for the overall atmosphere of the book, letting Mr Shan bend certain chapters so that the pace somehow feels both fast and slow and the same time.
Once again, we’re left on a pretty big cliff hanger at the end, and I can’t wait to see how this series concludes with the finale!
July 20, 2023
جذابترین جلد این مجموعه تا الان.
بدوام برم بعدی رو بخونم. 🏃🏿♀️
بدوام برم بعدی رو بخونم. 🏃🏿♀️
May 29, 2022
Note: I was sent an advanced copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Wow this was the best book of the series so far. Full of action and fast paced, it reminds me of the classic Darren Shan stories. I've been reading this during my little ones night feeds. In this book things get Gruesome and Dark for Archibald without giving anything away one if the biggest shocks happen and it made me so sad. Wow though what an ending massive cliff hanger eagerly awaiting the finale of archies epic story.
Wow this was the best book of the series so far. Full of action and fast paced, it reminds me of the classic Darren Shan stories. I've been reading this during my little ones night feeds. In this book things get Gruesome and Dark for Archibald without giving anything away one if the biggest shocks happen and it made me so sad. Wow though what an ending massive cliff hanger eagerly awaiting the finale of archies epic story.
April 10, 2023
Archibald Lox and the Pick of Loxes was my favorite in the series so far! It was full of twists and turns, leaving me itching to read more (luckily I can). I won't go into crazy detail with the events of the story in fear of spoiling some events in book nine of the series. I picked up the final book immediately after reading book eight so I might get the events of both books confused.
Book eight has it all: death, friendship at its finest, love, kidnapping, and torture. If book nine checks out, Archibald Lox may triumph other series written by Darren Shan!
June 15, 2022
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
When we last left the endlessly twisting and disorienting world of princes, princesses, red skies, vines, boreholes, and Lost Zones, we helplessly watched from our paperbacks and ereaders as our Born hero, Archie, dangled like a worm on a fishhook at the edge of pure peril...almost quite literally. As I'm certain it did for everyone eager to see what Darren Shan had in store for our master of locks, Archibald Lox and the Sinkhole to Hell (book 7) had me practically salivating to sink my teeth into the next installment.
Book 8, Archibald Lox and the Pick of Loxes did not disappoint. Not in the very least. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that this chunk of Archie's story is now my favorite of the series, as it further convinces me that before this fantastical tale comes to an end, it's only going to get better.
Is that even possible? This is a Darren Shan novel. Of course it's possible.
Archibald Lox and the Pick of Loxes is an unbridled example of the delight this author feels when he lures his hungry readers down a rabbit hole of magic and mischief, making them realize far too late that they've been trapped in a story that will keep them up until the wee hours of the morning to finish. The time for Darren Shan to hold back is no longer. He is done pulling punches, and that is clear to me now more than ever since it's been just over 12 hours since I finished the book.
I feel like I'm repeating myself, but I can't help it when in all honestly, I feel as if I can't praise this book enough. From the moment we're introduced to an unlikely ally of Archie's, to the very last paragraph which, unironically, is the same moment my jaw hit the floor, I was hooked. I was stuck in a purgatorial state of wanting to read another chapter in each and every waking hour of the day, and wanting this book to last ten times longer than it was meant to last. Was it because I know that the end of the story of the Merge is nigh? Or is it because Archibald Lox and the Pick of Loxes is just plain and simple, a very, very good story? I'll let you, readers of The Literary Connoisseur, figure that one out for yourselves.
Truth be told, even though it started with undeniably adrenaline-pumping chapters, I grew more and more infatuated with this book as it went on, finding myself lost from the real world and entirely immersed in the sobering, thought-provoking conversations between Archie and the mad King Adil. Of course, it wasn't long after that that I graduated to feeling as if the rug had been pulled out from under me as each loose end began to be tied off and cauterized.
Who was Stefan?
Will King Adil succeed in carrying out his mad plan?
Where does Archie's fate lie? Back in the Born where he belongs, or in the Merge with his friends, his destiny...and that strange voice that knows his future better than he knows it himself?
Two things are for sure: One, I can't reach the conclusion to this series soon enough. Even now, as I'm sitting here jotting down my thoughts on book 8, I'm wondering how soon in hours it'll be before I can jump into book 9 with both feet.
And two, there's no doubt in my mind that Archibald Lox will soon be going back on my "To Be Read" shelf. I would be doing him and Darren Shan a serious disservice if I didn't give this saga a reread.
