A review by fernfuentes
The Familiar, Volume 4: Hades by Mark Z. Danielewski

5.0

The Familiar is comparable to a marathon, and like with any marathon, the runner must at certain points take a breath. It is for that reason that Hades, the 4th volume in the epic 27 installment series, The Familiar, seems a little wound down; a slow burn if you will. But there's good reason for MZD doing things this way. If you've been reading the series, then by now you've likely noticed that it's made to be formatted like a television show, akin to how [b:House of Leaves|24800|House of Leaves|Mark Z. Danielewski|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1403889034s/24800.jpg|856555] was made in the form of a documentary. That being said, Hades is the penultimate "episode" of Season One, made up of the first five volumes. Much like George R. R. Martin does with A Feast for Crows, MZD has used this volume to begin tying together loose strings. Though Hades may seem a little slower with the exception of some major scenes, its ending left me gasping for air, in serious need to know what happens next to our special characters.