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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
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
(Alright, this is really the reason I was forced back onto Goodreads after avoiding my duties for months, because it is absolutely worth shouting out.)
I fully loved PGtE (the whole thing) and this review is for the complete web series, one chapter away from finishing, here: https://practicalguidetoevil.wordpress.com/
Snarky YA character? Check. Grumpy-externally, almost-reluctant-to-mentor, seen-as-scary OP teacher? Check. Genre-savviness? Beyond check.
Well-executed interwoven plots, with elements that don't drop off the face of the earth or that you see coming a mile away. Distinct and charming characters, who made me actually laugh with surprising regularity. Well-written. Kind of reminiscent of d&d. For me, there was nothing not to love.
I am thoroughly impressed by this serial, and if anything, wish it were longer (though that won't be the popular opinion). The pacing is surprisingly on-point for such a long series, though there was a bit of slowdown (/power creep?) for me around book 3(?), it really came back once. Every turn felt reasonable, from characters that stepped onto the stage to internal growth trajectory to reactions to events. Book 1 was a lighter intro to the world (more standard fantasy apprenticeship stuff, but done well enough), and I was not super enthused by every fight scene - but books 5 through 7 were so worth the (still quite enjoyable) trek thru 1-4. Sure, there might be a few inconsistencies or holes. I'm honestly not that close a reader to know. I just thought everything came together splendidly, and there was just enough touching on every motif that it felt artfully done, or at the very very least catered to my tastes. And the attention to detail in things like chapter names, worldbuilding via epigraphs... ugh, so many small things just click so well.
But plot/humor/writing aside, why did I enjoy it so much?
I love tropes. I love people playing with tropes. I love the notion of defining a universe based on tropes - or Roles - and that the central conflict is about. I liked seeing how a _very_ lite form of rationality - could develop in a fully alternate universe, without being 4th-wall-breaky in a way that some other works are. While staying fully bounded by the rules of Creation (their universe), the character(s) try to rewrite (or perhaps reimagine) what is allowed – but without just importing the "real world" as we know it.
Okay, summary/reiteration/rehash:
- Yes, the premise (focusing on villains doing things right) is cute, but not a selling point alone.
- The writing is good, but not particularly noteworthy.
- The Proper Noun Magic System is done better than most, and fine.
For me, I guess the actual standout points are:
- Loveable characters / their interactions (they're just the tropes I like)
- The attention to detail (I felt the series' second half was super excellent and convergent in all its plotlines | I liked the first half); it was like the author knew exactly how everything would go down from the writing of the first page
I guess any fantasy series that doesn't have an obvious glaring annoying thing is alright in my book, but this hit all the spots I want fantasy (fiction?) to: not for deep thought, but a not-even-guilty pleasure this past 2ish years.
I fully loved PGtE (the whole thing) and this review is for the complete web series, one chapter away from finishing, here: https://practicalguidetoevil.wordpress.com/
Snarky YA character? Check. Grumpy-externally, almost-reluctant-to-mentor, seen-as-scary OP teacher? Check. Genre-savviness? Beyond check.
Well-executed interwoven plots, with elements that don't drop off the face of the earth or that you see coming a mile away. Distinct and charming characters, who made me actually laugh with surprising regularity. Well-written. Kind of reminiscent of d&d. For me, there was nothing not to love.
I am thoroughly impressed by this serial, and if anything, wish it were longer (though that won't be the popular opinion). The pacing is surprisingly on-point for such a long series, though there was a bit of slowdown (/power creep?) for me around book 3(?), it really came back once
Spoiler
Cat's humanity kicked back inBut plot/humor/writing aside, why did I enjoy it so much?
I love tropes. I love people playing with tropes. I love the notion of defining a universe based on tropes - or Roles - and that the central conflict is about
Spoiler
a fundamental imbalance in the tropes, leaning towards goodOkay, summary/reiteration/rehash:
- Yes, the premise (focusing on villains doing things right) is cute, but not a selling point alone.
- The writing is good, but not particularly noteworthy.
- The Proper Noun Magic System is done better than most, and fine.
For me, I guess the actual standout points are:
- Loveable characters / their interactions (they're just the tropes I like)
- The attention to detail (I felt the series' second half was super excellent and convergent in all its plotlines | I liked the first half); it was like the author knew exactly how everything would go down from the writing of the first page
I guess any fantasy series that doesn't have an obvious glaring annoying thing is alright in my book, but this hit all the spots I want fantasy (fiction?) to: not for deep thought, but a not-even-guilty pleasure this past 2ish years.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you want a Fantasy story about the kind of person who would take a look at the army of Mordor and then inquire about the signing bonus for joining up, this is your book. I've often enjoyed Fantasy stories like this one that focus on a villain's perspective. They tend to be light and fun even when they're dealing with apocalyptic events, and this story delivers exactly that. The protagonist, Catherine Foundling, isn't entirely evil (and neither is the Evil faction in general). However, they are fundamentally selfish, and that seems like the crux of what distinguishes Good from Evil in this setting. Catherine herself soon settles on a problem-solving strategy that boils down to escalating every conflict to the highest possible stakes while creating as much chaos as possible, and then applying dirty tricks to win. She barrels her way through every crisis, often by the skin of her teeth, and usually comes out stronger and ready to jump blindly into an even worse situation.
