Rachel Reviews: Dragonfly by MJ Mumford
The finale to the Syd Brixton trilogy is a continuation of the fast pace and action of the others in the series, leading to a satisfying end
And so, the final instalment in MJ Mumford's Timeblink series has been read and I have to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed all the books in the series.
The difficulty that I have in writing this review is revealing too much about what happens in it and spoiling the story for people before they've read it so I am going to try and be as circumspect as I can without giving away too much of the plot.
At the end of the last book, we were left with a cliffhanger where Syd, our heroine, was faced with one of the worst scenarios of the whole series, involving someone who she dearly loves going missing. Those of you who have read the first Timeblink book will know that this is something that Syd has faced before and the uncovering of the mystery surrounding the disappearance of her twin in that book was the driver of the plot.
Dragonfly, then, continues on where Book 2, Flight 444 left us including some of the characters who were introduced from the plot of that book, the main one being Jarrett, the good-looking cop who seems to be sticking around for Syd.
The stakes are higher for Syd in this book as they were in Book 1, as she has to battle her emotions as well as face the loss of a loved one, in a life that has been full of loss. What I liked about Dragonfly is that Mumford effectively wraps up the trilogy and does it in a way that is convincing and satisfying. Syd continues to be the spicy, sensual, strong individual who does not baulk from a challenge and is prepared to grit her teeth and confront if need be.
Again, the threats are there but the action is not dark enough to be terrifying; as a writer, Mumford is able to get you to empathise with Syd and what she's going through and so, you are with her every step of the way. If I had a criticism, it's that it didn't feel as developed as the other books, although I still enjoyed it. It felt shorter and although it didn't feel rushed, it felt less meaty: it wasn't lacking in anything but it felt lighter in some way. It's difficult to put my finger on.
However, it is good and I recommend Mumford as a writer wholeheartedly.
Rachel Rating: 4/5 stars
This review was first published on Reedsy Discovery where I was privileged to read it as an ARC:
You can read my reviews of other books in the series at the links below:
Thanks for stopping by! If you do read this review, please do leave a comment as I love to interact with my readers. If you go on to read the book, please do let me know what you think of it!
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Rachel Deeming
Mum, blogger, crafter, reviewer, writer, traveller: I love to write and I am not limited by form. Here, you will find stories, articles, opinion pieces, poems, all of which reflect me: who I am, what I love, what I feel, how I view things.
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Rachel Reviews: Flight 444 by MJ Mumford
I really like MJ Mumford's books. This is the second one of hers that I've read and again, I thoroughly enjoyed it. They are easy to read and I can whip through them without any jarring or questioning - they flow, the characters are believable and I feel satisfied with where she takes me plot-wise.
By Rachel Deemingabout a month ago in BookClub
An Education in Alienation
It might seem odd to conjure the ghost of an ancient Greek philosopher the better to try to understand and appreciate a 19th Century tale of thrilling horror with his help. I was moved to do so because I am the sort of silly idealist who believes that anything encoded by a human mind can be decoded by one, to echo David Lodge’s irascible Morris Zapp, provided sufficient energy and attention are devoted to the cause. After all, I have had the privilege and pleasure of teaching this novel to hundreds of students. When I have done so, I have repudiated charming customer service and power point karaoke in favor of close reading of the text and texts about it. The latter have both preserved and provoked a scholarly and critical conversation about tragedy in general and this novel in particular. Aristotle was the first to contribute a systematic theory of tragedy to this conversation, in the 4th Century BCE. Walking anachronism that I am, I understand it to be my duty to prepare my students to understand the text and said conversation in order, in however modest and provisional a way, to contribute to it themselves. If the aims of a university are not to preserve, create and disseminate knowledge, by these and other means, what could they possibly be?
By D. J. Reddall25 days ago in BookClub
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The Beauty of an Eclipse 1. Introduction The older responses to eclipses appear to have been that they were a disruption of the natural order of things, especially in the case of solar eclipses. This is understandable since solar eclipses occur when the light from the Sun is suddenly cut off. It was one thing when it became dark after the setting of the Sun, but when the Sun was shining and then darkness reigned, it was cause for alarm. In ancient China, it was believed that solar eclipses occurred when a dragon devoured the Sun. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks believed that the events were ill omens, and wars being fought at the time of an eclipse are said to have been stopped. In more recent centuries, there have been records of witnesses to an eclipse becoming frightened or running to get indoors. One of the most famous recent events was during the War of 1812 when a group of Native Americans at Fort Mims in Alabama were frightened by a solar eclipse and as a result, this prevented them from attacking the fort. In many primitive cultures, eclipses are still seen as bad omens. In India, for example, it is still a widely held belief that food cooked before an eclipse is rendered impure and unfit to eat.
By Aliy Adekunle Abdulmutolib6 days ago in BookClub
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The woman sat nonplussed, in the Waiting Room. In a sort of daze, looking straight ahead patiently. She had already had three small breakfast's that morning and a nip of sherry, this was not unusual she would typically wait until an hour after she took her anti-depressant and was her morning routine. She was merely following instructions she assured herself, shifted slightly in her seat and feeling a little heart burn thought, maybe she should skip lunch. Dom had said to have the task done this week. She was well used to his methods and desired to get this over and done with soon. She glanced at her watch, smiled weakly at the Receptionist who was there for a moment and then gone.
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Comments (4)
Nicely reviewed again, Rachel. Though this leaves me wondering, if it ends with a cliffhanger, how do you know that it's the conclusion of a trilogy rather than simply one more in a series?
I get what you mean by it being not rushed but less meaty and lighter. That's how I felt when I read the third book in the To All The Boys I've Loved Before trilogy by Jenny Han. Lol yes, I used to be a sucker for romance many many years back and I read it in 2016, before it was made into movies. So anyway, the first two books were really good. But the final one lacked something. Like I kept waiting and waiting for something, but that was it. The book ended. Not to say it wasn't good but it kinda lacked the magic of the first two books. So I guess that's how you feel about this book.
Another excellent review, Rachel!
I don't have a Reedsy account anymore. I wonder if I made a mistake 🤔 I like that you've done a pretty good review with spoiling anything. I really need to not add anything else to my TBR pile. I should probably stop reading your reviews! 😂