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bluexy's reviews
49 reviews
The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook by Matt Dinniman
3.0
Second half of the book really cooked. First half of the book got a bit carried away with itself, though I didn't dislike what I read so much as wanted more from it. It was more like a man journaling his experiences playing an MMO, richly detailed and fun but hardly a page-turner. Second half of the book was, quite literally, a series of increasingly large explosions. More than that, it was a series of conflicts that punched home the book series' themes of anticapitalism and human nature. It's not high art, by any means. But I enjoy reading these books. They're thoughtful and very entertaining.
Witch King by Martha Wells
4.5
I wrapped up Martha Wells' Witch King! I think it's an incredibly beautiful story. Very post-Tolkein fantasy in the vein of Tamsyn Muir and NK Jemisin (and others, I'm sure). Casual embrace of non-Abrahamic gender and sexuality dynamics. Exploration of identity, generational trauma, pain, strength, weakness -- just a very clearly personal undertaking from Wells. And in that, it is outstanding.
It has an epic fantasy backdrop of war and magic and clashing cultures. Thematically, it takes place as the world heals from the war, when wounds are still healing and scars still itch. If Witch King has a failing, it's that this dynamic of clashing past and present doesn't fully come together to deliver a single driving narrative, its structure isn't built tradionally. That doesn't make it inherently worse, but it doesn't fully work, either. I question how the book will read in the context of a full series rather than as a standalone work.
Criticisms aside, I highly recommend Witch King for modern fantasy enjoyers. It does have a fair share of action, but its heart is in the mystery of who these characters are and getting to know them through a full novel and the journey it captures.
It has an epic fantasy backdrop of war and magic and clashing cultures. Thematically, it takes place as the world heals from the war, when wounds are still healing and scars still itch. If Witch King has a failing, it's that this dynamic of clashing past and present doesn't fully come together to deliver a single driving narrative, its structure isn't built tradionally. That doesn't make it inherently worse, but it doesn't fully work, either. I question how the book will read in the context of a full series rather than as a standalone work.
Criticisms aside, I highly recommend Witch King for modern fantasy enjoyers. It does have a fair share of action, but its heart is in the mystery of who these characters are and getting to know them through a full novel and the journey it captures.
Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
4.0
The first half of this book is a bit rough, as Murderbot takes so much time to cover his own character progression from past books while also setting up the plot for what's to come. The second half of the book delivers well, though. I mentioned at the time to a friend that the entire series felt like a buildup to an important person asking Murderbot why their favorite show is what it is, and I maintain that now that I'm finished with these first four novellas. It was a defining moment, and the character progression that followed was delicious to read through.
Chasing Graves by Ben Galley
2.0
I'll admit that I struggled with Chasing Graves. Oddly, it had little to do with my most common criticisms: I felt like each of the characters were unique and interesting, I found the quality of writing to be excellent, and the dialogue never disappointed. Nevertheless, I rarely found the story and plot especially compelling and finished the book unsatisfied.
The most pronounced issue for me was the lack of forward progress in Chasing Graves' story. For example, my favorite character in the book is Nilith. But despite Nilith's storyline being built around steadily moving towards the city of Araxes, from beginning to end it rarely felt as if she moved towards her goal in a non-temporal sense. Where she ended up at the end of Chasing Graves may as well have been where she began -- in the shit, too far from where she's going. I felt similarly with regards to Castro. He ended the book as he began it, dead and once again robbed of his hope. I'm left uncertain as to whether any of the chapters I read were particularly meaningful with regards to the story's direction, beyond some handful of details that shed light on characters' intend and identity.
I genuinely want to know where Castro and Nilith's roads will lead them. There's obviously a story to be told here. But 400 pages in and I'm really not sure what that story is or whether it was worth having cared to discover it. I look forward to the followup to Chasing Graves, largely because Galley has made me invested in these characters, but I worry it's just a symptom of being left wanting.
The most pronounced issue for me was the lack of forward progress in Chasing Graves' story. For example, my favorite character in the book is Nilith. But despite Nilith's storyline being built around steadily moving towards the city of Araxes, from beginning to end it rarely felt as if she moved towards her goal in a non-temporal sense. Where she ended up at the end of Chasing Graves may as well have been where she began -- in the shit, too far from where she's going. I felt similarly with regards to Castro. He ended the book as he began it, dead and once again robbed of his hope. I'm left uncertain as to whether any of the chapters I read were particularly meaningful with regards to the story's direction, beyond some handful of details that shed light on characters' intend and identity.
I genuinely want to know where Castro and Nilith's roads will lead them. There's obviously a story to be told here. But 400 pages in and I'm really not sure what that story is or whether it was worth having cared to discover it. I look forward to the followup to Chasing Graves, largely because Galley has made me invested in these characters, but I worry it's just a symptom of being left wanting.