Lockwood & Co.: The Empty Grave

The Empty Grave, the fifth in the Lockwood and Co series, starts strong and never really stops. The team is thrown into situations throughout this whole book. Whether that is fighting a ghost that seems to allure men to their deaths or fighting the Fittes agents themselves, the team never really gets a break. And as always, the characters are amazing throughout with their wit, sarcasm and intelligence. Yes, even the Skull's part in this book is absolutely wonderful and at the end, you'll be glad Lucy kept him around. What I wish they had more of was character moments. There were some wonderful moments between Lockwood and Lucy, especially the scene in the graveyard. However, they were far and few inbetween. Most of the book was focused on what was happening or what was going to happen next, giving very little time for anything else. While that wasn't exactly a bad thing, I just wish more time was given to just have these quiet moments with the characters. The thing that disappointed me the most was that this was the last book. There were so many unanswered questions, so many plot threads left hanging, so many more things they could do with the world and characters. And while they ended it on a very satisfying conclusion, I couldn't help but feel like the story didn't really end. I dont want to leave these characters or this world. I dont want to imagine what happens. I want to read it. But, i'll never get that chance. Although the glimmer of hope that this wasn't the last book was there, as the US marketing team went out of their way to never mention that this was the conclusion, the UK copy of the book clearly says the "Series Finale" on the cover. However, I dont regret the journey or reading these books. The characters are wonderful, the world is terrifying but in a thrilling way, the mysteries and connections are fun to follow. There's humor and heartfelt moments. There's great character interaction and development. They always leave you wanting to read more in the end. This is a great book series that I recommend to everyone and is, by far, one of my favorite series of all time. I'm just sad to see it end when there is so much more still left to tell.

This is an excellent series of five books. While it is billed as YA, and is certainly appropriate for that age-range, there is nothing childish or condescending about Stroud’s writing. It follows the activities of a group of teenaged ghost eradicators in a London where ghosts return from the Other Side to wreak vengeance upon the living. The dynamic is that no one older than 18 can see them, much less fight them. Such activity is dealt with by companies, large and small, that employ legions of adolescent Agents who battle in the night with salt, iron, phosphorous flares and their trademark rapiers. Lockwood & Co. is a smaller agency, eking out a living on the smaller cases. Anthony Lockwood is the owner and leader of the team. Lucy, the Sensitive, can hear the voices of the dead, and George is the researcher of the group, seeking the events of the past that led to the hauntings. They are augmented by a nameless, sarcastic, mouldering skull in a jar, whose voice only Lucy can hear, and whose allegiance and agenda shift with the moment, and Holly, their efficient office manager. Along with the ghosts they seek to lay to rest, the group locks horns with the Agents of bigger, better-funded agencies, and DEPRAC, the new paranormal police force of adults that oversees the teenage Agents’ activities and represents government interests. DEPRAC is personified by the rigid Inspector Barnes whose outlook on Lockwood & Co. transitions throughout the series. Without spoiling the story, suffice to say that the series evolves and culminates in The Empty Grave, wherein secrets are exposed, pillars of society are shown to be something other, and opponents become allies. An outstanding conclusion to an outstanding series, which leaves the door open a crack to the possibility of a sixth volume. In summary, The Empty Grave along with the other books in the series is a great read for young adults and adults in general.