When we last left the endlessly twisting and disorienting world of princes, princesses, red skies, vines, boreholes, and Lost Zones, we helplessly watched from our paperbacks and ereaders as our Born hero, Archie, dangled like a worm on a fishhook at the edge of pure peril...almost quite literally. As I'm certain it did for everyone eager to see what Darren Shan had in store for our master of locks, Archibald Lox and the Sinkhole to Hell (book 7) had me practically salivating to sink my teeth into the next installment.
Book 8, Archibald Lox and the Pick of Loxes did not disappoint. Not in the very least. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that this chunk of Archie's story is now my favorite of the series, as it further convinces me that before this fantastical tale comes to an end, it's only going to get better.
Is that even possible? This is a Darren Shan novel. Of course it's possible.
Archibald Lox and the Pick of Loxes is an unbridled example of the delight this author feels when he lures his hungry readers down a rabbit hole of magic and mischief, making them realize far too late that they've been trapped in a story that will keep them up until the wee hours of the morning to finish. The time for Darren Shan to hold back is no longer. He is done pulling punches, and that is clear to me now more than ever since it's been just over 12 hours since I finished the book.
I feel like I'm repeating myself, but I can't help it when in all honestly, I feel as if I can't praise this book enough. From the moment we're introduced to an unlikely ally of Archie's, to the very last paragraph which, unironically, is the same moment my jaw hit the floor, I was hooked. I was stuck in a purgatorial state of wanting to read another chapter in each and every waking hour of the day, and wanting this book to last ten times longer than it was meant to last. Was it because I know that the end of the story of the Merge is nigh? Or is it because Archibald Lox and the Pick of Loxes is just plain and simple, a very, very good story? I'll let you, readers of The Literary Connoisseur, figure that one out for yourselves.
Truth be told, even though it started with undeniably adrenaline-pumping chapters, I grew more and more infatuated with this book as it went on, finding myself lost from the real world and entirely immersed in the sobering, thought-provoking conversations between Archie and the mad King Adil. Of course, it wasn't long after that that I graduated to feeling as if the rug had been pulled out from under me as each loose end began to be tied off and cauterized.
Who was Stefan?
Will King Adil succeed in carrying out his mad plan?
Where does Archie's fate lie? Back in the Born where he belongs, or in the Merge with his friends, his destiny...and that strange voice that knows his future better than he knows it himself?
Two things are for sure: One, I can't reach the conclusion to this series soon enough. Even now, as I'm sitting here jotting down my thoughts on book 8, I'm wondering how soon in hours it'll be before I can jump into book 9 with both feet.
And two, there's no doubt in my mind that Archibald Lox will soon be going back on my "To Be Read" shelf. I would be doing him and Darren Shan a serious disservice if I didn't give this saga a reread.
August 25, 2024
A thrilling start to the story and has me glued once iv started reading but feel like the author has cramed like 3 books loads of thrills into one book because compared to last 2 its just non stop! Someone really needs to kill this damn king..so evil.. so caniving, poor archie never gets a damn break
Great read all the same though!
Great read all the same though!
May 20, 2022
4.5 Stars
CAWPILE = 8.18
I read this before it's release date of 28 June 2022 thanks to an eARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Yet another great Archibald Lox book. There was lots of twists, turns and tension in this, the penultimate book of the series. It kept surprising me with new and exciting things about this world, even at this late stage of the story. While this is fantasy rather than horror there is still touches of the gore fans have come to expect from Shan. Shan is also a master at doing cliffhangers as I'm desperate to read the last book even though the way this one ended filled me with trepidation for what's about to happen next.
CAWPILE = 8.18
I read this before it's release date of 28 June 2022 thanks to an eARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Yet another great Archibald Lox book. There was lots of twists, turns and tension in this, the penultimate book of the series. It kept surprising me with new and exciting things about this world, even at this late stage of the story. While this is fantasy rather than horror there is still touches of the gore fans have come to expect from Shan. Shan is also a master at doing cliffhangers as I'm desperate to read the last book even though the way this one ended filled me with trepidation for what's about to happen next.
July 10, 2023
This book kept throwing me for a loop. I would think things were hopeless, and then a lifeline would appear, only to be ripped away. Wash and repeat. If you want an author that's the master of the plot twist, Darren Shan is your guy.
The book starts right were the last book left off, which was at a cliff hanger, and ends at a cliff hanger, so I would recommend getting all of the books before reading.
