Book Review: "The Shadow Cabinet" by Maureen Johnson

I just finished reading the third installment in Maureen Johnson's Shades of London series, "The Shadow Cabinet". It certainly cleaned up many questions that I was left with from the second book, "The Madness Underneath". I have to say though that I would not read this book as my first foray into the Shades of London series. I think you'd ruin your experience of a really good, strong series if you started with this book. 

I read the first two books specifically so I could give an accurate and fair review of Johnson's newest, "The Shadow Cabinet" and I'm so glad I did. If I hadn't taken the time to read the first two, I think I would have been lost for much of this book. I will try to explain where we are in the series without giving away spoilers to those who've never read any of the books yet. Here we go...

Rory Deveaux is an American transplant in London who decided to do her last year of high school in a posh boarding school instead of staying in Louisiana with relatives. Rory found she had much to learn, including that she could see ghosts. This discovery made Rory nervous at first, was she going crazy? When she found that she wasn't the only one who had "the sight", Rory set out to learn all she could about her new abilities. Our heroine has been through some major ordeals in the first two books and in this third installment is no different. There are many malevolent people who want to use Rory's skills for their own reasons and she has to learn how to choose her friends carefully.

"The Shadow Cabinet" is a good follow through from "The Name Of The Star" and "The Madness Underneath". I found this book to be even more a head long rush into danger. As one reads along there is a huge amount of information to be learned about London, mythology, history and occultism. I found myself unsure what was a product of the author's incredible imagination and what was actual historical fact. I think this shows Johnson to be a terrific writer, to be able to enmesh fantasy and reality so beautifully. 

I highly recommend this series and book three is no exception. Although the series is technically a Young Adult selection, it is also a very good and enjoyable read for any adult. I found Johnson's writing to be well plotted and not at all dumbed down. This is certainly a four of five star book and my only complaint was that I wanted the middle to move a little faster because I was so anxious to find out what was going to happen! I think that's actually a mark of a good writer, the reader so wants to get to the answer that they stay up late, forgo sleep and read on until the early dawn just to finish the last page of writing. "The Shadow Cabinet" was a satisfying read but I warn you, I don't think it's done yet, we are left with a "what will happen next feeling" so I look forward to book four, I hope Johnson writes this one quickly.

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