The Perfect Run III

The Perfect Run #3

by Maxime J. Durand, Void Herald

It's one thing to go back to the beginning, and another to reach the perfect ending.

Ryan Romano has done it. He has gathered information about all the villains threatening New Rome. He listed all the people he wants to protect. He knows which places he has to blow up and which car he has to steal. All that's left is going back in time one final time, achieve the perfect sequence of events, save everyone, get the girl, and defeat the ultimate enemy.

It's time for the Perfect Run.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Superheroes, Time Travel, Audiobook, Fiction, Humor

656 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 18, 2022

Reviews

[Geraldine Robles Chipana · Rating 3 out of 5]

El libro no está mal. La calificación que le estoy dando se ha basado mayormente en mis preferencias personales, de verdad.
Desafortunadamente, los finales tan descaradamente esperanzadores nunca han sido algo completamente de mi agrado.

Escenas:
*El descubrimiento de los humanos —que ciertamente estaban muy vivos y que ciertamente no estaban en buenas condiciones— a quienes Bacchus utilizó como sujetos de prueba: odio, odio la experimentación en seres sintientes.
*Esa persecución en la que Mars-El-Arsenal-Viviente persigue a Ryan y a Felix mientras arroja armas. Tantas, tantas armas.

Luego del bucle muy malo, horrible, espantoso y nada bueno en el que Ryan Romano descubrió que Dynamis mantenía a un Bloodstream mutado prisionero y vio a este apoderarse no solo de humanos sino también de otras criaturas, el viajero en el tiempo ha recargado… y está decidido a, ahora sí, conseguir su final perfecto. Él sabe, por supuesto, que no podrá hacerlo tras pasar por un único bucle, pero con ayuda de aliados que, al fin, son capaces de recordarlo, cree que el viaje será más llevadero.
Lamentablemente, más llevadero no significa más fácil. Después de todo, cosas como evitar que Augustus y Leonard Hargraves participen en una batalla destinada a devastar New Rome (y encontrar una manera efectiva y definitiva para acabar con el primero), que Alphonse Manada tome el control de Dynamis (y lograr que Enrique sea quien lo haga), que Bloodstream escape y otras más no se pueden describir con palabras similares a "simple" y "sencillo", no.
Toparse en el camino con una nave espacial y armamento alienígena de un antiguo imperio seguro que no mejorará el panorama, de ningún modo…

En una nota relacionada, ver al conejo de peluche asesino estar deprimido y atravesar su fase suicida disminuyó el terror en mí… un poco, al menos.

A continuación, una muestra de por qué es mejor no adquirir poderes sensibles:
"—¿Algún consejo antes de entrar?
—Uno. —La voz del Elixir se volvió fría y mortal—. No me engañes.
Ryan parpadeó.
—¿Te ruego me disculpes?
—Ahora, sé que eres un espécimen perfecto de Homo Sapiens con genes excelentes, por lo que no me sorprende que algunos de mis parientes te hayan hecho proposiciones. —Ahora el Elixir sonaba positivamente celoso—. Estoy muy orgulloso de que hayas resistido el atractivo del vínculo libre, pero que quede claro: no toleraré la bigamia de Elixir. No te cargué durante más de ochocientos años para compartirte ahora."

[kartik narayanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best stories ever.

It takes a while to get going and is a bit confusing at first. But it gets brilliant after a couple of loops. The characters, world-building, plot - everything is impeccable.

[PunkHazard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the perfect conclusion to an amazing story. It wrapped up everything in such a satisfying way. I took a long break from the series after the 2nd book and I’m kind of glad I did. I was starting to get burned out on the concept but with a little time and space I was able to find my love for this incredible trilogy again.

I love Ryan. I’m so happy for him. He deserves all the good things he’s earned. His strength of character and resilience is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I loved the moments of him collecting his team and was smileing cheek to cheek the moment he realized he doesn’t have to be alone anymore.

I loved all the side characters and villians in this series. They are all so well developed and interesting. I did think things started feeling repetitive because we kept dealing with the same people over and over again in the 2nd book. But seeing how the series ended shows me we needed that time with them, we needed to see those characters interact in different ways with different people, we needed to explore everything fully before we were able to wrap things up. Fortuna, Panda, Wardrobe and Leo were my favorite characters.

The focus on the final villians in this book was amazing. I never really cared for Fat Adam but the rest were all so intense and cool to see. The Alchemist, Fall Out, and Augustus were fascinating. Their powers, background, ideologies, and presence all represented something new and engaging.

The Lore was way more fun then I thought it was goibg to be. The reveal of the Aliens and The Alchemist was not what I was expecting in the best way. The stuff with the Color Gods and Ryan’s relationship with the Violet was jaw dropping. I was not expecting things to reach such cosmic heights when I started the first book.

The final fight against Augustus was everything I was hoping for. Even when I was burned out on the series I knew I would come back just to see how they dealt with him. He was such a perfect villian. Even his defeat and aftermath felt appropriate.

I love happy endings. Bitter sweet endings have their place but nothing beats a well earned happy ending. It left me with a smile on my face.

I definitely plan to reread this series at some point in the near future

[Chris Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the conclusion to the Perfect Run Trilogy. I can't really say much without spoilers, but it's good.

[Петър Стойков · Rating 3 out of 5]

След зашеметяващо добрия, брилянтен, гигантски, силен, богат и велик дракон Венкър Максим Дюранд изсипва очевидния си талант в още една поредица, която все още продъжава и не се знае колко дълга ще е, като се има предвид, че главният герой може да се връща, да започва отначало и да преиграва по безкраен брой пъти всеки ден, който не му е харесал как протича - и така лека полека се опитва да постигне "перфектния" си живот ден по ден в свят, населен с по-малко супергерои и бая повече суперзлодеи с доста по... разрушителни сили от неговата.

Към края обаче нещата стават малко прекалено ... де да знам, не са толкова интересни просто. Всичко минава като по конец, добрите побеждават, всичко се нарежда... Няма напрежение, тръпка, интрига.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The weakest book of the series, but I loved the ending minus the fact that I wish Yuki aka Wardrobe was the end game girl, Livia is kinda boring, Len was annoying and as great as their chemistry was Jasmine would have been too much of an enabler of his self destructive habits he had created throughout his loops.

Book 1 - 4.5*
Book 2 - 5*
Book 3 - 3.5

[Macaully Kearney · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars - Extremely enjoyable series. Lots of humour and fun references. The first was my favourite of the three, as I enjoyed the min/maxing element of him reloading. That aspect slowed down the further I got into the series.

[Gašper Kos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have found perfection

[Koffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that this last book was JUST MIND BLOWINGINGLY AWESOME. So when I started the series I had no idea it was a trilogy. I might not have picked it up if I knew because I hate most Trilogies. I blame authors that just fuck up their last book and make me wish, I'd never started to read them in the first place. The reason I say this is so you can understand how out of character it is for me to say the following. This trilogy is probably the best, YES THE ABSOLUTE BEST I HAVE EVER READ/ listened to. It seriously beats most other none Trilogy series I've read before as well. This is how you end a LEGENDARY Trilogy. This last book just blew my mind with how great the character progression and the outcome were. It wasn't one of those where all you got was a decent predictable ending. No with this series you can never know what might happen next. I wish it didn't have to end but at the same time, I LOVED THE ENDING!!!

[Joseph Heyser · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Perfect Run; A Perfect Title

This trilogy has decisively become my favorite book series of all time. This is a perfect conclusion to the series, and one that still had a lot of suspense and depth (it wasn't just one of those trilogy endings that only serves to basically be fanservice... but there IS fanservice).

I want this entire series in paper. Bound in cashmere, if possible, but barring that it will still be my favorite novels I own.

[Nojus Ž · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, terrible cover. The first one was really good, the second- really not great and this one was actually horrible, atleast in my opinion.(the covers)

I'm not sure about the book, while it was good, I liked these for the time loop advatures, also I do hate aliens (I feel like those chapters actually have no reason to exist, I think it should have been a separate short story). Would love a prequel because the first book and most of the second was really fun. Seeinf other fun adventures, which were the strongest part of these in my opinion, would be cool.

[Andrey S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I expected the book to be really good but still was pleasantly surprised.

[Abbie Szy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good end to the series. This felt like a great conclusion that didn’t really leave any loose ends, and I feel served as the “perfect” ending to this amazing trilogy :)

[Mason Prey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was wondering why this book was so long, downloaded (torrented) the entire trilogy on accident. But it was good, kind of repetitive.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Abhishek Mishra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written ending, happens rarely.

[Wilhelm Eyrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

The greatest “Time Loop” story you’ll ever read.

[Ian]

Quicksave the void herald

I really loved this trilogy, I probably enjoyed this book the least just because I like the dialogue and character interactions more than the action and there was a lot of action in this one. But all the books are good and it was a real pleasure of a series to read. Really cool idea executed well and it was willing to get a bit dark at times which was a great contrast to Ryan's normal attitude. A lot of fun and I'd highly recommend it.

[Agili Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was perfect. I can’t believe I finished it already.
Everything wrapped up brilliantly. One thing I’ve always worried about with time travel books is how the end is. This book cleared up all my concerns.
I’m obsessed with all the characters personality, Ryan being unhinged is just so logically right because someone that’s lived for that long can’t be sane. I feel like every character is portrayed so well.
I loved Augustus’ character his god complex was done well, and generally I’m a sucker for god complex characters.
I liked the romance between Ryan and Livia although I wished we got more. Like they spent more time building it up? But honestly that’s such a minor beef that it’s irrelevant.
I wouldn’t have predicted the way this book honestly went, the storyline was so good and everything just tied in so nicely.
Also the Jokes, this book had be wheezing from beginning to end with Ryan’s jokes, and his interaction with Wardrobe had me wheezing half of the time.
I’m so depressed because now where will I find a great book again?

[Ridel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maxime Durand always delivers, no matter how many tries it takes. The third volume of The Perfect Run is a fantastic follow-up to the previous two action-packed, highly complex unravellings of New Rome's interwoven politics. Quicksave is both the same and different, managing to maintain the same kind of quippy humour while still developing as a character. The cast that he's gathered around him is both surprising and yet well-earned. I doubt anyone would be able to guess at the solutions Ryan has decided to enact from his experiences in the first few runs.

There's no way to discuss this novel without going into spoilers. If you've finished the first two novels, feel confident that this novel will deliver.

Highly Recommended.

The following is in spoiler tags, and I say so since some Goodreads clients may not respect it. You've been warned:

This is the end. I didn't want to write that it was the conclusion, as honestly, I wasn't expecting the sequel to be about New Rome and once that happened, we could have ten Perfect Run books as far as I am concerned. The Perfect Run III is the finale though, and while it might be a perfect run, it's not a perfect ending. I would say 9/10, and I refuse to give this book anything less than 5 stars given how close to perfection it really comes. Landing this would always be difficult and only because I love it, do I criticize.

The world-building is fantastic, and lots of loose threads are connected together. We finally get a Carnival-centric run, we learn enough about the nature of coloured dimensions that it feels like there's nothing left to explore, and we clean up some seriously big hanging threads including the Plushy, forgotten Meta members, and taking on the remaining big shots of the Olympians. The victory lap at the end is exactly that... it provides a ton of closure for characters we've grown to love over three large novels.

I say all that because this is a landing I'm happy with. But it's not all perfect.

Let's start with the Alchemist. I adore it when authors take things out of legend and pitch the main character into a sequence facing said legend -- in this case, a quest to face the Alchemist herself. It should have been excellent, but it fell flat. There was no tension since Ryan was never endangered. There's something impressive about Augustus and Adam the Ogre that makes them excellent villains, but the Alchemist never showed the same level of power or deviousness. Even in the final run, Adam was deadly, but the Alchemist was just never a threat to Ryan's well-being. The saurian backstory was an info-dump that was quite interesting, but again, their mooks never felt consequential. Their removal via the use of the Black was fine given how much Ryan sacrificed to get that power, but it was too tidy and easy.

Let's move on to the harem aspect, which I think a lot of people are rightly annoyed by. Ryan gets his way with woman a tad too easily. I'm willing to look past this given that Ryan is 850+ years old and that level of confidence is a powerful shaper of relationships, but I do see how it's cringe and accept that I am male and have biases. He suffers greatly to get to his current relationships, and I feel that's fine. I wish the author would stop dropping hints... literally of the harem ending.

And my final, and most critical critique... this novel lacked challenge. It lacked tension. Perfect Run 2 was an absolute wild ride, with Adam's near win in the middle of the novel being my favourite. Those were several chapters of wonder, and Ryan's victory required two divine interventions (Plushy and Darkling) as well as the heel-face-turn of Bianca. The other sequence with Bloodstream's apocalypse, combined with the sudden need to fight Augustus, was an incredible ending as well. This novel... lacked all of the above. There was a brief moment when Adam got the upper-hand again, but even in the fight against Augustus, the stakes weren't high enough. There was an implication that his Save Point might not work, but I doubt anyone really believed it. If Ryan fell, there was just no way the book would end.

I think ultimately, the author wasn't willing to create a run where Ryan lost his friends. He stopped dying after the Supervillain run because it was necessary for him to 'choose to die' to bring minds back in time. We needed a run where that failed, but didn't. I thought we might get that when he tried to save 10 seconds into his last run, and was prevented. Something devastating might have arrived. But instead the reason seemed to be about Black and Purple flux and had nothing to do with the various antagonists (Psyshock, Adam, Fallout, Augustus) reacting in a way that was unexpected.

I loved the book, but felt Ryan needed to suffer a great deal more in the conclusion. My favourite author, Brandon Sanderson, often has the hero prepare a great plan to face the villain, only for the entire plan to be blasted apart before starting because the villain outwits the hero. The tension caused by that panicked, ill-prepared final showdown, is the polar opposite of Ryan's by-the-number take down of the Bliss Factory and then face-off with Augustus.

I guess at the end of the day, I wanted another Perfect Run. Give me a fourth novel, and end the third with Ryan losing all this friends. Then take this run, expand on it, and give us the same victory lap in number four.

Ultimately, I'm self-aware my main complain is "I want more". And that means this is a great book. It's not a perfect ending for me, but it was perfect for Quicksave. And how can I complain about that?

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very rare, really good ending

I’m am blown away by how much I liked this story. I picked it up o a whim and initially didn’t really like it because the story was kind of all over the place with references and looping. However after reading more the eccentricities made sense and really got into the overall story and character motivations. I know this book won’t be for everyone but if you do give it a chance, hot damn is it one wild ride.

[Manolo Macchetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read, a good ending to a to a great series, there is the perfect ending... and yet this is the weakest of the three. it s still very good and does not ruin the whole series (We are in Rank S territory) but after the explosive vol 1 and the build up of vol 2 I set my expectation a bit too high probably.

[Akshay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Mind-Bending Conclusion to a Remarkable Trilogy

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

The Perfect Run III by Maxime J. Durand

In this final installment, Durand takes us deeper into the intricate web of alternate realities, once again following the adventures of the indomitable Andrew. The narrative continues to explore the consequences of his unique power to reset time and its far-reaching impact on the multiverse. The character's journey is one of personal growth, redemption, and the profound exploration of the nature of choice.

The world-building in The Perfect Run III is, as expected, awe-inspiring. Durand's imaginative prowess knows no bounds as he invites readers to traverse a multitude of worlds, each with its own rules, challenges, and wonders. The richly detailed settings, from futuristic utopias to dystopian nightmares, breathe life into the story, immersing readers in a grand tapestry of infinite possibilities.

The characters, both old and new, continue to evolve, offering fresh insights and emotional depth to the narrative. Andrew's inner conflict and his relationships with others are at the heart of the story, and Durand's skillful character development ensures that readers remain deeply invested in their fates.

The pacing in this final installment is finely tuned, maintaining a perfect balance between high-octane action, contemplative moments, and philosophical discussions that challenge the reader's perception of reality and choice. The writing style remains eloquent and evocative, expertly conveying the grandeur of the multiverse.

One of the most remarkable aspects of The Perfect Run III is its ability to delve into profound themes. The book pushes the boundaries of speculative fiction, exploring concepts such as fate, free will, and the intrinsic value of choice. It invites readers to contemplate the very essence of existence itself, elevating the narrative beyond a mere adventure.

In conclusion, The Perfect Run III is a triumphant conclusion to an exceptional trilogy. Maxime J. Durand's storytelling prowess shines brightly in this finale, delivering a story that is intelligent, imaginative, and emotionally resonant. If you've embarked on the journey of the multiverse with Andrew from the beginning, this Kindle edition is a must-read to complete the experience. It's a book that will linger in your thoughts long after you've turned the last page, challenging your perception of reality and the power of choice.

[Amit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light 7/10. Accidentally read the trilogy as 3 books. This third was probably the weakest. Quicksave's personality has evened out the most and there aren't many new characters for him to bounce off of. There's also a lot of repetition in the character interactions. This series shines when doing new things. The emotionally mature final version of QS is kind of generic and bland. Now that he care about everyone, he can never allow for any sacrifices and the book allows this to occur. The final fights were decent. I didn't get too much out of the interactions with the god at the end. Mr. Wave is unfunny but I enjoy all his serious moments quite a bit. Really heartfelt. The Panda is still a standout. Felt great to see him get another power.

