Vox Machina: Kith & Kin

by Marieke Nijkamp

Written by #1 New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp, Critical Role: Vox Machina - Kith & Kin will follow a brand-new story, featuring the cunning ranger Vex'ahlia and the conning rogue Vax'ildan (and, of course, Trinket) years before they meet Vox Machina.

After leaving the unwelcoming refuge of Syngorn, the twins become entangled in a web spun by the Clasp, and for the first time Vex and Vax find themselves on opposite sides of a conflict that threatens the home they have carried with each other for years.

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Fiction, LGBT, Queer, High Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons

355 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2021

About the author

Marieke Nijkamp a storyteller, dreamer, globe-trotter, geek.

***

Please note I don't respond to friend requests or messages on GR, but you're always welcome to tweet or email me. :)

Reviews

[Tammy (Thorns_and_Proses) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review for non Critical Role fans: it was meh. Average fantasy story. Didn’t bring anything new to the genre. An easy read yes, a fulfilling one? Not that I can say. If I didn’t have any prior attachment to these characters I would have put this book in my did not finish pile. I was bored and dreaded picking it back up. I only pushed through because of its attachment to the main characters being from Critical Role.

Review for fellow critters: This is my biggest let down of the year tbh. I just didn’t enjoy it. It dragged on, the story felt pointless, and I’m questioning why this is the format they chose to tell the twins backstory. Essentially, I feel like the plot lacked any real substantial backbone. It didn’t feel relevant as it didn’t really provide the amount of new information I was looking for when committing to a novel based on beloved characters.

The most interesting part of this was the flashbacks to when the twins were younger. Couldn’t we have just gotten a whole book of that? I’d have preferred it. I’m just not convinced that I read the same book other Critters are raving about. I’ve read many fantasy books and LOVE the weekly journey Critical Role takes us on but this attempt to mesh the two just did not work.

I will say, what saved this novel from being a one star for me is that I did feel like the twins were authentic and well written. Their banter was some of the only good pieces in this novel. But did that bring anything new to the table? No. And it certainly did not feel like a critical role episode.

I would honestly have loved if they had just brought this to the screen in a one shot or series of one shots to explore the twins backgrounds and to see Liam & Laura interact in person as these characters going through their past.

It was just a total miss for me. 2 stars.

[Emma Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a MUST for any Critical Role fan. I couldn't stop smiling from the second the audio started. We have Laura and Liam reprising their roles as Vex and Vax, plus the lovely Robbie Daymond carrying the rest of the narration. This book has easter eggs for even the most devoted Critical Role fan, yet is still accessible for a reader who's never seen the show. While the audiobook clocks in at around 16 hours, it's definitely worth the listen. In some cases, the plot was a bit lacking but I'd chalk this up to the constraints of writing a prequel to an established story. Overall if you want a fantasy book that's a great listen, check this one out.

*Thank you to PRH Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review*

[Tor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a huge Critical Role fan and I love Vex and Vax but ooof this was a big disappointment for me, especially given the price of the book. I've never read any of Nijkamp's other books before and this isn't horrible. I think trying to make a novel like this work and stand on its own is a tall order. Unfortunately I don't feel like this delivers, not just on standing on its own but more importantly it fails to give us anything new, meaningful, or even just fun that we didn't already mostly know about the twins, their backstory, or their relationship. (Unless I guess you are particularly invested about the origins of a certain belt.)

The writing here is just so incredibly bland, generic, and very repetitive. The middle of the book dragged on for what felt like forever and there was no real sense of urgency. Things picked up a little towards the end but nothing ever felt compelling or even particularly interesting. The audiobook narration is of course great, but no amount of good voice acting can make up for a seriously dull story and mediocre prose. I have a really hard time imagining anyone who is not already a Critical Role fan/familiar with the characters picking this up and enjoying it. I definitely would not have made it passed the first chapters if I wasn't a fan and even then by the second half of the book I was mostly skimming to get through it.

[Michael Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Omph, this was a let down.

So I want to talk about what I liked about this book first. I really loved getting back with Vex and Vax, their sibling relationship, and their interactions. I loved the first 100 or so pages. I loved the action in the beginning, them chasing down leads, and setting up the adventure. I was hooked. When Vex and Vax were together ruffing it in the wilderness or in the city, it was great. Also, most of the new characters that are added to the book are really great and flushed out.

But now on to the stuff I didn't like.

The book comes to a screeching halt 1/3 of the way in. The book stops being about Vex and Vax (the main reason I came to the book), and starts being about a very generic 'us vs them, who's right who's wrong' story. It's a story I've seen a number of times in this kind of setting, and I will admit, they did a good job flushing this out and showing the complexity of the situation to make both sides sympathetic. But instead of showing us both sides have good and bad points, in the end, one character takes the fall by being the 'big irredeemable bad guy', ruining the set up of 'no black or white, but shades of grey'.

There was no character development. I felt all the characters were set in stone by the time the story begins, so there was no character arch. It would have been good to have either one of the twins start the book different to the character that we see in Critical Role, and how this story shapped them to the person they were. Or at least have them meet a character and how their relationship with the Twins changed them to the better (or worse). Idk, just, some kind of character development would have been good.

Also, there were a lot of awkward sentences and grammatical errors. I'm not usually hung up on those things (being a dyslexic, I usually give these things a pass as I know how hard these things can be), but there were so many unfinished sentences, run on sentences, or unclear sentences that it took me out of the book. There was also an over use of pronouns without context that I didn't know who was talking, or who the subject was. With a scene of three or four active characters, we would have sentences like "he walked over to him and he didn't like what he was doing." Context clues didn't help in many instances. These would be things that would have been taken care of with another edit, and I'm left wondering how they were left in the book.

Overall, the biggest sin this book commits is they took a book that should have been about the twins from Vox Machina, and made it about two waring peoples. The moment the spotlight left the twins, the book took a nose dive and never recovered.

I was very disappointed that this was the first novel from Critical Roll. They have proven they are masters in crafting stories from their DnD game through comics and graphic novels, so I'm left bewildered how they dropped the ball so hard on this one.

[Lay · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you want to read a more coherent review instead of excited screaming, you can find a full review on my blog here!

otherwise, enjoy my unfiltered feelings right after finishing this book:

there'll be a full review after I've turned my incoherent screaming into nice words but for now I'll say this: this book is SO FUCKING GOOD!

Marieke Nijkamp spins an epic tale that feels like something told around a campfire while also perfectly fitting in with Matt Mercer's in-campaign narration. Friends, I am absolutely obsessed with the writing in this book. Like genuinely "won't stop thinking or talking about this for a while" obsessed.

I listened to the audiobook version and as an audiobook lover...Kith and Kin is definitely in my top 5 audiobooks. Robbie fucking Daymond is magical and carries this story with confidence and ease while also somehow managing to play seemingly hundreds of NPCs with distinct voices. He created a full world in my ears as if it was nothing! Laura and Liam reprise their roles as Vex and Vax and their dialogue just slots right into the narration, it's absolutely brilliant.

other things I loved:

- all of the characters are so complex and multidimensional

- the world feels real and lived in

- the central conflict has depth and nuance and constantly makes you question your assumptions, SO FUCKING GOOD

- it feels like returning home for me (a Critical Role fan) but I'm also 99% sure that it's perfect for anyone who has no interest in CR or DnD because at its heart, it's a fantasy adventure about family and what we're willing to do for the people we love. And who doesn't love a badass set of twins?!

- Vax is bi as fuck and we love to see it

- the way the action is described?? Marieke Nijkamp, teach me your ways.

- so much backstory!! childhood flashbacks to important moments!

- Vax says "fuck" like, a lot. If you ever wanted to hear Liam O'Brien say fuck in his Vax voice in all kinds of situations, do yourself a favour and get the audiobook.

- Trinket!

I'll happily buy both anything Marieke Nijkamp has written and will write (time to buy some books!) and any future Critical Role books because oh boy, time well spent!

so yeah, this book was everything I hoped and more, I'm glad I listened to the audiobook version and I'll happily tell both my critter and non-critter friends to read it because it fucking slaps!

[Steve Allan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even as a big fan of crit role and C1 in particular, there was little of interest here. Bland characters and average writing left me disappointed, I definitely didn't feel like I was reading about Vex and Vax.
Even as a non-CR book, it's below par. There's better fantasy books out there to read. It was a shame, I had hoped for more.

[Matthew Steinmetz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good for Critical Role fans, but for general fantasy fans it doesn't offer much in the way of standing out, like at all.

Time-waster read, run of the mill fantasy that needed more editing time, nothing more, nothing less.

[Robussc · Rating 1 out of 5]

An inauspicious start to what one imagines will be a series of novels filling in the backstories of the various members of Vox Machina, the adventuring group from the first live-streamed campaign of Critical Role.

First a bit of context, I like Critical Role and have followed the group through their various campaigns. I love adventure stories and was hoping this book would provide some hours of much needed escape into a land full of them.

This review will contain spoilers, not that there’s much to spoil as you’ll learn by reading on.

Kith & Kin tells two tales about the dynamic half-elf duo Vex & Vax. One, told in flashbacks, of twins raised in a small village by their human mother and then whisked off for a proper education by their aloof elven father. The other, in the present, of adventurers getting entangled with the notorious underground organization known as the clasp and being sent in a quest to steal a precious ring.

All well and good, and things start off fairly promisingly with some exciting adventure in the city of Westruun and the Clasp getting portrayed as a particularly ruthless crew.

Vax is forced to take the mission on behalf of the Clasp in order to protect his sister and pretty much as soon as the mission begins is when the book gets stuck in a tedious rut for far too many pages.

As Vex & Vax draw near to their destination, a mining town called Jorenn, they are set upon by strange undead creatures and become separated, Vex ending up in Jorenn thanks to a rescue by a scouting party, Vax by a group of mysterious miners. In Jorenn, Vex sees the ring on the finger of Derowen, the Shademaster or protector of Jorenn. The ring seemingly repels the attacking undead and saves the town. Oh dear, how can Vex take a ring that’s so useful?…

And the story pretty much hits pause right there for about 150 pages (note: I haven’t counted). Vex fruitlessly searches for Vax and Vax hangs out in the mines - for chapter after chapter. Now one might think that this would be an opportunity for us to get to know and care about the residents of Jorenn, or the miners. But we don’t. Vax and Vex find out little about the people at the heart of this story because the miners don’t want to talk, for “reasons”, and Vex seemingly never bothers to ask.

One might think that the flashbacks might provide a welcome break from the tedium, but they don’t. Life is pretty miserable in Syngorn and there is no adventure recounted at all except for a minor sneak into a professor’s office. Just stories of the twins disappointing their father and wanting to leave. Despite various references made in the present day story to adventuring lessons learned in Syngorn (such as Vax learning to find comfort in the rooftops of a town) we never see those adventures.

I should mention that the present day story clumsily revolves around 3 pairs of siblings: Vex & Vax, Thorn & Anissa (the miners) and Derowen and Culwen (Jorenn). Thorn is in a rage because Derowen supposedly killed his sister (though this happened a long time ago off camera and no one ever brings Anissa back to life for us to relive that fateful day). So we don’t care about her and Thorn doesn’t open up about her, instead he’s apparently falling for Vax, but this is also clumsily handled and their first kiss seems out of nowhere. As for Derowen and Culwen, Culwen is mostly absent and Derowen seems to little love for him, her affections are reserved for Aswin (her daughter) and perhaps Wick (a half giant companion who I thought would have an interesting story but we never hear it). When Culwen does return, the central conflict is revealed through clunky contrivance and we slog on to to the bitter end.

The combat scenes are poorly described and as such pretty dull, no heart pounding action here.

Anyway, the book has a lot of pages and very little story but keeps beating you over the head with emotional beats that it hasn’t earned. For example, the twins return to Byroden, their home town only to find it destroyed by a dragon attack and their mother killed. We’re supposed to feel devastated of course (and perhaps this is an attempt at the darkest cave of the heroes journey?) but we’re not because we never spent any time with residents of Byroden at large (just some of the kids of the village) and absolutely no time with the twins’ mother. The obvious scene of the twins departing Byroden to tearful farewells, didn’t make the cut, but would have paired nicely with their fateful return.

The book is a tedious two-dimensional slog. No exploration, little combat and artless social interaction. I would call it formulaic, but then it would need to have some plot points. Perhaps it’s what an AI might churn out given the inputs. Soulless tedium.

An absolutely wasted opportunity, and so very disappointing.

[Anniken Haga · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't have a relationship to Vex and Vax from before, as I never watched Campaign 1, so I didn't originally plan on reading this book, but it was the only thing that sparked some interest at the time, so I gave it a go. I'm glad I did. I now want to watch Campaign 1, despite the sound that gives me a headache every time I try. (It's not bad for ''normal'' people, but I have a messed up sound sensitivity. And yes, I've tried skipping ahead)

The book in itself is well written. It has an interesting story about humanity and how there's two sies to every story, and ever villain and person. I will admit that it was slow at times, and I did space out, but if that was just my depressed mind wandering or the book at fault, I don't know.

