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The Maze Cutter #1
The Maze Cutter
Seventy-three years after the events of The Death Cure, when Thomas and other immunes were sent to an island to survive the Flare-triggered apocalypse, their descendants have thrived. Sadina, Isaac, and Jackie all learned about the unkind history of the Gladers from The Book of Newt and tall tales from Old Man Frypan, but when a rusty old boat shows up one day with a woman bearing dark news of the mainland--everything changes. The group and their islander friends are forced to embark back to civilization where they find Cranks have evolved into a more violent, intelligent version of themselves. The islanders are hunted by the Godhead, the Remnant Nation, and scientists with secret agendas. When they cross paths with an orphan named Minho from the Remnant Nation, the dangers become real and they don't know who they can trust. The islanders will have to survive long enough to figure out why they are being targeted, who is friend or foe, and what the Godhead has planned for the future of humanity.
9 pages, Audiobook
First published October 1, 2022
975 people are currently reading
16551 people want to read
About the author
James Dashner
137 books36.1k followersJames is the author of THE MAZE RUNNER trilogy and THE 13TH REALITY series. He also published a series (beginning with A DOOR IN THE WOODS) with a small publisher several years ago. He lives and writes in the Rocky Mountains.
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May 15, 2022THE TITLE IS NOT IT???
October 24, 2022
3.5⭐
"The Maze Cutter" explores the lives of descendants from the original series and new members from two other factions almost a century after the original series ended.
The Maze Runner survivors' settlement is on an island (Alaska) the grandchildren are known as islanders. They are thriving a normal and peaceful life until a big rusty boat arrives with grim news from the mainland.
There is quite a bit of jumping around and many characters. It starts off a bit confusing in the first part. The Godhead (the Glades) and the Remnant Nation (cult-like from Nebraska plains) both have agendas.
With many characters, I don't see anyone in particular who stands out except "Minho" and Roxy. They are my favorite characters. Roxy seems to have more personality than the other characters. It's nice to have Old Man Frypan there, I wish he told more stories. Maybe in book 2? Book of Newt ties the new series to the old.
"The Maze Cutter" didn't quite check all the boxes for me but the ending was very unexpected and gave me goosebumps so I'm definitely going to have to read book two!
Mark Deakins did an excellent job with the narration. It was a joy to listen to his performance.
Thank you Tantor Audio and Netgalley for my ALC.
Expected release on Nov. 1, 2022!
"The Maze Cutter" explores the lives of descendants from the original series and new members from two other factions almost a century after the original series ended.
The Maze Runner survivors' settlement is on an island (Alaska) the grandchildren are known as islanders. They are thriving a normal and peaceful life until a big rusty boat arrives with grim news from the mainland.
There is quite a bit of jumping around and many characters. It starts off a bit confusing in the first part. The Godhead (the Glades) and the Remnant Nation (cult-like from Nebraska plains) both have agendas.
With many characters, I don't see anyone in particular who stands out except "Minho" and Roxy. They are my favorite characters. Roxy seems to have more personality than the other characters. It's nice to have Old Man Frypan there, I wish he told more stories. Maybe in book 2? Book of Newt ties the new series to the old.
"The Maze Cutter" didn't quite check all the boxes for me but the ending was very unexpected and gave me goosebumps so I'm definitely going to have to read book two!
Mark Deakins did an excellent job with the narration. It was a joy to listen to his performance.
Thank you Tantor Audio and Netgalley for my ALC.
Expected release on Nov. 1, 2022!
September 30, 2022
We all want to go back to our Maze Runner book days. When this one came up for request on Netgalley I obviously jumped at it. To be honest this wasn't entirely what I expected, but it wasn't bad either. The story is different and the characters new, apart from Newt's diary with his inner monologue and Old Frypan.
I am eager to see were this series will take us. It will need a huge special story line to keep us invested. Not bad for a follow up to one of the best YA series of our age.
Thank you Netgalley and RB Media for this ARC.
I am eager to see were this series will take us. It will need a huge special story line to keep us invested. Not bad for a follow up to one of the best YA series of our age.
Thank you Netgalley and RB Media for this ARC.
September 5, 2022
Honestly, I’d be willing to bet the only people who enjoyed this book were James Dashner and his editor. And maybe James Dashner’ smother.
This was truly a pitiful reading experience. The plot was incohesive for the characters were cardboard.
Alexandra was… completely bogus. Half of what went on in her povs were fluff. The other half wasn’t understandable. Like… what the hell was in the coffin? What the actual fuck is the Godhead. Why did Mikhail have magic vision powers? Also the religion of their people wasn’t well enough explained.
Minho was by far the most fleshed out character and he was still cardboard. At least he had the excuse of being in a cult.
Isaac was a fucking wet blanket. Be accepted any quarter answer and just went along with stuff. His traumatic family death should’ve been explained earlier. And the way it was introduced was beyond pathetic and completely just brushed over. But if he was a wet blanket then Jackie was a soggy noodle. As was literally every other character in this book.
Honestly, slogging through this book was pure hell and not worth it.
Also, about half way through this book I went to look at reviews on goodreads to see if I was the only one struggling and 95% of the reviews were in a non English language. So… maybe you just had to not understand English to enjoy this book.
This was truly a pitiful reading experience. The plot was incohesive for the characters were cardboard.
Alexandra was… completely bogus. Half of what went on in her povs were fluff. The other half wasn’t understandable. Like… what the hell was in the coffin? What the actual fuck is the Godhead. Why did Mikhail have magic vision powers? Also the religion of their people wasn’t well enough explained.
Minho was by far the most fleshed out character and he was still cardboard. At least he had the excuse of being in a cult.
Isaac was a fucking wet blanket. Be accepted any quarter answer and just went along with stuff. His traumatic family death should’ve been explained earlier. And the way it was introduced was beyond pathetic and completely just brushed over. But if he was a wet blanket then Jackie was a soggy noodle. As was literally every other character in this book.
Honestly, slogging through this book was pure hell and not worth it.
Also, about half way through this book I went to look at reviews on goodreads to see if I was the only one struggling and 95% of the reviews were in a non English language. So… maybe you just had to not understand English to enjoy this book.
April 27, 2023
I received an audio ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Nope nope nope absolutely not. At this point James Dashner is just utterly desperate to milk the now-expired success of the Maze Runner series for all its worth. But frankly, it's not going to work. I honestly would be surprised if this spin-off will get past a second book because this was just bad. In my opinion, the original trilogy stood strong on its own. The Kill Order was a good addition since it provides a familiar character's backstory and a completely new cast so there was still a lot of fresh perspectives to explore. The Fever Code was a mediocre installment but at least it somehow bridged the gap between The Kill Order and the original trilogy.
What Dashner so obviously tries to do with this spin-off is to pull something along the lines of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Era 2. That is, this is an attempt to look further into the future of the original story and introduce more "evolved" circumstances that arise from unresolved problems from the past storyline. At this attempt, Dashner fails miserably since in the first place, the original trilogy has never pretended to have more depth than it actually does. I just wish this new story was just a thrilling adventure like the previous books, instead of trying so hard to be something more. Furthermore, it is clear that Dashner wants to "give the fans what they want" by attempting to evoke nostalgia through character references to the original cast, but I don't think they were done well at all and ultimately fell emotionally flat.
What we do get here is a confusing story which introduces way too many new concepts that suggest that previous fans are just that die-hard over the series that they will just trust whatever Dashner writes enough to consume this and wait for a sequel. But when this new series introduction is so weak, I honestly doubt there will be much interest in it going forward. On top of that, one of the biggest gripes that Maze Runner critics have with the series is the persistent heightening of stakes and thrills without satisfying answers or a good payoff at the end. This new installment amplifies that weakness of the series.
A huge part of the appeal of the original series aside from the edge-of-your-seat pacing are the endearing characters and the meaningful character relationships. This book, with the possible exception of the Orphan and Roxy, does not have that. We get the blandest and most uninteresting characters, uneven pacing, and a yawn-worthy plot at best. I will not be continuing this series.
