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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
I liked the story better on the Simpsons in "the curse of the flying hellfish"
Intelligent cats, obscenity-loving dolphins, and other ridiculous technology comprise a villain super-business inherent by Charlie when he estranged uncle passes. The former journalist turned substitute teacher has to navigate this new world as his competitors threaten him in a variety of ways
First off, the book is ridiculous and light-hearted. It's an easy read that brings lots of smiles and chuckles (though it is lacking many laugh-out-loud scenes). The characters are mostly simple but likeable.
The plot is fine but a bit vanilla. Most scenes are successful because of the characters rather than a creative or unpredictable plot.
If I had one complaint, it was that you never really see very much of the business itself. What's show is otherworldly villain technologies, but this comes very sparingly and only when relevant to the plot. At one point the volcano lair is attacked by a missile strike, and despite having spy cats, super intelligent dolphins, and a rain making tool that can also destroy any satellite, they don't have a missile defence system?
Overall, it was a good book and a fun read. I enjoyed the characters and the author's writing style. But at times it felt like the world of villainy could have been developed further.
First off, the book is ridiculous and light-hearted. It's an easy read that brings lots of smiles and chuckles (though it is lacking many laugh-out-loud scenes). The characters are mostly simple but likeable.
The plot is fine but a bit vanilla. Most scenes are successful because of the characters rather than a creative or unpredictable plot.
If I had one complaint, it was that you never really see very much of the business itself. What's show is otherworldly villain technologies, but this comes very sparingly and only when relevant to the plot. At one point the volcano lair is attacked by a missile strike, and despite having spy cats, super intelligent dolphins, and a rain making tool that can also destroy any satellite, they don't have a missile defence system?
Overall, it was a good book and a fun read. I enjoyed the characters and the author's writing style. But at times it felt like the world of villainy could have been developed further.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Starter Villain is like being promised a giant lair with sharks and lasers... and getting a moderately sized office with mood lighting and a cat that tolerates you.
It’s fine. Genuinely. The bones of a great, sharp, chaotic villain story are here... but it never quite claws its way to greatness. The start was slow. The ending felt like it tripped over its own shoelaces and just lay there staring at the ceiling tiles.
There are moments of real fun though, the cats are brilliant (Hera especially) and the dolphins were chaotic little agents of nonsense that really did make me grin. But the humour always seemed to hold back at the last second. It wanted to be sharper, weirder, meaner... but didn’t commit. Other than the dolphins, they went there.
Also... full honesty? The whole time I was comparing it (unfairly but unavoidably) to Dungeon Crawler Carl in humour. Charlie Fitzer is like Carl with a faulty sarcasm chip and half the trauma, and once you’ve read DCC, mild banter just doesn’t hit the same.
Would I recommend it? Sure, to people wanting light, quirky, and low-stakes villainy with cats, unionised dolphins and lasers. But if you’re coming from high-chaos, high-emotion books... temper your expectations.
I really did enjoy it in spite of what I have written, I just wanted more.
It’s fine. Genuinely. The bones of a great, sharp, chaotic villain story are here... but it never quite claws its way to greatness. The start was slow. The ending felt like it tripped over its own shoelaces and just lay there staring at the ceiling tiles.
There are moments of real fun though, the cats are brilliant (Hera especially) and the dolphins were chaotic little agents of nonsense that really did make me grin. But the humour always seemed to hold back at the last second. It wanted to be sharper, weirder, meaner... but didn’t commit. Other than the dolphins, they went there.
Also... full honesty? The whole time I was comparing it (unfairly but unavoidably) to Dungeon Crawler Carl in humour. Charlie Fitzer is like Carl with a faulty sarcasm chip and half the trauma, and once you’ve read DCC, mild banter just doesn’t hit the same.
Would I recommend it? Sure, to people wanting light, quirky, and low-stakes villainy with cats, unionised dolphins and lasers. But if you’re coming from high-chaos, high-emotion books... temper your expectations.
I really did enjoy it in spite of what I have written, I just wanted more.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Oh my goodness this is so fun. SO FUN. Irreverent, smart, CATS. I read this in three sittings and my only complaint is that there is not more. Oh boy howdy there is gonna be more Scalzi reading in my future.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Death of parent, Murder
Minor: Cancer, Suicide, Terminal illness
adventurous
funny
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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder
dark
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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:
No
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated