2.5 stars. This rating feels harsh but there was some oomph missing that's preventing me from saying "I guess I liked it *enough*" and letting it have 3 stars
This was just fine and that was the issue. It's not a bad book but it failed to raise any sort of meaningful level of excitement. The mystery building in the timeline set in the past failed to go anywhere or deliver any intrigue, and the climax of the current timeline just ended up fizzling and resolving in a way that was disappointing. It was a shame because I had such high hopes, and this wasn't necessarily a bad book. It had an interesting premise and a gorgeous cover and there were parts that had promise but they just amounted to nothing now that I think about it. The lore and mystery and almost-supernatural ambience surrounding the spiders failed to reach the heights it could have. Tension that Miss Fielding brought was lacklustre and under-utilised. Henry and Sir Edward could have had a more interesting depth and it was tantalising at first but then fell so flat along with Sir Edward's involvement in the final climax just disintegrating. The ending for Henry felt weak and I never really believed in his convictions. Never a good sign either when you take a break in the middle of reading for a couple of months.