holy cow, they liked it

You have to be a subscriber to Kirkus Reviews to see the whole thing (or, y'know, have a publicist who shares it with you) -- but here is a quote from the (ahem) STARRED REVIEW I just received:

Brennan's grasp of period detail is sure, as the Dickensian squalor of most mortal sections of the city has its mirror in the teeming desperation of the Goblin Market. Despite the cast of thousands, many of the characters have real presence, and after a slow start the plot coheres and swirls forward into a series of tense and surprising conclusions. An absorbing finale to a series that has grown richer with every installment.

There's been a general pattern of reviews of the series echoing that last phrase, and I have to say, I'll take that graph, thankyouverymuch. I guess maybe from a sales perspective it would be better to have an amazingly awesome first book, and then tail off afterward (presuming your readership doesn't all vanish), but artistically? Hearing that I've done better with each attempt is very satisfying.