Archibald Lox and the Sinkhole to Hell: Archibald Lox series, book 7 Paperback – 23 May 2022

Love these books! Yet again Darren Shan captivates his readers.Highly recommend to start this series if you have not yet.

Archie’s back, and he’s ready for anything. Well… almost.The pacing of this book is a lot slower than previous instalments. This isn’t a bad thing. In fact, there’s never a dull moment in Archibald Lox and the Sinkhole to Hell, and I found myself very quickly engrossed as the pages flew by. It does end on a bit of a cliff hanger though, so prepare yourself! I get the feeling that we are being set up for quite the twisty, bumpy ride with the final two books in the series.As with previous instalments, the world building in this book is sublime. One of the main places we get to explore this time is Emerald, and Darren Shan paints a fantastical picture of this weird and wonderful fantasy world both with ease, and in a way that is crystal clear in my mind. It’s not just a great read, it’s an experience.One thing I’ve always loved about these books is the character development. Our young hero himself is more sure of himself than he’s ever been. He’s come a long way, rubbing shoulders with royals and gaining a lox reputation that precedes him. Despite this, he can still be endearingly naive, and this is something that I hope never changes. In book seven we get to see the deepening relationship between Archie and Winston, and we finally get a few answers to some cryptic questions that have been buzzing around in our heads for the past few books. Of course, in true Shan style, the answers pose just as many new intriguing, maddening questions as they solve. I also enjoyed the Archie and Inez content I have come to expect from each book.Overall this book was easy to read, and I found myself enjoying a refreshing change of pace before we dive into what is promising to be one hell of a series closer.

I will rate this book 4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book starts with everyone gathering to say goodbye to King Lloyd as he's sadly dying. And I do mean everybody.However when King Lloyd passes, Diamond did not collapse which means there is a secret royal.We finally hear a bit more on why Archie has the abilities he has, although there's no way to know for sure. At least at this point. I still think he's a royal which makes my theory stronger now that they think there is a secret royalIt was nice seeing the characters catch up. Then the next adventure was to begin.Archie is teaching the royals how to get into the Crept. Nothing major happens in this book it's more of a set up book to get the ball rolling however it did take a dramatic turn right at the end of the book. Glad I can read the next one immediately instead of leaving it on a cliff hanger.It'll be interesting to see how this series plays out as I believe it's the last of the Archibald Lox series, so we should finally get some answers.

Good fast

Great book, you can’t end a book like that though. So hyped to read the next one. I have questions and suspicions, though I wonder if they’ll be answered in the next book or the following.

As this book begins the last three installments in the series, I will try to remain spoiler-free. If you have not read any of Shan’s latest series, I highly recommend you check out Book 1 (available for free on Amazon) and see what you’ve been missing. The series begins with Archie skipping school and winding up following a strange girl through a borehole into a world he’s never imagined–the Merge, a world for those killed in the Born (the “real” world). While in the Merge, he doesn’t age, discovers talents he never knew, explores amazing places, and meets some of the nicest (and worst) people that will change the direction of his life forever.Archibald Lox and the Sinkhole to Hell opens several years after Book 1. Archie has grown into a teenager (cocky and overconfident at times, scared and looking for reassurance at others) and developed his lockpicking skills far beyond his master’s. While showing Kojo around, Archie and Inez run into each other, and Archie is dragged (very willingly) into another adventure in the Merge.Despite being filled with old foes, new friends, emerging emotions, and more secrets than a secret society, Book 7 is the tamest of the series so far. It is the lull before the storm. It was great seeing old friends mentioned (a rat never forgets their debts, after all) and fabulous meeting new ones who will see us through to the end, but some events come out of nowhere and feel awkward–however, I know they will have a pivotal role in the last two books because Shan rarely includes something, or someone, for no reason, and I can’t wait to see how they help save the day.Book 7 definitely brings the smiles, chuckles, gasps, burns, and frustrations one can expect from Shan. Leaving Archie, Inez, and Jickey in the predicament they are in was a brilliant move. I can only hope luck is on their side.Every book in the series raises new questions, new possibilities, and new paths Shan could be taking. I cannot wait to see these questions answered and discover whether I’ve been on the right road since last year.Cirque du Freak/The Saga of Darren Shan will always be my favorite Shan series, but Archibald Lox is certainly giving it a run for the title.