It’s rare when you can say you’ve been with a series almost since the beginning. But I have. I read "Jackaby"
in early 2015, and loved it. Since then I’ve been lucky enough to receive ARCs of the rest of the series including this year’s finale.

It was so, so easy to slip back into this world. It was a bit like coming home. The sass, the love, and the mystery. There was never a dull moment with our beloved gang. As always, there were many scenes with wit to make any Sherlock fan proud. And a mystery to keep you guessing.

The book takes you on a bit of a roller coaster, and I admit I felt all the feels. There are times that were grim and sad, others that were light. Ritter made me care so much for these characters that I was 100% invested in them. Jackaby hasn’t changed very much of the course of the series, but Abigail has. She’s seized control of her life, and gone on so many adventures. She’s brave and kind.

As usual, I shipped Abigail and Charlie. Since book one, I’ve waited for them to get their happy ending. If there’s one thing you should love about this series, it’s the relationships. Abigail and Charlie complement each other and support one another. Abigail and Jackaby push each other for the better. Together, Jackaby, Abigail, Charlie, and Jenny are wonderful.

The book is also about accepting all creatures, and I found that not only relevant but also moving. There’s a lot of tension between creatures and humans in this book especially. I liked how Ritter handled it.

"The Dire King" is a great conclusion to the Jackaby series. I was not disappointed. The only downside for me is that I wish the story had a more solid ending, but it does end on a happy note. But one thing’s for sure, this series has captured my bookworm heart.

Ah, the final installment of the Jackaby Novels. This series was such a treat. Each book built on the last and gave a more in depth look at a character introduced before. True to that formula, this book picks up seamlessly where the third book ended with Jackaby, Abigail Rook and the gang in a very sticky supernatural situation, indeed. Without giving up any spoilers on the books, I will just say that I will miss these characters, but have very much enjoyed their company and can't wait to see what William Ritter cooks up next. For this series, I do highly recommend that you begin with the first book (Jackaby) and work your way forward. And, what a delight to have all four to look forward to!

It is no secret that I have a slight obsession with Sherlock Holmes retellings. There is just something about the Sherlock character and reading other people's takes on the iconic character that absolutely thrills me. William Ritter has taken a paranormal twist on the iconic characters plus maintaining a 19th century setting. Since this is the four and final book in the series I do not want to get into specifics in this review.

However, I want to reiterate how much I love this series and these characters. Jackaby is witty and always thinking and planning. Abigail is the pragmatic side kick who can always be counted on to ensure we are following the story and Jackaby. Then you have all the side characters like Charlie, Douglas, and Jenny. I really loved how in this series each book focused on one character and figuring them out. We had Abigail's personal growth, Jenny's story, and we also learn more about Jackaby.

This final book was incredibly well written and I'm sad the story is over. I would love to get more from these characters and see what they continue to get up to in the future. I also wanted a green Douglas cover! I cannot wait to see what William Ritter comes up with next and will definitely pick up other books he writes!

I was sad to sit down read what I knew would be the final volume but at the same time I know all good things must come to an end and the way this story ends was satisfying and kind of perfect. I can't figure out a way to explain more without spoilers, but I can say that William Ritter continues to write thoughtful characters who say profound things you'll end up highlighting and reflecting back on later.

Mystery, action, romance, mythical creatures of all origins--if your patrons are into all of these you can safely hand them Jackaby and get them hooked on this series. And if a fan approaches you and asks if the final book holds up to their gold standard for the series you can hand them The Dire King with confidence.

I've been a Jackaby fan since I cataloged the first book, was intrigued, checked it out, read it, and immediately started recommending it to patrons and staff and even family. William Ritter once pointed out on Twitter to Libba Bray that I'd blogged about Jackaby as the perfect book to wait out her long pauses between new books (this was during the years between The Diviners & its sequel) and you know what? I still recommend Jackaby out of the blue and also when folks are waiting around for other authors to meet deadline.

Love this series! The Dire King does not disappoint; the worst part is knowing that it is the end of the series. Quirky characters, impossible situations that happen anyway (and somehow don't seem impossible), and wry humor throughout make this an engaging reading adventure. I truly hope Mr. Ritter comes up with something equally entertaining for his next project.

"Jackaby took a deep breath, his face leaden. And then he made a deal with the devil."

This final installment in the Jackaby series probably sits somewhere in the 2.5 star range for me. There were things I liked and things I didn't like.

The best part about this novel, as well as the previous three, is Jackaby himself. He has such a snarky attitude that makes him hilarious. He and Abigail have some great banter during portions of the novel. I just wish there had been more of that. More of the main characters from all of the preceding novels in general would have been nice.

