The Book of Mayhem

Mayhem rules! :)<br /><br />Review to come.

I usually get excited with a new release. With this one, I mainly feel relief. For the story behind this book's publication, click <a href="http://melissamcshanewrites.com/2019/04/the-long-journey-to-the-book-of-mayhem/" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a>.<br /><br />This book was always meant to follow close on the heels of <i>The Book of Peril</i>, and the fact that it didn't still makes me sad. But I do love it. It happens to be the fastest book I ever wrote (17 days start to finish) and I still remember how well it came together despite my not plotting it out. I can also remember the moment I realized who the villain was--that, too, was not plotted. This series in general marks my transition from thorough outlining to a more relaxed approach to plotting. I still use outlines, but not as often.<br /><br />There are a lot of changes here: Helena's tense relationship with her sister, Viv and Judy's mutual antagonism (based on my experience with having two best friends who weren't friends with each other), and of course Helena's continuing attraction to Malcolm Campbell. While I try to include Helena and Malcolm's mutual love of classic films in every book, in this case it was clear early on that <i>Casablanca</i> would be a powerful central theme. It is one of my favorite movies, and I loved that it fit Helena and Malcolm's relationship so well.<br /><br />I hope readers will find the ending of this one more satisfying than the previous. It's bittersweet, but to me it's far more hopeful. And it prepares readers for book four, <i>The Book of Lies</i>, which I'm proud of because I made a business conference interesting.<br /><br />I've finally compiled lists of all the movies cited in these books, as well as the real books the oracle gives out as auguries (some of them I had to make up, but about 95% of the books actually exist, and I own about 90% of those), but I'm not sure where to put them. So if you have any suggestions, let me know.

<em>This is third in a series and, as with most UF, it's best to read in order as stories, plots, and characters extend from one book to another.</em><br /><br />Once again, it's time for my still-non-standard disclosure. While I strive for honesty in my reviews, it is no doubt a lost cause for Melissa's books. She is the light of my life, balm to my soul, and keeper of all things worthy. Also, she knows where I sleep.<br /><br />I really like Helena. In this one, she's struggling with keeping her distance from the man she has a serious crush on (and maybe a little bit more). Darn those neutrality clauses in the Accords that keep them apart! At least she has her friends and her job and her new boyfriend to keep her busy. Yeah, I'm not a fan of the new boyfriend, either.<br /><br />The main plot of this one has less to do with overt action against Abernathy's and more mystery about people being killed in mysterious ways. Fault lines in the mage world get thornier with Helena and her friends being minor voices of reason in a cacophony of intolerance and hate. I love that Helena is so passionate about working together against the common foe and not letting petty disputes blow up into actual schisms.<br /><br />My favorite part of this book is also the hardest because it's so hard on Helena. What do you do when <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="fd8c6b3f-f821-4166-adad-12e892c2a095" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="fd8c6b3f-f821-4166-adad-12e892c2a095">the man you love is being hunted by those who want vengeance and are coming to you for auguries to pursue their goal of killing him?</label> I love that she has the honor of her position and determines to do the right thing even in the teeth of how hard this is on her. I also love her determination to maintain her neutrality despite being tested over and over by those who want her partisanship.<br /><br />So yeah, Helena is a delight and I love the developments in this story. I love her friends (Judy and Viv find common ground!) and I love her family and I love the developments with Malcolm.<br /><br /><strong>A note about Chaste</strong>: Helena has a boyfriend in this story and she admits to Judy that they're having sex. We see some kissing action that heads towards more, but Melissa always pulls back before anything happens on-page. Sexual interludes clearly happen, but none of it is actually <em>seen</em>. Including, near the end, when <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="49662643-2514-4991-8af3-6d41b9c6b411" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="49662643-2514-4991-8af3-6d41b9c6b411">Helena and Malcolm finally choose to be together despite the Accords and all those who fear her compromising her impartiality.</label>

Now that was a lot of fun. Some interesting elaboration on the role of custodians within the magical world, a bit more depth about the oracle, and some compelling tension.<br /><br />Naturally I have some complaints: <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="e3370528-2941-44f6-83bc-f993173d698b" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="e3370528-2941-44f6-83bc-f993173d698b"><br />Helena's character development remains uneven. I was initially very excited to get some insight through her conflict with her sister Cynthia, but that quickly sputtered and died as it turns out... Cynthia really does just want to be friends. So Helena agrees to be friends, the end. <br /><br />Cynthia, and in fact all of Helena's relationships with the women around her, basically vanish at the 50% mark and then it's all action! romance! angst!</label><br /><br />The pacing is still all over the place, too. I have trouble reconciling the rocky progress of these books with the assuredness of the Tremontane novels.

