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I really wish loop theory had been better thought out, or better described. So, when they leave Cairnholm in the first book, we are told that the loop will close without a ymbryne to maintain it. So, then, how is it that all these untended and forgotten loops are still open? The library of souls loop itself, OK I can buy that, it's a special one, but the one in Italy where the mapmaker was hanging out? Do ymbrynes go routinely through to visit Devil's Acre or the punishment loops to make sure they're still functional? I just feel like this is a hole in the theory (or the explanation of it).
Also, on another note, the hollows. The disaster happened in 1908, right, and according to Bentham, five years later Caul/Jack had eaten enough peculiars that he became a wight. This book is happening modern day, so it's been a solid century since then. Lots of hollows have become wights, and lots of hollows have been killed during WWII and along they way by Abe. So do hollows reproduce somehow? If not, do hollows and wights not age? Because until recently hollows couldn't enter loops. So the hollows running around are all 100+ years old? And, considering how quickly Caul/Jack was able to eat his way through peculiars to level up to wighthood, are we then to assume that the hollows that are still left all genuinely suck at being hollows, since they haven't been able to level up in over a hundred years of searching for peculiars to eat, even with wightly assistance? And if these are the same hollows that were created in the 1908 disaster, then holy crap how many peculiars were involved in that, if there are still a ton of wights and hollows around a hundred years later? Again, I just feel like this is a hole in the chronology and the plot logic.
Finally, I loved the ending - I read it twice - but what a deus ex machina, man. Suddenly the problem that bothers our heroes for the duration of the entire series is just resolved. With no one really understanding how or why it was possible, it's just a "side effect" of the loop closure. I felt a little let down, despite getting to see these characters get the happy ending they deserved. But overall, again, really enjoying the series, and really enjoying looking for the plot holes because there's so much that's fun to think about here.
Also, on another note, the hollows. The disaster happened in 1908, right, and according to Bentham, five years later Caul/Jack had eaten enough peculiars that he became a wight. This book is happening modern day, so it's been a solid century since then. Lots of hollows have become wights, and lots of hollows have been killed during WWII and along they way by Abe. So do hollows reproduce somehow? If not, do hollows and wights not age? Because until recently hollows couldn't enter loops. So the hollows running around are all 100+ years old? And, considering how quickly Caul/Jack was able to eat his way through peculiars to level up to wighthood, are we then to assume that the hollows that are still left all genuinely suck at being hollows, since they haven't been able to level up in over a hundred years of searching for peculiars to eat, even with wightly assistance? And if these are the same hollows that were created in the 1908 disaster, then holy crap how many peculiars were involved in that, if there are still a ton of wights and hollows around a hundred years later? Again, I just feel like this is a hole in the chronology and the plot logic.
Finally, I loved the ending - I read it twice - but what a deus ex machina, man. Suddenly the problem that bothers our heroes for the duration of the entire series is just resolved. With no one really understanding how or why it was possible, it's just a "side effect" of the loop closure. I felt a little let down, despite getting to see these characters get the happy ending they deserved. But overall, again, really enjoying the series, and really enjoying looking for the plot holes because there's so much that's fun to think about here.