Leaving Mercury in reserve for the finale was a good idea but he ended up being lame. The Ghoul recurring joke stopped being funny in the first book and its going into the finale. We never even got a chance to see this guy characterized, they just tell us he was a murderer. Vamp was also lame in the end although I liked the assassin surrendering quickly.

I know that the point of the perfect run is that everyone survives but having the black power interference would have been a perfect excuse to have some kind of loss or sacrifice. Would have felt more impactful. They don't even pretend to go for that.

I think Livia becomes one of my least fave chars. I didn't dislike her but she gets a lot of screentime. She becomes kind of bland once she's no longer an adversary. She becomes a knockoff version of Quicksave banter-wise. Their romance becomes really stagnant by the end. How are you gonna be mad at Shroud for infiltrating your org that you know is horribly evil via being with Fortuna. Who is only redeemed in the sense that her leader switches sides. It feels like she's saved by being well connected and influential. I guess they can read the future and see she's more redeemable than the hitman but in the moment, she feels the same. The way he comes around to her also flattens his personality quite a bit. I think it would have added some pop for him to have decided to break up with her in the end for being a horrible murderer. Being artsy on the side isn't much. She's only saved b/c she likes Livvy and Felix who become good.

The trope of nobody being willing to sacrifice was lame af. Even though Len did it in the end, it dragged out forever. So repetitive and her char devolved into just that. And its redundant with Livia being unwilling to allow Augustus to die. She's willing to damn everyone for it.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me encantó The Perfect Run, y no tenía ni idea de que existía hasta que lo descubrí. Sentí que era una mezcla perfecta entre Mother of Learning de Domagoj Kurmaić y Worm de Wildbow, combinando bucles de tiempo, superpoderes y un mundo lleno de matices morales. Aunque quizás no llega a alcanzar el mismo nivel que esas obras icónicas, sin duda tiene una identidad propia gracias a su humor, su corazón y su ritmo trepidante.

De lo que más me gustó fue el protagonista, Ryan Romano, también conocido como Quicksave. Su arco de personaje es fascinante: comienza la historia habiendo aprendido ya la mayoría de las lecciones que se pueden sacar de incontables bucles de tiempo, y le resulta increíblemente fácil aplicarlas a todos los que lo rodean. Su ingenio, carisma y optimismo (externo) inquebrantable lo hacen un personaje divertidísimo de seguir, incluso mientras navega un mundo lleno de caos, traiciones y facciones de superhumanos. Ryan es básicamente un terapeuta excelente para los demás, ayudándolos a crecer y enfrentar sus defectos, pero la ironía es que a él le cuesta aplicarse esas mismas lecciones. Verlo enfrentar poco a poco sus propias inseguridades y vulnerabilidades es uno de los aspectos más satisfactorios de la historia.

El mundo que construye el autor también es genial, con una Europa postapocalíptica llena de personajes coloridos, cada uno con sus peculiaridades y motivaciones. El sistema de poderes es creativo, y la forma en que usan sus habilidadws de repetir el tiempo para superar a sus enemigos es siempre entretenida. La historia equilibra humor, acción y profundidad emocional de una manera que se siente natural, y las relaciones que Ryan construye (y reconstruye) a lo largo de los bucles son tan conmovedoras como desgarradoras.

Si te gustan los bucles de tiempo, los superpoderes o las historias que mezclan humor con profundidad, The Perfect Run es una lectura obligada. No se trata solo de salvar el mundo, sino de aprender a salvarse a uno mismo.

[David U. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy 5/5. This is an audiobook review.

I have some mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it was incredibly funny, the characters and powers were diverse, the plot was intriguing and the narrative performance by Eric Michael Summerer was sublime…. I just really don’t want this series to end.

The were soo many highlights in this book. My favourite chapter is probably the elixir couple therapy chapter. I literally burst out laughing on the train home from university. It was just too ridiculous to not be entertaining. I also loved the Ghoul spaceship to Mars chapter. Ryan can effortlessly pull off the crazy murderhobo vibe if needed. The chapter with Ryan and Mr wave’s heart to heart expanded his character traits and mentality in a way that no other previous chapter could have.

I’m glad we got more insights into the Alchemist and her motivations. I found the way she ‘died’ to be anticlimactic at best. I felt that the repercussions of an active alien invasion would have been more interesting than the ‘last hold out of a dead race’ scenario we got.

Ryan and Livia’s relationship was rushed in my opinion. I get that the circumstance was unique as in a sense they cancelled each other’s powers and they needed a certain level of vulnerability to overlook the fear that comes with it, but he had barely known her for a few loops and all of a sudden he loves her?? I also found Livia to be needlessly selfish when matters involved mob Zeus. I understand that it was her father and no child wants to see their parent die, but the guy was a certified psychopath with a body count in the high thousands.

Overall, it was a great end to an amazing trilogy. I love books that don’t take themselves too serious, and this series was definitely one of my favourites.

[Christopher Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

It appears the third time's the charm. We made it to book three in a series we described as:
... essentially Groundhogs Day with a little The Butterfly Effect mixed with Ready Player One set in a post dystopia-like world setting similar to the anime My Hero Academia where most of humanity has special abilities with inspiration from the game BioShock (serum that grants abilities plus a character and scenario that fits the theme underwater utopia) with corporate heroes and villains from the anime One Punch Man with a potentially deranged wise cracking main character that tries to give off Deadpool vibes that is essentially a Marie Sue / Gary Stu self insertion by the author...that spouses all there likes and dislikes and pop culture references (like so many recent book tropes) as they narrate the story from their perspective.

Who would have thought that revisiting the same characters and same setting could benefit a story. If anything, it is definitely a way for an author to flesh out a story after the fact, revisit potential plot holes, and keep from painting yourself into a proverbial corner. Since I have the analogies going... In most cases successful books and movies produce eventual successive sequels that get consistently worse. This series is the opposite. Both the main character of this story AND the author strove to eventually achieve the perfect run. Is it perfect? No, but the result was satisfying.

[Flynn Ryker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felt forced and overly convenient

Overall, this book did not ruin the experience, but it was by far the worst of the three. The relationship between Ryan and Livia felt forced. I know we’ve been walking that way for a while and logically it makes sense, but it did not feel organic at all. In fact, I might have been better if they had tried, and ultimately decided they were better as friends.

The Black Element and the different universes/realities was fine, but the effects of the black were too consistent to be thematically accurate. Black is supposed to be chaos, but punches delivered by Ryan with black consistently wounded Augustus in the same way. The black power also consistently grew at a seemingly linear rate. Instead, each time Ryan used it, something strange should have happened. Like, Augustus teleported or transformed into a chicken.

Each elixir being sentient was a nice touch, but each elixir only wanting to make humans happy felt self-gratifying. Actually, this is my only true complaint about the series. The ending felt too perfect, even for a perfect run. Going a bit meta here, but it all felt very white privilege-esk because (in the end) everyone rolled out the red carpet for you and you got everything you wanted.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of great twists and turns in this finale, as SHOULD always be the case in a time-loop superhero adventure focused on landing that perfect run.

And yes, it's very, very satisfying. Loved all the characters. A lot. I came away with a big ass grin on my face, and that's hardly always the case. Fortunately, this story filled me up with love and hope as well as a sense of awe.

And yes, it continued to be delightfully funny, an R-Rated Deadpool meets My Hero Academia. Lighter, perhaps, than The Boys, and less truly dark than Invincible, it still shines with creative twists and I have almost nothing bad to say about it.

The almost: the whole sequence with the Alchemist was somewhat meh and I'd have preferred to get the core reveals some other way. The build-up and locations (including Malta) were otherwise fantastic, and I'm sure others would have enjoyed the whole Ava thing more, but this is a tiny quibble in an otherwise fantastic run. :)

Totally recommend.

Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to requests. Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.

Arctunn.com

[Durian Jaykin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a good book, but I think few would appreciate the settings. Knowing about European history and its architecture helps in immersing one into this apocalyptic world. A reader must also know certain pop culture references, but I'm sure I have missed many. Most importantly, JOJO. So many JOJO references are littered throughout this book. Ever wonder what if Star Platinum had to fight with King Crimson? Well, the book settles the arguments. Many direct and indirect inspirations could be easily seen. As a love letter to these series, I would say the book has done well.

The story just does what it sets out to do. No more, no less. Is it good or bad? The character fulfils its roles, readers feel a connection to the characters, yet something feels missing to call it a masterpiece. Maybe it is the dramatic shift in pacing and tone when compared with the first two books. It lost the charm to do its own thing. While this does make sense with the changing plot, the hook that got readers interested in the first place is gone. Nonetheless, it is still comedic in nature, just feels a little less mellow.

Nonetheless, the story accomplishes all it sets out to do. It is a good story.