I did really appreciate how real the world felt to me, though! Not only did the book feel like a Critical Role ARC - which I'm surprised at, that a writer could capture - but there was also disabled and LGBT+ people all over, which is how the world actually is! It was fantastically real.

[✨Emma✨]

Oh my goodness, I need this book in my hands stat. I am so excited for this!

[Eoin Barry · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. It is difficult to explain just how frustrating this book can be, it just is so many different things that I am going to have to try and pick out the things that enter my mind while discussing it here.

The prose for starters has this odd thing where it will repeat itself for seemingly no reason. I do not mean in the way many books do this where a fact is repeated many chapters later to help the audience remember it but rather that a statement is made and then repeated in the exact same way for two or three sentences. So like a character will say something about X thing and then the next sentence is about them thinking about the same thing about X thing and then the narrator themselves informs the reader about the exact same thing about X thing. AND THIS KEEPS HAPPENING. Not once, not twice but I want to say thrice every SINGLE chapter. It is hard to explain how much this grinds the plot to a halt, everything has to stop for this and it is infuriating, it is also not helped with how the book moves at a snails pace which we will get to.

Another thing is the perspective's given to us, it just ultimately undermines the entire narrative and what the author is going for. Personally I think after the end of act 1 Vax just straight up should not have been a viewpoint character for all of Act 2 and probably most of Act 3. The mere fact he is a viewpoint character for that period of time undermines some of the drama of the plot and also the kind of subterfuge plot line the author is going for. With the way the story is told we have no reason to be unsure whether we can trust any character or not, because the narrative already told us who is and is not trustworthy so the entire subplot is undermined the second we switch viewpoint's.

It also doesn't help that the pacing has issues. People just kind of talk to each other the entire novel and we don't tend to see much action until we enter act 3, which in theory could work but nothing they talk about really matters. It is mostly conversations about themselves or those around them except we the readers have already been informed that we should not trust their account of events meaning we don't ever really feel comfortable buying these stories at face value. In addition to this things just sort of happen, like the characters until act 3 don't really drive the plot at all, they kind of just sit around and wait for the plot to happen to them. Either they are randomly attacked or something bad randomly happens to them or they are waiting to be given permission to do something. They tend to not show a lot of drive at all which really doesn't help with the feeling of a slow pace, ultimately it can feel like you are just waiting around for something to happen while reading about other people just waiting around for something to happen.

The plot itself also confuses me, despite getting through most of the book and purposefully going on the fan wiki and reading those citations I still feel lost on what characters motivations were or who the villain was meant to be or what even happens really. One character in particular gave me a headache trying to understand them because it seemed even the narrative itself could not decide if they were meant to be a villain or not and just stayed non committal the entire time in a bizarre literacy equivalent to how Frozen 2 treated its main plot line. Even the reveal of what is actually going on just confuses things even further, to the extent that I thought I was spoiled about something before giving up on the book but actually wasn't and the spoiler I thought I got had a better explanation for what was happening than the actual plot. I don't think it is possible to spoil this book because to do so would require the reader to be able to comprehend what the novel is about.

1/5. It broke my reading spirit for a week.

[Becca Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this prequel to Vex's and Vax's story with Vox Machina! It not only got into the heads of the twins, but I always love a story that can hone in on one or two characters from an ensemble. Plus there are just so many nods to C1 that made me smile. It's a great read for Critical Role fans or anyone who wants to get excited for the animated series coming out in February.

I specifically listened to the audiobook because I couldn't resist the urge to hear Laura and Liam step back into their roles as the twins. Add in Robbie as the narrator and you really can't go wrong. I highly recommend this format if you want an extra treat.

[Gaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't normally listen to audiobooks, but I had to make an exception for this one. Robbie Daymond did a phenomenal job narrating it! Also, Laura Bailey and Liam O'Brien shine so bright when they play Vex and Vax, it never ceases to amaze me. These people are all so talented, maybe they should become voice actors! (ha!)
The story itself is very captivating for long time critters (I didn't think it was possible to love the twins even more than I already did) and also totally works for newcomers, even if they never even heard of CR. Vex and Vax together are pure magic.

[Robley Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me almost 16 hours to listen to through audible but it was totally worth it. Fantastic story! I love getting insight into Vex and Vax's past.

[Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trigger Warnings for: Parental abuse/neglect, death of a parent

2.5 stars, and the .5 is purely because this is about my beloved twins.

I am a big fan of Critical Role. I started with Vox Machina, back in the early days when there only thousands of fans instead of millions. Vox Machina holds a very special place in my heart, and especially Vax and Vex. I've been eagerly awaiting this book since it was announced because I've missed the twins so much and was dying to have more stories from them.

I will give Nijkamp this; they got Vax and Vex's characterizations down very well. I often see Vax and Vex get mischaracterized where Vax just becomes a sad boi and Vex is just greedy, and both are so grossly inaccurate it makes me angry. Nijkamp clearly knows Vax and Vex. They are younger so not quite the badasses they will one day be, but they are still themselves and I do appreciate that. (I also wish I had listened to the audiobook instead so I could hear Laura and Liam as the twins once again.)

That's about all the good I have to say for this book, unfortunately. This book is painfully boring. The writing is mediocre. The plot is very weak and sort of happens at the twins. The resolution of the plot is contrived and not very interesting. There are no real stakes since we know the twins obviously aren't going to die; this is their backstory. Every character beside Vax and Vex is woefully underdeveloped. The punch of the twins losing their mother does not hit at all because the book never even showed us their mother. It is very, very clear that Nijkamp has never written fantasy before and I'm honestly sort of stunned that they were even allowed to write this story.

The only thing that kept me going through this book was Vax and Vex and it became painfully clear to me that those who don't have any pre-existing knowledge of the twins would find this book dreadfully boring. If I didn't love the twins so much I absolutely would have DNFed this one. I wanted to multiple times and could only tolerate this book in tiny chunks.

Just utterly disappointing. I was so sure this book would be a new favorite but instead it felt like a chore to read. I really would not recommend this for people who don't have any experience with Critical Role, but I'm also not positive I'd recommend this to fans of CritRole either.

[Mareike · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. (The audio production almost made me give it 4 stars, but I think the story alone doesn’t quite rate that.)

Prequel/tie-in novels are….an interesting challenge when it comes to give out ratings.
The joy in them, for me, is in getting to spend more time with familiar characters and maybe learn some more details about them/their lives. So if that is well-done, I usually am enjoying myself a lot. With prequels specifically, there’s also the way things happening or being said in this book reverberate outward and syncing up with things that happen later in the characters’ stories. With this book specifically, that was often bittersweet.
That‘s probably why I tend to be a bit more lenient with tie-ins/prequels as far as the overall story is concerned. I don‘t really expect them to be innovative and re-invent the genre.

In the case of this novel, the plot was solid - a good fantasy tale centered around a relatively small-scale conflict that the twins get drawn into, magic, shady dealings, and, ultimately, a satisfying resolution. The final revelation was somewhat predictable, but since I enjoyed other aspects so much, that didn’t bother me as much as it might have in another book.
I did enjoy the secondary story told in flashbacks and expanding on aspects of the twins’ past that came up in Campaign 1.

The narration by Robbie Daymond was excellent (no surprise, given his performance in ExU and C3) and having Liam O’Brien and Laura Bailey speak Vax and Vex was obviously a brilliant decision.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t really know how to term the genre of ‘books-written-about-characters-who-someone-else-created-from-popular-media’ but this was actually really enjoyable.

I am a simple gal. I see Critical Role content, I consume Critical Role content. (Particularly if it involves my favourite twins).

The audiobook version of this is excellent, and quite frankly should be the version you get if you are looking into this. Laura Bailey and Liam O’Brien deliver great performances as their OG characters and it’s so nice to hear them again, and Robbie Daymond is really nice as the narrator (for those in the know, I haven’t watched EXU or C3 yet so I haven’t watched him in action).

Overall, I would say this is definitely more of a fan service book, but still a decent read.

[Margoot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ik wilde het zo graag goed vinden, maar het is voor mij niet meer dan een matige fantasy in matige uitvoering. Nog wel altijd alle liefde voor de personages Vex en Vax!

[lauraღ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Don’t you see, you fuck? I don’t have to choose between them. I choose you. That’s the only real choice I’ve ever had.”

