Official Review: The Last Rite by Chad Morgan

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meadhbh
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Latest Review: The Last Rite by Chad Morgan

Official Review: The Last Rite by Chad Morgan

Post by meadhbh »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Last Rite" by Chad Morgan.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Daniel didn’t even know he had a daughter until recently, but now that she’s in his custody following the death of her mother, he’s determined to forge a relationship with her. When he ends up in the town of Shellingdon Heights, hunted by dog-monsters, other human/animal crossbreeds, and agents of a shadowy corporation, that seems like it’s going to be even more difficult than he thought. Especially as he learns more about the mysteries of the town, and just exactly how his daughter fits into it all.

I really enjoyed the fact that The Last Rite by Chad Morgan created its own mythology, rather than relying on existing tropes. Even the dog-monsters, which could have been similar to werewolves, were distinctly different. All the creatures were terrifying, and the author was not afraid to delve into gory detail in the numerous fight scenes. The one thing I felt the story suffered from was a lack of world-building aside from what Daniel encounters. It frequently felt like elements of the world appeared only when they were relevant to Daniel’s story, and it would have been nice if the universe of the story felt a little more cohesive.

The version of the book that I received to review was the audiobook version. I enjoyed the fact that it was narrated by the author, as I feel he was able to give a better interpretation as regards things like pace and tone. I didn’t particularly love the fact that each of the characters had their own voice actor, however. While it did sometimes help bring out their personalities, at other times it felt a bit jarring to switch voices for only a few words of dialogue.

The main criticism I have is how the female characters were written. They were all very sexualised, even in situations where it really didn’t make sense. For example, in one scene one of the characters is pregnant, and all she can think about is what effect that’s going to have on her ‘sexy butt.’ There was also not a huge amount of character development from anyone during the course of the book, although to be fair there isn’t really much time for most of them to do anything other than survive.

Overall, I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. While there were elements I didn’t particularly love, in general, the plot was fast-paced and interesting, with plenty of space for a good sequel. I would recommend this for people who like gripping fantasy novels, although be warned that it can be a bit graphically violent at times.

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The Last Rite
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daydreaming reader
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Post by daydreaming reader »

I was really interested in this book, until I read your comments about the characters, especially the female characters. To be honest that would distract me to much. Thank you for your review.
"Without chaos, there can be no order"
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"You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star."
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Caylie_Cat
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Post by Caylie_Cat »

Not having a strong stomach, I dislike gory scenes that give too much detail and leave the reader with an unsettling mental image. Surely fight scenes can be written in a manner that tells the story without the gruesome specifics? Good review!
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Debjani Ghosh
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Post by Debjani Ghosh »

The one thing I felt the story suffered from was a lack of world-building aside from what Daniel encounters.
I dislike such books where the author creates a half-baked world. I am going to skip this one. Thanks for the review!
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Bianka Walter
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Post by Bianka Walter »

I do love a good audiobook. And I agree, it's a bonus when it's read by the author.
Pity about the poor character development, that's always a bummer for me.

Great review :)
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Julie Green
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Post by Julie Green »

This lazy depiction of women only in terms of their sexuality always puts me off. But it does sound like an interesting story. Nice review!
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