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A review by cassiealexandra
Middlegame by Seanan McGuire
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.75
This was an odd choice for me, a book that I bought for the cover and because I had store credit at the used bookstore. I ended up loving it. It had an interesting combination of Frankenstein and Wizard of Oz. It had twins who can communicate through a link in their minds. It had well-developed characters, despicable villains, and lots of adventure, intrigue, and action. I loved the relationship between the siblings and their quest. As a central California native, the settings of UC Berkeley and the Sutro Baths were familiar and vivid.
This was a long read, and there were a couple times when it felt slow, but I still had very few issues. I started this in print in July and it wasn’t “working” at the time, so when I picked it up again, I decided to change to audio. The narration was fantastic and I could not recommend it more highly. I think the alchemy and details might have been frustrating to me or I might have gotten lost in them with a print read, but the audio made that easier for me.
I love being surprised when reading. This is one of those books that took me by surprise, not in the plot but in what an absolute pleasure it was to read. I see more Seanan McGuire in my future.
The bottom line: Read this if you want a strange and delightful mixture of science fiction, urban fantasy, and contemporary with nods to Frankenstein, The Midwich Cuckoos (new TBR for me), and The Wizard of Oz.
— NOTES —
Genres: urban fantasy, science fiction
POV: 3rd-person, multiple
— MY RATING CONSIDERATIONS —
(all out of 5)
Pace: 4
Enjoyment: 5
Craft: 5
My Gut Feeling: 5
Total Stars: 4.75
This was a long read, and there were a couple times when it felt slow, but I still had very few issues. I started this in print in July and it wasn’t “working” at the time, so when I picked it up again, I decided to change to audio. The narration was fantastic and I could not recommend it more highly. I think the alchemy and details might have been frustrating to me or I might have gotten lost in them with a print read, but the audio made that easier for me.
I love being surprised when reading. This is one of those books that took me by surprise, not in the plot but in what an absolute pleasure it was to read. I see more Seanan McGuire in my future.
The bottom line: Read this if you want a strange and delightful mixture of science fiction, urban fantasy, and contemporary with nods to Frankenstein, The Midwich Cuckoos (new TBR for me), and The Wizard of Oz.
— NOTES —
Genres: urban fantasy, science fiction
POV: 3rd-person, multiple
— MY RATING CONSIDERATIONS —
(all out of 5)
Pace: 4
Enjoyment: 5
Craft: 5
My Gut Feeling: 5
Total Stars: 4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Murder, Suicide attempt, Gore, and Violence