aphelionconnection's review

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adventurous dark emotional sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Not only an amazing and expansive glimpse into the life of Lucian before Molly, but also an incredible retelling of key moments from Campaign 2 from a different perspective. 
There is a fairly major shift in tone at a certain point in the book, and my rating of 4.75 reflects that the parts before that shift are at a 4.5, and the parts after are hands down 5.0.
Consequently however, due to both MAJOR spoilers, and the context therein, having completed Critical Role: Campaign 2 is mandatory to make the most out of this wonderful book.

Long may be reign.

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queenofthefae's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense

5.0


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modernathos's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

"I want to thank Matt Mercer and Taliesin Jaffe [...] for allowing me the space to get weird." - Madeleine Roux, acknowledgements.

That quote is the only way I can possibly describe this book in one sentence.

I have to be honest and say that I nearly DNF'd this book several times over in the first 120 or so pages. The world-building felt lacking to me, the time jumps were weird and I would have loved for certain events that were only mentioned - like how exactly Lucien and Cree joined the Claret Orders - to have been explained instead of skipped over. However, when the first patterns of Nine/nein started to drop, the stakes started to get bigger and Vess DeRogna was introduced, the pace and plot got going and it was absolute madness until the very end in all the best ways.

The Nine Eyes of Lucien gives quite a wonderful insight in Lucien's life before he became the Nonagon, and how becoming the Nonagon and his connection with the Somnovem changed and ultimately destroyed him.

Roux's writing style is unique in a way that is perfect for a world like Exandria, and the way certain (lore-heavy) chapters are formatted pulls the reader further into the story.
For example, in the "in-between" chapters, in which Lucien is dead but not yet Mollymauk or Kingsley, the reader is suddenly addressed as "you", and so is essentially placed in Lucien's body and mind in a way that is more intense than a first person perspective.


I can't say that I personally recommend this book to those who are not familiar with the on-stream events that the story is based off, as I think the lore and world-building might be too confusing and don't think I could have followed the first +-150 pages had I not been familiar with the story. However, I have read reviews of plenty of people who read the book and were not familiar with Critical Role, but could follow it perfectly. So, by all means, if this book intrigues you, pick it up!

Long may he reign.

Rep: genderfluid MC, bi-/pansexual MC, non-binary character (all pronouns), lesbian characters, gay characters.
January 2nd, 2023 - January 15th, 2023.


"But life is never like dreams, is it?" - Lucien Tavelle, chapter 10.

"Pain and pain and pain. A dear price for a man,
A pittance to a King,
And nothing to a God, cosmically ordained."
"Am I God or King?" he asked.
"Long may you reign." - chapter 22.

"Perhaps fourth time's the charm." - unknown, chapter 41.

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ashleyshawpaw's review

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adventurous dark fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

You will absolutely not understand this book unless you are familiar with campaign 2 of Critical Role.

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moosetheobtuse's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Good read for those familiar with Campaign 2. Wouldn't recommend for those new to Critical Role.

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lamoralibrary's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A massive thank you to Penguin Random House and Del Rey for giving me a finished copy of this book to review!

This book is a love letter to Lucien, the proclaimed most charming villain in Critical Role, chronicling his never before explored youth and first encounter with the ruins of Aeor and the Somnovum, as well as a closer exploration of his time post-resurrection as the main villain of The Mighty Nein's final arc.

Primarily, I absolutely adored exploring his past and learning about his childhood, including his friendship with Cree, among others. I loved Mollymauk during his brief stint in Campaign 2, and always felt it was a shame his death meant Lucien could not be explored to his fullest, but Nine Eyes of Lucien is the answer to that, giving us such a deep insight into his character, as well as his similarities to Molly, which of course Lucien does not want to accept. Lucien becomes even more dimensional, and with deeper understanding of his circumstances and the presence of his inner monologue, even becomes sympathetic. I did enjoy rooting for him for at least part of the book!

The formatting of the print book was also a treat to read in how it helps to portray Lucien's descent to madness. A bit hard to describe, but I'm sure once you've read the book you'll understand and agree with me!

This book is an absolute treat for fans of Campaign 2, Lucien or Mollymauk, and I'm sure anyone in those categories will enjoy this as much as I did. Even those unfamiliar with Campaign 2 of Critical Role will likely be able to enjoy the book, as enough context is provided, however there are many callbacks and references to things purely for fans which elevate the whole experience. For those who loved the Aeor arc and wanted to know more about Cognouza, this book is littered with lore, and the fast pace of the book allows you to relive the arc in a more snappy, but still equally hard hitting way. 

So, yes, I loved this book and can't wait to enjoy it again in audiobook format with the talents of the lovely cast! Thank you to Madeleine Roux for treating these characters with such care and bringing them to life on page, and to Matt and Taliesin for sharing them with us in the first place. The book releases November 1 and I hope you will love it as much as me! 

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