This is the fifth web serial I've read, and it features a lot of the typical strengths and weaknesses of the medium. On the positive side: The characters are expansive and detailed, with lots of development and growth. The plot moves along at a fast pace, occasionally slowing down to focus in on a climatic moment. The author is clearly responding to feedback, so the faults of the early chapters are addressed later on. On the negative side: No editor has ever touched the work, so there are way more spelling errors, grammatical errors, and small inconsistencies than any published book. Individual chapters can be overly wordy and include digressive rabbit trails that I would expect an editor to cut down. The work is ongoing, and as with any unfinished work there's no guarantee that it will be completed.
This is the fifth web serial I've read, and it features a lot of the typical strengths and weaknesses of the medium. On the positive side: The characters are expansive and detailed, with lots of development and growth. The plot moves along at a fast pace, occasionally slowing down to focus in on a climatic moment. The author is clearly responding to feedback, so the faults of the early chapters are addressed later on. On the negative side: No editor has ever touched the work, so there are way more spelling errors, grammatical errors, and small inconsistencies than any published book. Individual chapters can be overly wordy and include digressive rabbit trails that I would expect an editor to cut down. The work is ongoing, and as with any unfinished work there's no guarantee that it will be completed.
Web-serial that is generally not terrible! Takes place in a world with clear Good and Evil, with the protagonist an orphan in a country that was taken over by an Evil state. She starts her path to become a Villain to help her country, kinda? Complete with a mentor, a short stint at a school, and then some actual war. The morality on any of this is extremely iffy, but if you squint past that, it's decent enough fantasy fast food.
I liked the Roles / Named ones (the superpowered Villains and Heroes), it's going very much all in on archetypes to avoid stereotypes. (Doesn't always succeed, but hey). There's a Black Knight, the Captain, the Ranger, the Scribe (who is the best!), the Lone Swordsman, and so on. Roles are well-known, and can be claimed / evolved. I also liked the explicitly addressed fantasy racism: Orks and gnomes have different cultures from humans (and not just humans-with-funny-teeth, either!), and they have been oppressed in the past, and how their cultures are handled and handle others is a relevant part of the worldbuilding.
Sometimes things got too comedic or roleplay-y for me: The meta commentary about villainous monologues was too cute, and the fact that every Role gets three Powers (e.g. Struggle, Learn) went too far into character sheet directions for my tastes.
What I really liked was the pragmatic approach to everything, spotty though it was. The functional Evil government institutes quotas on assassin kills, regulates black markets, and takes care to bolster its economy (which involves being generally decent to people, in many cases) – which, in turn, will make you think too much about what "Evil" can really mean in this world. (Don't go there!)
I liked the Roles / Named ones (the superpowered Villains and Heroes), it's going very much all in on archetypes to avoid stereotypes. (Doesn't always succeed, but hey). There's a Black Knight, the Captain, the Ranger, the Scribe (who is the best!), the Lone Swordsman, and so on. Roles are well-known, and can be claimed / evolved. I also liked the explicitly addressed fantasy racism: Orks and gnomes have different cultures from humans (and not just humans-with-funny-teeth, either!), and they have been oppressed in the past, and how their cultures are handled and handle others is a relevant part of the worldbuilding.
Sometimes things got too comedic or roleplay-y for me: The meta commentary about villainous monologues was too cute, and the fact that every Role gets three Powers (e.g. Struggle, Learn) went too far into character sheet directions for my tastes.
What I really liked was the pragmatic approach to everything, spotty though it was. The functional Evil government institutes quotas on assassin kills, regulates black markets, and takes care to bolster its economy (which involves being generally decent to people, in many cases) – which, in turn, will make you think too much about what "Evil" can really mean in this world. (Don't go there!)
I very much enjoyed this! Loved how it pokes fun at common tropes and cliches. And the characters are pretty compelling and I want more!
I very much enjoyed this! Loved how it pokes fun at common tropes and cliches. And the characters are pretty compelling and I want more!
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
Solid start, especially when you consider the time period and medium. It's a far cry from EE's current writing and there are issues with some plot that could be culled or thinned, but it's all still interesting and never once I was bored reading it. if you let yourself delve into this series you will breeze through it and become intimate with its diverse cast.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Blood, War
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Ableism, Racism, Rape
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
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:
Complicated