REVIEW: Spooky Reads for October in February!

So to just clarify this title and this post, I read these books in October but have not had time to review them until now.

Tunnel of Bones:

Last year, we were introduced to Cassidy Blake and her ghost finding family whilst they were in Scotland. This year however, we get to see the gang head to Paris as they explore the catacombs for another episode of their paranormal documentary show. The one thing Cassidy’s parents don’t know is that she can actually see the ghosts.

Whilst in the catacombs, she and Jacob, her ghosty best friend feels a psychic link to it and unfortunately it’s not a good one. Cass and Jacob accidentally free a poltergeist from the catacomb. This poltergeist creates havoc and chaos around the city of Paris. Jacob and Cass must investigate whom this poltergeist is in order to send him back where he belongs. In addition to our family, we get to meet some new characters such Adele Laurent, a young child that helps Cassidy in her mission to seek out more about the poltergeist and old faces, such as Lara, who we meet in Scotland who has the same powers as Cassidy and teaches her how to let ghosts move on to the afterlife.

This book is short in pages, which makes it the ideal read. I personally, listened to the audiobook and the narration is fantastic. I find that audiobooks for middle grade are actually so much better than audiobooks for YA or adult for example. This is because, it is a child’s book and the child is going to lose interest quite quickly if it doesn’t capture their interest in the slightest.

4 out 5 stars.

The Last Life of Prince Alastor:

In the first book, The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding, we follow Prosper come to terms that he has a demon sharing his body with him. Now Alastor’s sister, Pyra, has taken Prosper’s sister, Prue to the downstairs where demons belong. Prosper strikes a deal with the demon inside him to rescue Prue with him. Alastor has not returned home for hundreds of years as he was trapped by the Redding family (he still hasn’t forgiven for that one) and he finds that much has changed to his dismay. The hierarchy of fiends has changed, magic is now rationed because of a threat called the void and Alastor is not happy with this. After all, he is the true ruler of the Downstairs. This was all Pyra’s fault he thinks. The world has changed because of her. Prosper must conceal his humanity from the demons so he will go undetected and will finally rescue Prue. We are met with some familiar faces along the way and some new ones too. But will they be able to rescue Prue and stop the void from taking the downstairs?

The majority of the plot takes place in the demon world, the downstairs. Because of how much it has changed, we see it both through Prosper’s eyes, a person who has never been, and the demon, Alastor looking to find what was. We see it through both perspectives. This place is new to us as readers so it’s always fun to see it from a character’s point of view also. In addition to this, the book is littered with flashbacks of Alastor and Honor Redding. Alastor documents through these flashbacks how Honor started to fall from grace and into the darkness. Even Alastor notes that this is not what he wanted for his dear friend, Honor.

This is a middle grade book. So whilst it captures my attention, it is of the shorter nature. I would love to read more in this world rather than 300 odd pages. I just wish Alexandra Bracken would write more in this world rather than just finishing the duology like this. I loved it to bits. And also, if you want something spooky but not too scary to read around Halloween, this series is definitely for you.

3 out of 5 stars.