Review: The Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson

Title: The Shadow Cabinet (Shades of London #3)
Author: Maureen Johnson
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Fantasy
Source: Hot Key Books
Goodreads

Grieving, shaken, and feeling very much alone, Rory's life as a member of the Shades of London has changed irrevocably. It's only been a matter of hours since Stephen was taken from her, possibly for ever. Her classmate Charlotte is still missing, kidnapped by the same people who tried to take Rory. Rory is no longer a schoolgirl haplessly involved in the dealings of a secret government unit. She is their weapon in a matter of life and death.

With hardly a moment to think for herself, Rory is back to work. Charlotte must be found -- as must Stephen, if he is even out there. Lines must be drawn and forces rallied. Something is brewing under London, something bigger and much more dangerous than what has come before. The Shadow Cabinet holds the key to everything, and it is up to Rory to unravel its mysteries before time runs out...

Review by Nara

After that unbelievably horrifying cliffhanger in The Madness Underneath, I was freaking ready to jump on The Shadow Cabinet as soon as it was released. I must say, I certainly wasn't disappointed with what I got, although I did get a bit of a surprise: TSC is not the series ending of Shades of London.

I don't know how to feel about the series being extended. I really thought it was going to end as a trilogy and was excited for this book as a series ending. On one hand, I was looking forward to everything being wrapped up. But on the other hand, we have the emergence of a truly evil set of villains in this book, and I'm really looking forward to how that all pans out in the next one.

I also don't know if I really fully enjoyed the book as much as I would've otherwise, because all I could think about for a decent portion of the book was STEEEPHEEEN ALFAWEHLFKADSF!!! So much anxiety... Does the issue from The Madness Underneath get resolved? I'll let you find out yourself, but seriously, all the damned feels.

Well, I'm going to say that fans of the Shades of London series definitely won't be disappointed with this instalment, and will get most of the issues from previous books solved. It's almost as if The Shadow Cabinet is the start of a new arc within the series, and I'm certainly excited about where things are headed.

Incredible

Ratings
Overall: 9/10
Plot: 4/5
Romance: 4.5/5
Writing: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Cover: 2/5