Stefan is brought up a lot in this book, and everyone starts to wonder exactly what is going on with Archie, and why are their so many similarities between him and the missing royal. This plays an important role in the story, and the mystery keeps the reader guessing all the way through to the ninth book.
There are times when I wanted to scream out because of a character's actions. I mean, what the heck were they thinking? I'm not going to say anything, but seriously!
I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for a review.
Age appropriate: Yes
Content warning: Language, Violence
The book starts right were the last book left off, which was at a cliff hanger, and ends at a cliff hanger, so I would recommend getting all of the books before reading.
Stefan is brought up a lot in this book, and everyone starts to wonder exactly what is going on with Archie, and why are their so many similarities between him and the missing royal. This plays an important role in the story, and the mystery keeps the reader guessing all the way through to the ninth book.
There are times when I wanted to scream out because of a character's actions. I mean, what the heck were they thinking? I'm not going to say anything, but seriously!
I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for a review.
Age appropriate: Yes
Content warning: Language, Violence
October 15, 2022
5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Best read of the series so far. From Archie's first hiccup in the well with a blooder to his kidnapping from Adil. This book was full of adventure and unexpected twists.
Although I could kill Darren Shan for some decisions on some characters fate 🫣😭
I just really found this one in particular really interesting. I also enjoyed how there was a big focus on Archie it was almost a solo adventure and for some reason I ended up bonding more to his character from it.
I can't wait to start reading the finale book, I think we'll finally find out why he looks like Stefan and can do what he can do.
Throw out your theories to me now 📢
My theory is reincarnation or long lost brother.
Best read of the series so far. From Archie's first hiccup in the well with a blooder to his kidnapping from Adil. This book was full of adventure and unexpected twists.
Although I could kill Darren Shan for some decisions on some characters fate 🫣😭
I just really found this one in particular really interesting. I also enjoyed how there was a big focus on Archie it was almost a solo adventure and for some reason I ended up bonding more to his character from it.
I can't wait to start reading the finale book, I think we'll finally find out why he looks like Stefan and can do what he can do.
Throw out your theories to me now 📢
My theory is reincarnation or long lost brother.
July 15, 2024
After the cliffhanger from book 7, this book took off. The hell jackals were insane, and they are a massive highlight for me when I see them. Then, the small trap that Stefan made with a blooder. I thought that would be tedious, but it was a great moment. Then, the confession of the actual attempt of murder is even crazier. Then we get to the kidnapping. I'm not sure what it is, but, for some reason, Archbald being kidnapped is somehow always the most entertaining part of any book. No, I won't explain myself. Then, tossing Kojo into the lost zone. And now it looks like we're heading to the lost zone: all and all the most entertaining book of the series.
I look forward to its last book.
I look forward to its last book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2023
This book was amazing, it melted you gripped and imagine what's going to happen next, with each chapter it feels more intense as you read and you feel for the characters... This is such an incredible set off books, it ends that makes you want to read the next the book and you want to know what happens ... Darren Shan,s writing is amazing within his books he keeps you gripped within the books and you read, one of my favourite authors
July 23, 2022
Darren Shan does it again! Packed with suspense and intrigue, a simple review can't do this book justice. All I can say without giving anything away is that I wish I had waited until the final book was out to start the last trilogy! It will be all I think about over the coming days as I wait for Archibald Lox, book 9 to come out.
September 19, 2022
I thought the cliffhanger at the end of the previous was insane but this one was even crazier. It probably takes the crown for the most insane cliffhanger in the whole series actually.
And I can't believe this book actually made me feel bad for Kurtis, out of all characters!
And I can't believe this book actually made me feel bad for Kurtis, out of all characters!
January 19, 2023
So exciting
December 11, 2025
Spannend! benieuwd hoe het eindigd
August 17, 2022
52 Book Club 2022 Summer Challenge- Genre: Adventure
As usual, Archie's days go from bad to worse and back again as he continues to stack up allies, enemies and the odds against him...
I dived straight into this book after the deliciously dramatic cliffhanger at the end of Book 7. All of the threads (and characters) are being pulled tighter together and I can't wait to see the full picture they will create.
Without further ado, I am braced and (hopefully?) ready for the end of Archibald Lox.
As usual, Archie's days go from bad to worse and back again as he continues to stack up allies, enemies and the odds against him...
I dived straight into this book after the deliciously dramatic cliffhanger at the end of Book 7. All of the threads (and characters) are being pulled tighter together and I can't wait to see the full picture they will create.
Without further ado, I am braced and (hopefully?) ready for the end of Archibald Lox.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews