Enjoyed the whole series! Great world building, character development, and plotlines. I have this set on my shelves for my students.

Very much enjoyed the series, and was happy that the final book did not disappoint. Sad the series is over now.

Well..... Definitely not the best of the bunch. I was actually pretty disappointed in this book. The only redeeming thing was the amazingly talented Nicola Barber narrating the audiobook.

Loved the entire series. Admittedly, this final chapter wasn't the strongest of the quadrilogy. However, all plot lines converged, were adressed - dramatically - and all my 'ships came sailing in.
I'd recommend to fans of the Sherlock series, Urban fantasy fans of The Dresden files or Rivers of London, or Steampunk fans.
I especially liked that the two main characters did NOT have a romantic relationship.
Also, a pond on the third floor of the house.
Quirky, fun, and clever. $ stars for this particular title, 5 for the series overall

This story drew me in immediately and I couldn't stop reading!

The story begins with the aftermath of an intrusion into the house. Doors demolished and figures smashed. The creature who caused the havoc locked up in a cage. Jackaby and Miss Rook quickly tend to daily routine and clean things up because they have a meeting to attend with King Arawen. Before they can leave a haggard old man stumbles in collapsing in the doorway and mumbles some important things. He gives them a dire task before breathing his last breath but they can't ignore the meeting with the King. Little do they know the two are intertwined.

Don't want to give anything else away but I'm so excited to read the full version!! Magic and supernatural with a charming detective and his companion.

This book was given to me by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A great series. This one looks to be a terrific wrapup, but I will be sad to see it end. Such as exciting and unique premise. Ritter does such a wonderful job of creating a world in language that makes it so easy to visualize the people and places. Really special!

The Dire King is such a fantastic conclusion to William Ritter's series. It's always a lot of fun to be back at 926 Augur Lane with these beloved characters. The stakes are appropriately high (as in end-of-the-world high) for the grand finale, and yet, the book still feels personal and maintains its humor. But, believe me it will break your heart a little too. Oh, I'm sad to let this series go. Here's why.

1. R.F. Jackaby
R.F. Jackaby is a detective of sorts who specializes in weird and unexplained occurrences. Most of New Fiddleham thinks that Jackaby is pretty weird and barely tolerable, but its his quirk that makes him such a fun character. Jackaby is smart and clever and incredibly funny in a Sherlock Holmsian kind of way. In other words, he is 100% serious about all the weird things he says and does.


2. Abigail Rook
I seriously adore Abigail. She is a fantastic narrator, and I just love her adventurous spirit. I mean, the series starts off with Abigail running away from home because she wanted to be a paleontologist. Always plucky and resourceful, Abigail will befriend ghosts and shapeshifters and journey to Hell and the Fairy Realm. She's not your average gal.


3. Jackaby and Abigail
Okay, as much as I love Jackaby and Abigail in their own right, what I really, really love is the two together. You don't see duos like this very often in YA literature. When I first started the series I thought that there was going to be some kind of romance between the two, but I quickly realized that Jackaby is substantially older than Abigail and this a mentorship. And I love that! Abigail and Jackaby's professional relationship is quite endearing. Also, because Abigail is scientifically minded, especially at the beginning of the series, the exchanges between these two can be rather hilarious.


4. 926 Augur Lane
Jackaby's house is just the best! It's messy and cluttered and full of weird objects. It's home to a duck who has his own pond on the third floor and who was formerly Jackaby's assistant. Plus the house is haunted. New surprises arise at 926 in every book. It was a joy to spend so much time there in the final book.


5. Jenny Cavanaugh
Jackaby's house is really Jenny's house. She is the resident ghost, and she allows, or should I say tolerates, Jackaby's presence. The mystery behind Jenny's death ten years prior was one thing that really kept me reading because it's impossible not to like Jenny. Jenny's growth over the series is definitely one of the highlights for me.


6. New Fiddleham
The Jackaby Series is a historical urban fantasy set in the fictitious New England town of New Fiddleham (I love that name). I really like the historical aspect of the story and the way the language helps set the stage, time-frame wise.


7. The Magical Creatures
No one does mythical creatures quite like William Ritter. I love the variety of creatures and the mixture of sources from dragons, to fae, to Greek mythology. Some creatures are scary, some are clever, some are kind. And a bunch are really funny. In the last book, especially, the conflict between the magical and the humans calls attention to issues of hypocrisy, tolerance, and prejudice.


8. The Mysteries
Each book in the series has its own mystery, as well as thread of a larger story. Which, in my mind, is the ideal way to frame a series. I started to get a sense of this larger picture in book 2 and with the subsequent books we got deeper and deeper into the big problem.


9. The Humor
I have mentioned one or five times that I think these books are funny? This isn't hit-you-over-the-head funny. It's a subtle humor that has quite a bit of wit. Just my thing.

