Neverseen by Shannon Messenger
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
While Ms. Messenger did plenty that was interesting and even beautiful with this installment of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, there were also plenty of failed opportunities. And it made for, I suppose, a well-balanced book that failed to provide much in the way of excitement or trouble. I don’t think that’s what her intent was, however. When you have a plague, two rebel factions, and the first forays into Exillium? A reader expects more. And it wasn’t delivered. Rather, it wasn’t delivered with the potential punch it could have been.
Instead, you anticipate every “surprise” revelation a mile away. There are no red herrings to lead you astray. The clues take your hand and walk you down the path. It’s frustrating when other volumes have provided the occasional surprise. The reader does get to encounter new Talents, which was a refreshing change. And the deeper probe into the cracks and shadows beneath the surface of the Elvin world adds color and depth to Ms. Messenger’s creation. Not to mention the introduction of Calla and glimpses into the gnomes and their history. Those items alone make the book worth reading. But the excitement factor falls flat. With luck, it’ll start to pick up once again. (Particularly as I’ve already purchased the next two volumes – and I hate to spend money on books I don’t intend to read)
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