Charlie’s family appearing: This was actually part of the main plot, and because we have one book to understand these characters and why they do what they do, I felt like this point was far too rushed and unconvincing.

That said, the last scene was kind of touching.

Abigail and Charlie’s romance: Honestly, they seemed to spend the first three books crushing on each other, so it felt like a lot of romance development was crammed in this one book and it felt unconvincing.

The key weakness of the book, in my opinion, is that it tries to do far too much. While The Dire King is a fast, action-packed book, it does suffer from a few difficulties. At the same time, Mayor Spade has finally been convinced that mythical creatures exist, and perhaps predictably, he is overreacting by rounding up all magical creatures and putting them into jail. In The Dire King, Jackaby and Abigail are racing against time to prevent the Dire King from coming back and destroying the world. Since this is the last book in the series, this review will have spoilers for earlier books, so skip this review if you’ve not read the previous books. The epic fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling Jackaby series features wry humor and a cast of unforgettable characters facing off against their most dangerous, bone-chilling foe ever.It’s a good thing that I read The Dire King fairly soon after Ghostly Echoes because The Dire King picks up directly where The Ghostly Echoes left off. But before the four can think about their own futures, they will have to defeat an evil that wants to destroy the future altogether.

Jackaby and Abigail are caught in the middle as they continue to solve mysteries in New Fiddleham, New England-like who’s created the rend between the worlds, how to close it, and why the undead are appearing around town.Īt the same time, the romance between Abigail and the shape-shifting police detective Charlie Cane deepens, and Jackaby’s resistance to his feelings for the ghostly lady of 926 Augur Lane, Jenny Cavanaugh, begins to give way. An evil king is turning ancient tensions into modern strife, using a blend of magic and technology to push the earth and the otherworld into a mortal competition. Jackaby and his intrepid assistant, Abigail Rook. The fate of the world is in the hands of detective of the supernatural R. Jackaby, supernatural detective, and his indispensable assistant, Abigail Rook, are plunged into the heart of an apocalyptic war between magical worlds in the action-packed fourth book in the New York Times bestselling Jackaby series by William Ritter.

The dire king by william ritter