Creatures Of Charm And Hunger (The Diabolist's Library, 3) Paperback – April 21, 2020

It's been a long time since I rationed out a book in order to prolong my enjoyment of it, but that's exactly what I did in this final installment of The Diabolist's Library trilogy.I laughed. I cried. I shook my fist at the bad guys. Every page held a new delight and emotion. The depth of story-telling at the level of the line was exquisite, as was character development. There is nothing not to love about this book.Definitely get it immediately!

Molly Tanzer charmed me with Creatures of Will and Temper, the reimagining of the Picture of Dorian Gray that introduced diabolists to the world. The sequel, Creatures Want and Ruin, was a great follow up. I wish this wasn't the last iteration because the two protagonists open up many new doors that could be explored! This one takes place yet again decades after its predecessor, during the latter parts of WW2. The first book was a neat sword fighting debauchery, the sequel felt like an homage to Lovecraft, and this one has elements of a spy thriller. Very cool to have these very different books taking place in the same universe.

Quick confession- I did not realize this was Book # 3 of the Diabolist’s Library series when I requested it however I do not think the story was heavily reliant on its predecessors so we can just chalk it up to me having a slight “blonde” moment in my arc- requesting.That being said, Creatures of Charm and Hunger was definitely different. Two young girls, envious of each other, forced apart by the deviously dangerous secrets they keep in their journey towards becoming a Diabolist in the renowned societe.The relationship of Jane and Miriam was brilliantly written by Molly Tanzer as she gave us everything- the good, the bad, the ugly and I love when writers bring new dynamics to the writing game. Sure any writer can give us two jealous girls, but Molly gave us envy mixed with love, fear mixed with bravado, lust vs. love, narcissism vs. humility and the harsh realities of religious and cultural segregation.While I loved these characters, creatures of charm and hunger was a LOT to digest. The world of Societe was intricate and descriptive to the point of confusion. I appreciate a well built bookverse as much as the next bookist but this was a plot within a plot within a plot within a plot and oh mama, it was a lot to keep track of. I also found certain areas were exaggerated such as the issue of diabolist vs witchcraft and the decisions made by the girls but other pinnacle areas were given a quick rush through. I know we are setting the stage for the next book in the series but leaving some issues flat without justification isn’t really that great either.Creatures of charm and hunger was definitely different from other paranormal stories out there and would appeal to those looking for new paranormal worlds, secret societies and historical fiction from WWII era.Many thanks to NetGalley, Mariner Books and Molly Tanzer for a providing me with an arc for review.

This book is fantastic. I understand the urge to save the best for last, but I am really sad this series ends here. But it really does end here, the ending is satisfying and the whole series feels wrapped up. Miriam and Jane feel like old friends almost upon introduction, and I will miss these characters as much as I miss some real world friends now that I've finished the book.To the author, WELL DONE, and to the potential reader: Don't miss this one.

A great continuation of this series and I didn't want it to end. Tanzer developed amazing and tragic characters once again. The story captured the mood and power of growing out of adolescence, and explored the personal responsibility in the fight against fascism. Perfect read for a late night. Just one more, please?

During World War II in this alternate universe of "Creatures of Charm and Hunger," the Nazis (always a safe scapegoat) are using the magic of diabolists to ensure that they will be victorious, secretly performing experiments on hapless human subjects in a remotely located castle (as they did in real life in certain concentration camps). Meanwhile, teen friends Jane Blackwell and Miriam Cantor prepare to take the test that will determine whether they will become full-fledged diabolists. Though Miriam appears to pass with ease just as predicted, Jane's results are less certain, and she soon learns that she must conceal this from her mother, Nancy, the head librarian of the Societe des Eclairees and her diabolist sister, Aunt Edith or she will have an unpleasant fate befall her.Following their tests, both girls set to work on their own projects: while Jane is trying to make a broomstick fly, a process that may entail using her pet cat as a familiar as well as contacting the father she has never met, Miriam decides to clear her parents' name, after learning that they have been captured by Nazis but are being smeared by some in the diabolist community. This will entail her sneaking into the castle to uncover its secrets, despite her fear of venturing far from her current home. As Nancy begins acting oddly without a logical explanation, and Edith mounts her own investigation into the workings of the castle, the two girls experience a schism in their friendship, as well as struggle with first crushes and doubts about their abilities, their risks put them in some very dangerous situations, even endangering their guardians, making it questionable at times if they will succeed in their quests.This is the third in a trilogy, but it was easy to pick up the backstory of the diabolists, both good and evil. The pacing was a little too leisurely in the beginning, but the action began to pick up when the girls began experimenting on their own. Both girls are intriguing characters, though sometimes they acted awfully mature for their age, it was easy to attribute that to the time period and what was occurring in Europe. The ending left room for a sequel, which surprised me, as I would have preferred more closure. Still, it was an interesting read.