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A review by purplepenning
In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
I do love a science fantasy! (Monk and Robot love forever!) And I probably had oversized hopes for this particular one. It ended up being an enjoyable read that was somewhat marred by bouts of oddly ribald humor and the weight of expectations.
The humor, which was admittedly funny in the author's Extraordinaries books (and, to a lesser degree, in some previous humorous fantasies and contemporaries) felt out of place here. Not all of the humor, of course — there's plenty of Klune's other trademark brands of humor, including a very needy and lovable sentient Roomba with ADHD and a kind-hearted and terrifying caretaker robot who issues threats of pain while displaying pithy remarks. Both hilarious.
As for the unmet expectations, that's mostly on me, but I'm also not sure the story manages to communicate the big truths at its core — the ones about humanity, time, forgiveness, loyalty, hope. It felt a little flat — the characters and plot needed to be rounded out, plumped up, given a few more emotional beats and a few less repetitive gags.
Still... any day reading a robot fantasy by T.J. Klune is a good day.
The humor, which was admittedly funny in the author's Extraordinaries books (and, to a lesser degree, in some previous humorous fantasies and contemporaries) felt out of place here. Not all of the humor, of course — there's plenty of Klune's other trademark brands of humor, including a very needy and lovable sentient Roomba with ADHD and a kind-hearted and terrifying caretaker robot who issues threats of pain while displaying pithy remarks. Both hilarious.
As for the unmet expectations, that's mostly on me, but I'm also not sure the story manages to communicate the big truths at its core — the ones about humanity, time, forgiveness, loyalty, hope. It felt a little flat — the characters and plot needed to be rounded out, plumped up, given a few more emotional beats and a few less repetitive gags.
Still... any day reading a robot fantasy by T.J. Klune is a good day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Grief, Murder, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Excrement, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, and Sexual content
crude, sophomoric humor