THIS. BOOK. No wait... scratch that ... THIS. SERIES. This entire series made me FEEL so many things. I had no idea when I started these books that I'd be this attached by the end. How am I going to move on after this? *spoiler*: I probably won't. 😭 Even though I had become accustomed to the format of the previous books, I was pleased that there was a slight deviation from the "norm" here. Instead, there was a greater focus on the Problem with the various plots finally converging toward an ultimate resolution. As far as spooky scenes, this book was more on par with "The Whispering Skull" (book 2) as there were a few, but nothing quite as terrifying as the other books had. (And of course, there was at least one staircase involved. 😱) Even without all of the typical scary cases, there was still plenty of action throughout as well as moments where I held my breath because I was afraid of how things might end for these characters. Speaking of the characters… Stroud did an incredible job at creating such memorable and likable characters. As much as I will forever adore the original trio, I loved all of the members of "team Lockwood" by the end of the series. Each one was unique and had something they could contribute to the group. They were completely loyal to each other and fought hard against anyone who was trying to take them down. While I absolutely adore both Lockwood and Lucy independently, they were at their best when they were together. They made a great team and I loved seeing their relationship evolve over the course of this series. They are so precious and I can't believe I have been fangirling THIS HARD over a couple of fictional characters. The humor also remained a high point with the Skull delivering some of the BEST lines. He may seem harsh and insensitive at times - especially with his constant jabs at Lucy or his frequently expressed desire for more violence along with the deaths of everyone he meets - but he ended up being one of the most enjoyable parts of the entire series. Overall, I am quite satisfied with how this ended even though I'm devastated that it's now over. This was such a fantastic series filled with action, excitement, horror, friendship, and humor. I truly can't recommend it enough.

This was a rather satisfying ending to the series. I'm unclear about some of the rules about the Visitors and Gates and the Other Side and so on, but it doesn't really matter. The main relationship was handled nicely, and I did love the subtlety of the not-quite-revelation about Holly. There were a few too many places where our heroes survived entirely by pure luck, but whatever. My only real gripe is that the series was just too long; I think it could have been a really effective and engrossing page-turner of a trilogy. Oh, and I could have done without the constant fat-shaming and body-shaming of George; I mean come ON. But overall this was a fun and enjoyable and gratifying read, and I generally recommend it.

I love this series and am now feeling a post series melancholy. I love the characters and the unique story, and the ghostly and beautiful setting. This wrapped up the series in an exciting, terrifying, and most fulfilling way. What a fantastic series, I read it non-stop, and I would highly recommend it to others. It has everything lovable characters, mystery, plot twists, humor, adventure, action, thrills. It is masterfully written.

This book provides all we could have wanted in the finale. There’s mystery, action, spook factor, and just the perfect amount of closure. A very satisfying ending to a wonderful book series.

Cannot recommend this books any higher. Fun from beginning to end with great characters great stories and wonderful world building.

I'll miss the dynamic of this group of ghost-fighting teens. In terms of pacing, it drops you right in the middle of the action. There were some sentences that gave a small glimpse of the possible future past these books and it does warm my heart to imagine Lucy, Lockwood, George, and yes, even Holly and Quill marching forward and onwards into adulthood not fearing the loss of their talent and adapting to their realities. Similar to the previous 4 books, it doesn't solely focus on the main plotline but also provides a lot of side stories or side jobs over a period of time. In this book, you can definitely see stronger relationships develop between the characters during this time and also during the main plot point. This book is paced really well and there weren't any moments in the book where I thought it was boring or pointless. If you loved the last 4 books and are a fan of the Netflix series, I recommend this last book to close out your Lockwood & Co. reading journey. You won't be disappointed.

I love this series so so much, it's just perfect. One of my absolute favourites of all time. The final book is so utterly satisfying - emotionally gruelling and breathtakingly tense by turns. Incredible!

Un final de la serie Lockwood&Co impresionante!! El año de espera valió la pena y lo disfruté igual que todo el resto de los libros de la saga! La verdad es que empecé a leer la serie para ver si recomendársela a mi hijo y quedé totalmente enganchada. Una saga muy recomendable para todos los amantes del mundo de los fantasmas y de lo oculto, serio y bien escrito, con una trama bien construida y con unos personajes consistentes. La historia se desarrolla en un ambiente "victoriano" muy logrado y, a la vez, el libro aporta unas interpretaciones a fenómenos clásicos muy innovadoras que, estés de acuerdo con ellas o no, hacen que su lectura sea muy divertida. Lo disfruté de la primera a la última página.

Livro ótimo!

Naast de serie zijn deze boeken heel leuk om te lezen omdat je dan nog meer in het verhaal zit en kleine details te lezen krijgt die in de serie niet naar voren komen.

The book arrived well. 5 stars for the purchase