Scan barcode
ventenne's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
middlegame is a hard feat to match but i loved the expansion of the universe and a glimpse into how the incarnate doctrine turned out!!
note to self:pacing at the end was a little rushed and the events occurring at that point felt fairly anticlimactic…
note to self:
mforsyth's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
leandrea's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
madeye93's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
youngthespian42's review
4.0
I liked the first book a little bit more, but the two main characters definitely grew on me. The world that is built between these two books is fascinating. I ever want to read the Children’s books referenced in these two novels.
deven_c's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
christopherward's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jenhurst's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this. I could not put it down and I was so enthralled by this book.
I found middlegame to be good like a 3-3.5 stars. Whereas this is way better and a solid 4.5 stars. I adored the magic system and how well thought out the book was. I just wanted to explore more of the world and find out about the characters and the world. I liked the inclusion of her Baker stories and how they were discussed more in the books. Roger/Doger were there for fan service and I loved it.
My own complaint is that I wish we had more of the competition, it felt like we were building up to it and then I was just let down by it not being a part of the story.
I found middlegame to be good like a 3-3.5 stars. Whereas this is way better and a solid 4.5 stars. I adored the magic system and how well thought out the book was. I just wanted to explore more of the world and find out about the characters and the world. I liked the inclusion of her Baker stories and how they were discussed more in the books. Roger/Doger were there for fan service and I loved it.
My own complaint is that I wish we had more of the competition, it felt like we were building up to it and then I was just let down by it not being a part of the story.
okevamae's review against another edition
4.0
Seasonal Fears is set in the same world as Seanan McGuire’s previous novel, Middlegame. It follows childhood sweethearts Melanie and Harry as they learn the secrets of a hidden world of magic and embark on a dangerous quest for the one thing that can save both their lives and fulfill their destinies: becoming Winter and Summer Incarnate.
As with the previous book, Seasonal Fears is beautifully written and centers around some concepts that can be a little hard to grasp – in this one, it’s humans as the embodiments of seasons – but it has interesting characters and a plot that will keep you entertained. Just be prepared, especially in the beginning, for a lot of conversations that are a little hard to follow, complete with characters commenting that what other people are saying doesn’t make sense. I didn’t like Seasonal Fears as much as Middlegame, but it’s still worth the effort to stick with it.
One thing was very confusing, though. I kept hoping something would explain it, but nope. As far as I can tell it’s just a mistake that made it past the edit. I did read the ARC, though, so maybe it was corrected?
Representation: Latino side character (Literally, that seems to be it. Disappointing, as McGuire is usually better at representation than this.)
Overall it’s a 4-star read, which I’d bump down to 3.5 because of the apparent continuity error and the lack of diversity, but then round back up to 4 because I liked it more than I didn’t.
CW: child abuse and neglect, gore
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
As with the previous book, Seasonal Fears is beautifully written and centers around some concepts that can be a little hard to grasp – in this one, it’s humans as the embodiments of seasons – but it has interesting characters and a plot that will keep you entertained. Just be prepared, especially in the beginning, for a lot of conversations that are a little hard to follow, complete with characters commenting that what other people are saying doesn’t make sense. I didn’t like Seasonal Fears as much as Middlegame, but it’s still worth the effort to stick with it.
One thing was very confusing, though.
Spoiler
Summer, while speaking to Harry, said that he was William Monroe for three hundred years. Wasn’t Monroe Winter, and Diana was Summer? Or was Monroe effectively both, since he kept the Summer Queen locked away? If that’s the explanation, it definitely was not made clear. Super confusing.Representation: Latino side character (Literally, that seems to be it. Disappointing, as McGuire is usually better at representation than this.)
Overall it’s a 4-star read, which I’d bump down to 3.5 because of the apparent continuity error and the lack of diversity, but then round back up to 4 because I liked it more than I didn’t.
CW: child abuse and neglect, gore
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
tigerlillymelody's review against another edition
3.0
I really struggled with Middlegame, but there were things that were strong enough about the concept and McGuire's writing - plus my own completionist tendencies and enjoyment of the companion Up and Under books - that convinced me to pick up the sequel and I'm glad I did. If you struggled to understand the concepts, timeline, and theories of the first book, this book explains them a lot more clearly and I definitely recommend picking it up if you need help untangling Middlegame. That being said, if you didn't like Middlegame AT ALL, this book is still probably not for you.