Critical Role has been a huge part of my life for the past two years, ever since I decided to catch up on the first campaign during the pandemic. For the longest time, it was the only form of visual media that I engaged with, the only hobby I had other than reading. I love the game and the cast and the world so, so much, and it brings me so much joy in each and every campaign.

So I say all of this to say that I really don't know what I would have thought of this book if I had read it without knowing and loving Critical Role. And I guess that's a pointless question. I don't suppose there are many people who are jumping into this completely blind without knowing anything about the show. But it's still hard to say whether I like this so much because of its own merit, or because of what it is. And honestly, I'm leaning towards the latter. I adore these characters, and because the actors had such a huge part in crafting this, it really felt like I was reading (or well, listening to) another adventure in the campaign. Vax is literally one of my favourite characters ever, my wonderful, terrible guy, the best boy ever, and I love his relationship with his sister. So an entire book that goes into that, shows us more about their past, their bond, and how they navigate being together and being separated? Pure gold. I just had so much fun with this, even when I wasn't totally engaged with the plot.

And I mean, I did like the plot. Mostly? All of the side characters were so, so interesting, and like I said, I really loved the format that this took, how it split the twins apart for a little bit. The different factions and back stories behind them really did tug at my heart a little bit. I loved seeing how Vex empathised with one side, and Vax with the other. All of the intricacies behind the Clasp and the smuggling stuff didn't really interest me and honestly, if this were about any other characters, I would have gotten bored pretty quickly. There were a few things that I just didn't really pay attention to. But I never did actually feel bored, because I was just soaking up all of the Vex and Vax interaction. They make my heart so full. I felt like I wanted to cry every time Vax braided her hair. I also really liked the side plot with the Shademaster and the little romance with Thorn.

Listened to the audiobook as read by the incomparable Robbie Daymond, and that is perhaps another reason why I really, really liked this. Hearing his voice made me miss having him at the table so much! He has so much range, and did a great job with all of the side characters; none of them sounded the same. His narration was just seamless; everything about his voice belongs in this world. And, of course, having Liam and Laura to voice Vex and Vax just made it perfect. I MISS THE TWINS SO MUCH.

So again, I don't know how much I can accurately judge this book. I've been hyper-fixated on Critical Role for a long time, and it would have had to have been really bad to disappoint me. I'm so glad they're doing novels, and I really hope that the others make me feel just as happy as this one did.

[Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. Like most, I am a huge fan of Critical Role, BUT I tried to have no expectations and come in with an open mind. (I also feel reaaally bad for writing a bad review but if I saw reviews like this I might not have spent the time/money reading).

To start, the authors prose and writing was pretty good! And its clear that she has a very deep understanding of Vex and Vax as characters. Everything they did seemed very like them, which was refreshing. I wonder, however, if in trying to be faithful to these pre-made character (a difficult task nonetheless !) the narrative was second level. I kept waiting for it to “get good”. I assumed the story would pick up and some big plot twist would happen, but then I realized I was over halfway done and there still was no “hook”. It was just…. Boring? I dont feel like I learned anything new, or really understood any of the emotional processes the twins undergo. Even the moments with heightened drama, it didn’t quite impact me.

Overall, it felt unnecessary, and like a cash-grab on the company’s part.

[Eli · Rating 5 out of 5]

chef's fucking kiss

[Nikki Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ✨

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure how engaging this would be given that I already knew how the protagonists' story would continue, as well as the key moments of their backstory. That was kind of true for the "flashback" chapters that contained parts of the twins' backstory that was already known from the show, but the main plot did draw me in with political intrigue, conflicting viewpoints and my greatest weakness, interesting supporting characters. I'm honestly not sure how enjoyable this would be for people who aren't already invested in the characters, though because I wasn't listening to this as a fantasy novel, I was listening to it as a Critical Role story, and also just as a way to have Robbie Daymond read to me for hours.

[Pixel · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.25/5

This was, well, bad.

- I was actually surprised when I learned the writer was experienced, because it very much feels like a first novel. The writing is plain enough that my mind kept wandering away.
- The story itself is very ordinary, and the lack of actions from the characters makes it pretty boring. All along things are happening to them, they are simply reacting. Even when they try to take action they succeed because something else happens.
- The characters overall lacked depth. They were written very much as ''this character is a traitor'', ''this one is brave'', etc.

Anyway I loved the show but this book was not good.

