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eesh25's review against another edition
5.0
This series is so much fun. I recently saw an interview/tier list with Sanderson (video here) in which he said that the Alcatraz series was one of the most fun to write. And you can so tell. He puts so much more of himself into the character of Alcatraz. The meta references are amazing.
And because of this writing approach, both books in the series have just been a blast to get through. But getting to the plot, it follows Alcatraz and others as they try to find Grandpa Smedry as he’s gone off on his own little mission of insanity. Bastille is back, but we also have three new characters in the main group. One of them is Bastille’s mother, who you’re not meant to like, and I didn’t. The other two are Smedry family members. I quite liked both of them, especially Alcatraz’s uncle. He was super weird in the best way, yet still managed to be the sanest one in the family.
This installment, like the first, is very well paced. We got some expansion on the world, got to see more weird powers, had an adventure with a great group of characters. But the real charm of this series is definitely the way the story is told, something one might not be used to with Sanderson.
I mean, the story is still great and I love the magic as well, but I don’t think I would love these books as much without Alcatraz’s wacky narration and the meta stuff. One of my favourite scenes is when Alcatraz goes on about his love of swords and says that he would, if he got married, cut his wedding cake with a sword. And, of course, Sanderson actually did that. Oh, and when Alcatraz suggests using one of Sanderson’s huge books to hit people with because that’s apparently all they’re good for. Not to mention his insistent on proving himself a liar using the story.
Sanderson truly embraces the freedom to just troll his readers as much as he wants. And anyone who’s familiar with his YouTube channel knows how much he loves it. That said, I’m also very interested in the plot and looking forward to what will happen next. I’ll be reading the next book very soon.
And because of this writing approach, both books in the series have just been a blast to get through. But getting to the plot, it follows Alcatraz and others as they try to find Grandpa Smedry as he’s gone off on his own little mission of insanity. Bastille is back, but we also have three new characters in the main group. One of them is Bastille’s mother, who you’re not meant to like, and I didn’t. The other two are Smedry family members. I quite liked both of them, especially Alcatraz’s uncle. He was super weird in the best way, yet still managed to be the sanest one in the family.
This installment, like the first, is very well paced. We got some expansion on the world, got to see more weird powers, had an adventure with a great group of characters. But the real charm of this series is definitely the way the story is told, something one might not be used to with Sanderson.
I mean, the story is still great and I love the magic as well, but I don’t think I would love these books as much without Alcatraz’s wacky narration and the meta stuff. One of my favourite scenes is when Alcatraz goes on about his love of swords and says that he would, if he got married, cut his wedding cake with a sword. And, of course, Sanderson actually did that. Oh, and when Alcatraz suggests using one of Sanderson’s huge books to hit people with because that’s apparently all they’re good for. Not to mention his insistent on proving himself a liar using the story.
Sanderson truly embraces the freedom to just troll his readers as much as he wants. And anyone who’s familiar with his YouTube channel knows how much he loves it. That said, I’m also very interested in the plot and looking forward to what will happen next. I’ll be reading the next book very soon.
nic0lereads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
themoonphoenix's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
raiju01's review against another edition
3.0
Barely anything had happened in the first 60-70% of the book. What followed was really nice though
preciousnoodle's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
mightyjor's review against another edition
4.0
4/5 stars
While the book is definitely aimed at a younger audience, I think it also does some things that make it really appeal to adults as well. There's a few fun twists and turns and some clever decisions by our protagonist that save the day. Those are always fun to read about.
Some of the humor was a bit off, but like I said with the first book, it really doesn't bug me in a book written for kids the way it would in a book written for adults. For one, some of the humor in Mistborn and Stormlight tends to be very crude, where this seems more like classic Dad jokes.
The inserts from the narrator are always fun to read and actually make it far more enjoyable I think. There's some 4th wall breaks that I typically don't like, but I think they're ok here.
One thing I love from the book is the ghostly curators that try to trick you into borrowing a book to learn something in exchange for your soul. Theyre just kind of lingering around all the time, waiting for the heroes to mess up somehow. They were a wonderful obstacle for the heroes to deal with and I loved hearing them both try to outsmart the heroes and be outsmarted by them. Cleverness in books always makes me happy.
This was the last one that was included in my audible membership, but I'll probably pick up the next few in the series at a later time.
While the book is definitely aimed at a younger audience, I think it also does some things that make it really appeal to adults as well. There's a few fun twists and turns and some clever decisions by our protagonist that save the day. Those are always fun to read about.
Some of the humor was a bit off, but like I said with the first book, it really doesn't bug me in a book written for kids the way it would in a book written for adults. For one, some of the humor in Mistborn and Stormlight tends to be very crude, where this seems more like classic Dad jokes.
The inserts from the narrator are always fun to read and actually make it far more enjoyable I think. There's some 4th wall breaks that I typically don't like, but I think they're ok here.
One thing I love from the book is the ghostly curators that try to trick you into borrowing a book to learn something in exchange for your soul. Theyre just kind of lingering around all the time, waiting for the heroes to mess up somehow. They were a wonderful obstacle for the heroes to deal with and I loved hearing them both try to outsmart the heroes and be outsmarted by them. Cleverness in books always makes me happy.
This was the last one that was included in my audible membership, but I'll probably pick up the next few in the series at a later time.
tashaseegmiller's review against another edition
5.0
I cannot believe how much I enjoyed this book. The interferences by the author are HILARIOUS - had me laughing out loud several times. I will be purchasing the third when it comes out later this year and recommending them to my students frequently.
zoefruitcake's review against another edition
4.0
Initially it wasn't as good as the first, but once I got into the swing of it I enjoyed it. I like the quirky style, although I'm not sure I would have as a child
ezismythical's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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
3.0
amnezja's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5