Dobby The Free Elf

Although to me the 4th book was more than slightly disappointing, this 5th book started off much better and looked promising. However, I have to say that the new books seem to have a different atmosphere to the first three and it is off-putting if you are a big fan of the original story. Even though the story was exciting and I couldn't put it down, it just became another set up book like the 4th one. I feel it did not have enough movement through time in the book and so it seemed like everything happened in a short space of time (between the third fourth and fifth book), this is a problem for me because the break up between Emma and Jacob had just happened in the book before and suddenly out of nowhere he is going out with someone new. I could have definitely accepted Jacob going out with Noor but they started going out so early on after the break up that it didn't feel natural for them to be in a relationship. I mostly blamed Emma for their break up but when Noor and Jacob kissed in public my heart broke for Emma because it didn't seem fair that she had to witness that so shortly after breaking up. I can't help feeling bad for her as she had to watch Abe leave and fall in love with someone new whilst she was stuck in her loop and then she had to watch as Jacob left her too. I don't think that Noor and Jacob work well together, even their names just aren't compatible. It doesn't feel right. I can't really imagine the book one Jacob being the way he is now. He has changed, he doesn't seem like the same person and it's freaking me out. In some ways I think that the readers understand the characters much better than the writer does because as readers we have to accept the characters the way they are and begin to understand their point of view but the writer can instantly change their personalities or atmospheres surrounding them in the books and therefore in some ways cannot truly understand the characters feelings or actions. The next story needs to include more of Enoch's dark humour, Emma's leadership, Bronwyn's care, Millard's turning up in random places and scaring people, descriptions of Horace's fashion sense, Hugh attacking people with bees, Fiona, well she honestly just needs to get back into the storyline, Olive being brave and spying for them, Claire biting people and Jacob really needs to find his hollowgast. More laughter I guess. I have a fabulous idea: So a new guy joins the group (who has like darkness powers or sound powers? Something that works well with Noor) and then Noor begins to hang around the guy (and Jacob is obviously jealous, right?) and then Noor falls in love with the guy and Jacob is sad cause Noor is going out with someone new but then Jacob realises that he isn't mourning the loss of Noor but is still mourning for Emma but Emma of course loves Abe still so it all ends tragically :) I think that would be a great addition. That story actually made me happier because the 5th book was kinda depressing. Anyway for a conclusion I think that this book was actually really good (bar the relationship thing), I would recommend it but it really depends on how the next book turns out. Also how fun would it be if Enoch fell in love with someone (please do this if not anything else) just because it would bring hilarious stupidity back to the books. I swear every book i've read recently has ended on a scary cliffhanger... (Sorry for the really long review but congratulations for reading it all)

I loved this book, it was a good sequel to the library of souls and I loved that Millard and Enoch came on the adventure, but the atmosphere of this book is kind of different from the original stories and although Jacob and Emma breaking up and why they broke up was dissapointing (on Emma's part... she wasn't very nice), I think the fact that some of my favourite characters didn't come on the adventure was even sadder. This book seemed to be more of a set up for the next book which is actually a relief, I hope the next book can resolve a lot of issues between characters. However, I do recommend this book to everyone who has read the three main books before it. Oh and can -in the next book- Millard find that invisible-to-be guy again because he said he would. Thanks for making these books :)