I read this as an ARC a while ago and I have been waiting for it to come out so I could squee over it with other readers! I'm so glad we're finally here!<br /><br />The Book of Mayhem picks up with the magical community still bickering with each other even though their attention really should be focused on the invaders and the Long War. As usually Helena finds herself in the middle of the whole mess doing her best to live the Accords as a custodian of a neutrality, trying to get everyone to stop seeing each other as the enemy, and painfully doing her job even when it means hurting the person she's got a huge crush on and has come to maybe even love.<br /><br />There's some really great movement on many accounts in this volume. Helena deals with having a boyfriend who is a good guy, he really is, but he's not the right guy for her and she's not the right girl for him. It's a really interesting exploration of what happens when you live the phrase 'If you can't be with the one you love then love the one you're with.' It takes a lot of skill to look at this situation and not demonize the boyfriend even as Helena is trying to help Malcom and to decide what she really wants. I love that the author didn't take the easy way out, but makes Helena deal with her choices and face her emotions.<br /><br />I also really love the developments with Judy and Viv in this book. They finally find more common ground than just both being friends with Helena. This is so fun and it really adds more depth to the world as we're allowed to see all kinds of relationships and how they interact with Helena and when they don't. <br /><br />The end leaves me ready to launch into the next book. I love wandering through the Abernathy's world!

The anxiously awaited third book of The Last Oracle series does not disappoint. Helena Davies, is managing her role as the keeper of the living Oracle, (disguised as a horribly organized, dilapidated bookstore) hidden in plain sight in Portland, for an equally hidden magical community on the brink of collapse due to a cold civil war. <br />In this installment, Helena battles her feelings for the incredibly hunky, and completely forbidden, Malcolm Campbell; Helena faces a tense interactions with a suspicious sibling; increasing conflict threatens Helena's life, loved ones, and the entirety of her adoptive magical community. I am not a spoiler of fantastic fiction, so that is all I can reasonably say, just know that it is excellent! <br />McShane decorates the beautiful landscape of the Pacific Northwest with dynamic and colorful characters. They have penetrating issues, fears, strengths and insecurities. Helena is so relatable and complex, it's hard to believe she's invented. I enjoy this series so much! <br />On a side note, I really appreciate the new cover art, it's much more subtle and symbolic than the previous, which were about as strictly representational as urban fantasy can get. After reading the book, the symbology is effortlessly apparent. Not that anyone should judge a book by it's cover! If this book were covered in brown paper, it would still be a fantastic read.

I adore this series. Magic and books and old movies and love and food... It’s a perfect storm of all my favorite things.<br /><br />The story is compelling, factions converging on war, a serial killer on the loose with just the right amount of possible culprits, big developments in Helena’s relationships - boyfriends, friends, and family alike. For all the tense action-y mysteries, however, my favorite part might just be her dealings with her sister. Well, and the ending, of course. ?<br /><br />And yes, I’m posting this review at 2:45. Because I couldn’t put it down and I can’t stop talking about it. Advance copy - review mine. All that jazz.

The latest book in this series definitely delivered on what I was wanting... some action, some romance and more delving into the nature of the series' universe. I'm also really loving the characters and their development through each book and am now anxiously awaiting book #4!

My only complaint is that it's too short. I need more!

I think that's the first time that I read three books in one series without spacing them out. The last oracle books are simply very entertaining and addictive. Third book had some moments in the end that were annoying, like the main character acting reckless, where in the previous book I was so happy that she wasn't and some other small things I don't want to mention because of spoilers, but it was nothing big and I had a good time. Definitely will continue on!