I am so excited to finish this book. The Jackaby novels are amazing and fabulous. Ritter is such an amazing author.

The Jackaby series is just marvelous. Is it an homage (or perhaps one might use a stronger word here) to Sherlock Holmes? Undoubtedly. But the worldbuilding of the beasties and ghosties in Jackaby's universe is a worthy overlay onto the brilliant antisocial detective schtick. Loved the preview for this book, and can't wait to read the rest!

Thank you to Netgalley, Algonquin Young Readers and William Ritter for the preview excerpt I was provided.

The Dire King is the 4th installment in the Jackaby series.  This review is based on the first six chapters that I read. I did enjoy this excerpt and I would buy the book to finish reading this story. It is a quick read and flows well. The characters feel comfortable and familiar. The main character, R. F. Jackaby is remarkably reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes. In addition, Jackaby's assistant, Abigail Rook plays the role of a female Watson perfectly. I appreciate the imagination that it takes to bring a Sherlock-esque character to life in a paranormal mystery. It is remarkably creative. 

The only problems I have with this novel, I believe, arise as a consequence of not reading the first three books. For example, I am unfamiliar with some of the creatures, such as "nixies." Subsequetly, I think I would have enjoyed this book more had I read the previous novels first and I do plan to do so before finishing the rest of this book.

I gave this book a three because I did enjoy what I read. However, I will go back and read the other books and then review this one again in order to give a review that is more detailed and fair.

I have read and thoroughly enjoyed the previous books in this series and this excerpt for Mr. Ritter's latest book was no different. I am looking forward to the release of this new book in the series.

I can hardly wait for the release of this book so I can read it in its entirety.

I love this series and I'm so happy that I got to have a sneak peek of the last book! 5 chapters were definitely not enough but I can already tell it's going to be an absolutely amazing ride and I'm so excited to see how the story ends!

The Jackaby stories just keep getting better. What I've just finished is a Sneak Peek of the book. The plot just takes off at a gallop with familiar characters and new surprises that the Jackaby series offer. I can't wait until the book gets published!

I received a copy of this sneak peek from Algonquin Young Readers through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

First of all, it should be mentioned that this is the 4th book in a series. I didn't realize that when I got the sneak peek (I can be a bit oblivious at times), or when I started reading it, although there were some clues in the story to indicate that it might not be the first book. That being said, I didn't feel like I needed to read the previous three books to understand what was happening, even at the beginning of this particular tale. I may go back and read them now though because this sneak peek has me absolutely intrigued about the world that Mr. Ritter has created.

Obviously I'd have a much better understanding of this particular world if I had already read the first three books, so there are some details that I'm a little bit fuzzy on right now. There's a good chance that many of them will be cleared up in this book itself, although I cannot say for sure. It just doesn't spend the first five chapters straight up world building, which is a good thing, because the action and mystery that were the focus of the first few chapters helps to draw you into the story.

I'm struggling a little to keep some of the creatures and their names straight at the moment (but that's a me problem I think). That being said, I'm currently not a fan of Arwan (?) the king of the fairies (?). He seems like a pretentious jerk, but I have a feeling he'll get his comeuppance before this tale is through. I'd really like to see that, so I'm probably going to have to buy this book at some point to finish reading it, just in the hopes that my prediction comes to pass.

Would I buy this book on release day? No because I'm the kind of person that likes to read whole series (although I rarely seem to, and I often read them out of order), and since I haven't read the previous three books yet and won't have had time to do so before release day, there is no reason for a release day purchase on my part. It is going on my wish list though for future consideration when time and finances allow.

One of the most fun YA series at the moment. I cannot wait to read the rest of the concluding book. Excellent beginning.

Just can't get enough of the Jackaby stories! The characters are quirky and well-developed, making it easy to love, hate, or feel at least a little bit of something toward them. The writing flows in a carefree manner, but is meticulously planned and executed. The sneak peek of The Dire King is a cruel teaser of what is to come; can't wait to read it in its entirety!

The Jackaby Series is one of my favorite series ever - I've been desperate for The Dire King ever since I tore through Ghostly Echoes last year. This preview only heightened my excitement, and my poor dog was frightened by my sudden "NO!" when I reached the end of the preview and, no matter how hard I clicked, the page just wouldn't turn. I am so so so excited for the rest of this book.

Also, bonus points for William Ritter being a fellow Oregonian. Woo, Oregon writers!

I really like this authors writing. I have read Jackaby by him but did not realize there would be more books. Only getting a sneak peak was sort of a bummer and I will wait until the full book comes out to see what happens.

I adore these books, and was so excited to get to read an excerpt from the new one! The tension is building with the introduction of the Dire King. I can't wait to read the whole thing.