Hey Sigils, if you read this, it contains happiness, rage, joy, sadness, and literally almost every emotion under the sun. I'd love to have you read my review(s)!
Edit: I keep having to change my review cause more things get announced but I am NOT complaining.
(Warning: Slight spoilers throughout the review.)
I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review, but I never got to finish it. I got a physical copy of Star Summit for Christmas in 2023 and finished it then.
This series is freaking awesome. I've read some series where after I was done, the first book was always the best book. That is not the case with the Debt Collection series. Soul Fraud was amazing, Dandelion Audit was something else, and Star Summit was top-notch. As someone who owns a copy of Soul Fraud with the original cover, I've got a lot to say and a lot to hope for.
The character development is phenomenal. The main character, Matt, has changed so much from the start when he got chucked into this whole "soul fraud" business. I mean, look at him now. He's got supernatural friends, he's got magic of his own cause he's half Fae, and he's got his own Fae girlfriend. Also, the amount of depth and backstory we see from Orion and Alex is mind blowing.
(Speaking of Alex, I seem to have found a mix-up in Soul Fraud. On page 31 of the original paperback copy, his name is Alex Johnson. But on page 251 of the same copy, his last name is said to be Barnes. So what's his actual last name?)
The writing style is some of the best work I've ever seen. I'm autistic and sometimes the way books are written just makes it harder to read them. That's not the case for this entire series. Everything just makes sense. After re-reading the first three books (I could theorize from the start even), I'd like to believe that Matt has some form of neurodiversity. I'd like to think he's got ADHD, but hey, it's just a theory. The internal monologues as well as some of the phrases spoken just resonate with me and I've accidentally turned them into vocal stims. Knowing that Sigils has dyslexia (and I'd like to think minor ADHD which correct me if I'm wrong please), it's (un)surprisingly well written.
The plot is possibly the greatest thing in the world. It stays on point the entire time and all of the myth and fantasy stuff that's been thrown in has been wrapped into the plot so well. It's kept me invested, anxious for anything new from this world that could be thrown our way. The cliffhangers are torture, by the way. The ending of Dandelion Audit (I read the ARC), dude, HOW COULD YOU END IT LIKE THAT! I HAD TO WAIT FOR STAR SUMMIT TO SATISFY MY RAGE AND NEED FOR MORE!
The best/my favorite character(s)? I'd probably have to say the Fae. I like the way they're coordinated, their history, their looks, their parties. They're very fashionable and I do love a good outfit. Some of the characters from Hell, though, dang that's some good writing. Lilith and Zagan have to be my favorites. I come from an LDS family so demons are kind of a touchy subject, but my mom was pretty chill with it once I explained what was happening. I'd really like to cosplay Lilith as well, but I haven't figured that out yet. Hopefully I'll get it right if I do!
One thing I will say about this book in general is that I'm hoping to see more of the constellation Leo. I don't think Leo got enough page time, if any at all. As a Leo myself, I really want to see how the character would play out, if Leo's stereotypical traits came through or if a newer, more different personality got assigned.
I greatly look forward to the next book of the series, Death Tax. After hearing that there were going to be at least 6 books in the series, instead of 4 like I thought, I was very excited because I've enjoyed every second of the first three. I also know Andrew is writing a story set in the same world that's about some of Orion's adventures, so I'm already looking forward to that. After that life-threatening cliff-hanger that we were left on in Star Summit, I'm hoping that Death Tax will be a great book! Cheers to a great series Andrew! Been here since 2020, and I don't plan on leaving soon. Keep up the awesome work and I hope to be able to meet you someday!