Ok so reading this was hilarious because on the one hand I can totally see why this would not be someone's favourite of the series, but on the OTHER hand it IS my favourite of the series. a. hospitals, always been a fan ever since I was a kid idk why but it makes sense for the work I do now b. telegrams, their incorporation was always fun for me and continues to bring me joy c. there is more to learn about VFD and the baudelaire fire and i feel like the moment they uncover the [redacted] is a nice pause for the kids to get d. [redacted] getting [redacted] and then the other two being almost forced to perform [redacted] in front of a crowd of onlookers has never not been horrifying and is probably one of the most scary parts of the series e. the entire book they're on the run from EVERYONE, being accused of [redacted] and that really ups the stakes, they're really alone. THEN THE WAY IT ENDS?!

This was tough. Coming off the high of the first book (which I LOVED) this book suffered badly from middle child syndrome. The first half is incredibly slow. It has a LOT of necessary set up but it being directed and managed by other characters off page so we hear about it by proxy through Helena’s retelling rather than seeing the action for ourselves. Helena and Vonvalt were but tough to follow, I despise how their relationship develops although by the end I did like them again. Dubine was the standout character and he barely got half as much page time as in the first book. The second half was much more engaging and I didn’t want it to end! Dark and hopeless and with opponents ok both sides that you wish to both crash and burn. I am looking forward to the final book in this trilogy and hope it’s a return to the magic of the first book.