[Bárbara Maia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is everything a good adventure needs.
Of course there was way more meaning for me because I was already emotionally attached to Vex and Vax, since Vox Machina stream. But even for those who wants to read it without knowing anything about Critical Role or VM, this book serves EVERYTHING.
I love all the plot twists, how the story keeps you alert, and how you can't decide who's the villain and who's not.
I still don't know how to review this book properly yet, but it's beyond 5 stars. This is for sure.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Writing a book version of existing material is always hard because you have to have enough Easter eggs for people already familiar with the canon, while at the same time explaining enough for people totally new to it. This is an example of a book that struggles to do that. The flashbacks to the twins in Syngorn are the best parts, but the overall story isn't great--and the flashbacks don't really add to the story, more like Nijkamp wanted to write them because she's a fan of the twins and the canon.

[Kinsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75
As a long time Critical Role fan, and a hearty love for all things of Vox Machina, this did not disappoint. The story was riveting and twisting and really showcased Vax and Vex. Hearing of the deep lore of their backstories was great and told in such a beautiful way. I itch for more of theirs and all of the lengthy back stories.

If you are a fan of the first campaign of Critical Role, then this book sets up the twins pretty close in timeline as to when Vox Machina meets in Stilben. From there the comics pick up the story. This won't have any spoilers for the original campaign, but has some hearty information to some of the quirks and objects of Vax and Vex. If you are back tracking like I am in terms of timeline, you will be greatly rewarded in a truly rich fantasy story.

That all being said, the writing style jumps perspectives a bit. Not too jarringly but a little. Obviously you bounce from Vax and then Vex perspectives, but also a readers outside view. This is important for context and other minor characters involvement. If its a style you are not used to it could be a little weird to read. Other than that I found it splendid. It did take a bit for the book to get going, and the truly heart-wrenching chapters of time with their father sprinkled without have you grasping for more, but it is a little slow to begin with. I would love to hear the audio book one day, but for now let your imagination see Liam and Laura's characters.

[Blair Lalor · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5, it was okay

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun fantasy read that requires no knowledge of D&D and/or Critical Role.

As a fan of both, I can however confirm that it does make for a better journey if you do know of D&D and Critical Role.

The main characters (Vax and Vex) are really what make this story work for the most part. The focus is clear, follow the twins on a classic fantasy quest with moral ambiguity. There is conflict, lore, a bunch of monsters and intrigue with a hint of magic. What's not to like? Quite a bit actually.

Sadly, one of the strongest parts of this book has missed potential. At certain intervals, we as readers are treated to a bit of backstory from the twins, as we dive into their childhood. This happens multiple times, and each time we travel back to learn more about their upbringing, we move closer to the present day. I personally liked these parts a lot, as it gave the main story time to breathe while it provided an expansion into the lore of the lands and the twins history. Unfortunately, these little windows into the past have no direct meaning other than fleshing out the twins. How great it would have been had we learned some crucial information that came into play later in the present. Still probably some of the best parts.


In the second act we are treated to a conflict between two fronts. This conflict is relayed to us readers in a very boring way. The twins meet people from the opposing sides, and although the circumstances are interesting, the dialogue falls flat. I found myself caring very little about this dispute, mostly because it didn't matter for the twins at face value, and we are told that it matters to them because they are good people with a kind heart. That didn't work for me.

All the hard work that went into relaying this pile of information to us in act 2 is then quickly thrown out the window for a rather unsatisfying conclusion at the climax in act 3. Suddenly, we learn more about the magic involved than we were previously led to believe. This is sadly never fully explored or explained afterwards. Any and all character development on two accounts is thrown out the window to achieve something akin to an ending, as characters make ridiculous decisions that I personally did not see them making.

Sadly, it feels a bit rushed, except for the epilogue, which is genuinely better than what came before it.

All of these "bigger" issues are exacerbated by small things that personally bothered me. The most prominent of which has to be the creatively unjustified abundance of lazy descriptors of emotions. The main culprit is "... something like shame came across her face, before she gathered herself...".
This is not an actual quote, but I promise you will find this way of describing emotions all the time. I really think this might be on the editor, as they should have ensured concise writing.


At the end, I am happy I read it, I enjoyed it, but it fell short in the conclusion and the small bits irked me more than I wish they had.

Read this if you just want some fun fantasy or you are a fan of D&D and Critical Role, but don't expect too much.