I was rather disappointed by the overall tone of this novel. The others were so much fun as Abigail and Jackaby, along with their friends, solved paranormal mysteries. All of those came together for the overarching plot, which was the focus of the novel. And I found it rather lacking. The fun of the others was not as present here. There would be bursts of the same humor and tone, but they never seemed to last long. There was also an influx of new characters that I never felt I got to know or understand. They seemed to pop up to further the plot, without having any other purpose.

The final conclusion was satisfactory enough but I still didn't feel fully satisfied. There were little questions I had through the series that were never answered or seemed outright ignored. I had fun while reading it, but never really felt invested.

"We do not survive because we're strong--we become stronger the more we survive."

Throughout the whole series I have been impressed with Ritter's writing, and that held up here. He really has a way with words. And it feels like an older novel, more fitting of the setting. I do look forward to trying future works of Ritter's.

Overall this was just an ok conclusion to the series. I would definitely still recommend them, particularly the first one, but I think that Ritter could have tweaked a few things to make this a stronger ending. Still, it ended with great promise for our loved characters. All of the biggest questions were answered and a good idea was given for future events.

Perfect ending to a fantastic series. Full review on Goodreads.

I have enjoyed this entire series and I was more than excited to get my greedy hands on an early copy of this book.

As always, Jackaby and the gang are delightful. There's all sorts of banter and magic and baby swoons. Of course there is an epic battle because it's the last book and everything has reached it peak...

...I refuse to spoil things, but know that I was screaming at a couple of things that happened. Things I definitely wasn't expecting. Some were amazing, some were heartbreaking.

It's one hell of a way to end a series.

**Huge thanks to Algonquin Young Readers for providing the arc free of charge**

So, here we are with the last book in the Jackaby series. It was both thrilling and bittersweet to read this book. It's always sad when a series end. I would recommend reading this series from the beginning and not read this one without having read the previous three books. In many ways is it one story that has taken place over four books.

What I loved about this book and the whole series are the quirky characters, the humor, and the mysteries. The Dire King has several funny moments, often thanks to Jackaby, who in many ways reminds me of a younger Sherlock Holmes. Which makes Abigail Rook his Watson. And, yeah she does play her sidekick role very well, adding balance to Jakaby more eccentric ways. Storywise is this book just as good as the previous books and I quite liked the twist at the end of the book. It felt very suiting like everything has been leading to this and I do hope, despite this being the last in this series, perhaps to see the characters in a new series one day? *puppy eyes*

The Dire King is an easy-going and well-written book and I recommend it warmly!

I started reading this as soon as I got the email that I could. This book was fantastic! Everything is so unpredictable in this series and it just makes it so fun to follow. This was a fitting end to a wonderful series, but I would still like more!!!

I really wish I had been able to read The Dire King immediately after reading Ghostly Echoes, just for the sake of continuity. Is it every bit as fun and witty as the other Jackaby books? Yes. Are some mysteries solved? Yes. Are some questions answered? Yes, but not all. Is Douglas still a duck? Yes. Yes he is. Did The Dire King live up to my expectations? Well, nothing ever lives up to my expectations, so that's not really a fair question. But still, I felt as though I were missing something in The Dire King. It didn't feel like a finale. Maybe that's wishful thinking on my part - I'd love to read books 5, 6, 7, 8, 9... - but it didn't hit me like the final book of a series should. Maybe it would've been if I had just waited and binged on all four books like I wanted to last year, but maybe it's just the weirdness of reading a final book long after binging on the first three (plus a short story). Or perhaps it’s because series finales never ever live up to the hype the fans create around them (looking at you, Sherlock series finale). Either way, I still loved The Dire King. It’s fast-paced, exciting, and every bit as clever as the first three-and-a-half books. The three-book buildup to the massive battle against the evil Unseelie and the Dire King finally pays off, so if you’re a fan of the series, you won’t be disappointed. If you’re not a fan, please don’t read the fourth book first, that’s a terrible idea.

In all, I really just don’t want The Dire King to be the end. I desperately need a spin-off series. This cannot be the end. Please don't let this be the end. Please? I need to know more about what happens to Abigail and Charlie, I need to know if we’ll ever find out what in God’s name the R.F. in R.F. Jackaby stands for! If that was a question you were hoping book 4 would answer...uhm...I’ve got some bad news...

Funny thing about egalley copies from Netgalley, though: they’re uncorrected proofs, so...the books aren’t done yet. The kindle egalley for The Dire King was riddled with grammatical errors and little glitches in formatting and in the text, it was annoying as hell. Fingers crossed that all gets fixed before the August 22 release.