Of course it isn’t. This series delights in obfuscation, red herrings, lost and found and lost objects, riddles and other assorted wordplay. Cass is in a coma, Max-Ernest has stopped talking and Yo-Yoji communicates from the beyond—no, he’s not in the spirit world (although that wouldn’t be out of keeping for this series). He’s merely in another country communicating via email with the inexplicably reticent Max-Ernest. So in essence none of the three main protagonists are talking to each other, which wrenches apart the triumvirate supposedly so vital to the book’s sense of urgency. While it’s refreshing not to deal with ME’s constant blurtings, burblings and verbal diarrhea that characterizes his usual speech patterns, I couldn’t help but wonder “why” he’s suddenly not talking. Is it trauma? Hello, it’s Cass in a coma not he; what reason does he have to be traumatized? Is it because Cass was the one to whom he babbled constantly and without her he’s simply mute? The question isn’t satisfactorily answered but then nothing is. However, we are given a clue about the author of this book who labors under the ponderous nom de plume of Pseudonymous Bosch. I am tempted to reveal it here but that would spoil…well, it wouldn’t really spoil anything. Nor does knowing who the author is add to anything. It’s just another meaningless plot twist. Cass journeys back in time to meet her ancestor, a not-so-funny jester, and learns that almost everything she thought she knew about the homunculus Cabbage Face was wrong, too. So we, the readers, have also been misled. There are more “magical” items this time—a lodestone and an enigmatic double lens misnamed as a monocle—but they pass back and forth between so many hands that it’s difficult to keep track of them and I finally gave up in disgust. As always, the unnamed Secret rears its head as various people attempt to uncover it. As usual, it proves to be a wasted effort, leaving the Terces Society, the Midnight Sun cabal and the readers no closer than they were in the beginning. That makes this four books into this five-book series without a proper resolution. Perhaps the best things that could be said about these books is that the appendices include interesting projects for juveniles, such as constructing your own secret codes, recipes and crafts. They are of limited relevance for adults, I fear.

Best book in the series!

BEST SERIES EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This book was formidable*!!! It was cool the way so-called Pseudonymous Bosh added some French into the book. I loved this book better than all the other ones.

P.S.
If you're the author of this book reading this(the so-called "Pseudonymous Bosh") I think in the book you slipped (probably without noticing because apparently don't re-read you're book before publishing) that this story is about your childhood! You're the person that has "Max-Ernest" as stand in for you're name.WEIRD!!!!!!!!! I always though... Oh never mind that!

Omigosh!!! What's the secret?!?!?!?

Not as bad as the previous one. But still pretty wacky and dumb.

There was so many people who wanted to read the book. I was 134 in line out of 54 books. It took so long. But in all the book was worth the wait

AWESOME! AWESOME! AWESOME! I LOVE CHOCOLATE!!!

I love this book!! I like how you could see Cass's thoughts while she was in a coma. It helped you understand the book a lot.

Awesome book! I read the three other books of the series and I find this one`s beginning is a little less attracting then other books but the rest was totally fine! I loved the ending so much! I`m ordering the fifth book soo bad!!! Love series so much!

I really want to read this book the series are AWESOME I can't get enough!