Scan barcode
A review by tigerproofrock
The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
I can’t emphasize enough the fatphobia of this book. It’s so intense and out of place. The “evil Queen” is dumb and lazy and a slob and is endlessly described with fat shaming language.
At a technical level, I sincerely believe this is the worst book I’ve ever read (read aloud to my daughter, her pick). The prose is agonizing. The plot is mindless. The world is so vague as to be meaningless. There’s no meaningful character growth.
But the protagonist is somewhat kind and somewhat humble.
It’s main strength is that , especially for a book written in 2002, the white boy protagonist (who finds out he’s part of a special order of time lords or something) isn’t very good at anything, especially strength or violence. But gets paired with a female peer who’s an amazing warrior. And he’s deeply respectful to her. It’s a dynamic I haven’t seen anywhere else. It feels really subversive. And while romantic relationships are part of the plot, their relationship is entirely platonic.
But yeah. The worst prose I’ve ever had to read.
At a technical level, I sincerely believe this is the worst book I’ve ever read (read aloud to my daughter, her pick). The prose is agonizing. The plot is mindless. The world is so vague as to be meaningless. There’s no meaningful character growth.
But the protagonist is somewhat kind and somewhat humble.
It’s main strength is that , especially for a book written in 2002, the white boy protagonist (who finds out he’s part of a special order of time lords or something) isn’t very good at anything, especially strength or violence. But gets paired with a female peer who’s an amazing warrior. And he’s deeply respectful to her. It’s a dynamic I haven’t seen anywhere else. It feels really subversive. And while romantic relationships are part of the plot, their relationship is entirely platonic.
But yeah. The worst prose I’ve ever had to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming and Fatphobia
Moderate: Gore, Slavery, War, Xenophobia, and Violence
Sooo fatphobic