Nope nope nope absolutely not. At this point James Dashner is just utterly desperate to milk the now-expired success of the Maze Runner series for all its worth. But frankly, it's not going to work. I honestly would be surprised if this spin-off will get past a second book because this was just bad. In my opinion, the original trilogy stood strong on its own. The Kill Order was a good addition since it provides a familiar character's backstory and a completely new cast so there was still a lot of fresh perspectives to explore. The Fever Code was a mediocre installment but at least it somehow bridged the gap between The Kill Order and the original trilogy.
What Dashner so obviously tries to do with this spin-off is to pull something along the lines of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Era 2. That is, this is an attempt to look further into the future of the original story and introduce more "evolved" circumstances that arise from unresolved problems from the past storyline. At this attempt, Dashner fails miserably since in the first place, the original trilogy has never pretended to have more depth than it actually does. I just wish this new story was just a thrilling adventure like the previous books, instead of trying so hard to be something more. Furthermore, it is clear that Dashner wants to "give the fans what they want" by attempting to evoke nostalgia through character references to the original cast, but I don't think they were done well at all and ultimately fell emotionally flat.
What we do get here is a confusing story which introduces way too many new concepts that suggest that previous fans are just that die-hard over the series that they will just trust whatever Dashner writes enough to consume this and wait for a sequel. But when this new series introduction is so weak, I honestly doubt there will be much interest in it going forward. On top of that, one of the biggest gripes that Maze Runner critics have with the series is the persistent heightening of stakes and thrills without satisfying answers or a good payoff at the end. This new installment amplifies that weakness of the series.
A huge part of the appeal of the original series aside from the edge-of-your-seat pacing are the endearing characters and the meaningful character relationships. This book, with the possible exception of the Orphan and Roxy, does not have that. We get the blandest and most uninteresting characters, uneven pacing, and a yawn-worthy plot at best. I will not be continuing this series.
January 16, 2023
Pre-review:
Let me tell you, I was SHOCKED to see this on the shelf at Barnes & Noble 😅
Some observations I had in the few moments that I held this monstrosity in my hands:
1) James Dashner, who was essentially blacklisted by the publishing industry a few years ago for being creepy, went to an unknown company of uncertain legitimacy to publish this. The audacity of this man and of Barnes & Noble for supplying his ungodly creation. If you Google the publisher, you will not learn much. It is a "media enterprise" and if that doesn't sound like a money laundering scheme, idk what does. Their website was literally marked as "not secure" by my browser. According to Bizapedia and the New Jersey Department of the Treasury, the company was literally incorporated this March (2022). This book is the only thing they have ever produced. It is entirely possible that the company was created for this book. Strangely, James Dashner does not live anywhere near New Jersey, so why it was incorporated there, I cannot tell you. The address for the business is a law office in NJ, though, so I'm pretty sure that has something to do with it.
2) The book has an incredibly...idk, odd / off (??) feeling when you're holding it. It's slightly too tall and slightly too square, that's all I can really say. Uncomfortable in the hand. I attribute this to the publisher of uncertain legitimacy.
3) James Dashner couldn't write a compelling story to save his life, but I've read every other book in the Maze Runner series so I am contractually obliged to read this one. I do not want to, but I must. For the people.
4) I did not purchase it. I'd rather support my local library than a shady publisher and an author who sucks at writing and gets royalties from his multiple book series and his movie franchise. I don't think he particularly needs my money, he just wants it.
5) I flipped to a random page and there was an entire scene about how someone went to the bathroom to pee and another character wanted the first character to pee for them, as they were busy but had to go, but such a favor is anatomically impossible. They bantered about this for like half a page. The humor of this man. Truly, he's a comic genius.
6) I appreciate that the cover fits the vibe and theme of the previous books. If only the book itself was the same size and didn't stick out like a sore thumb.
7) I love how the promotional photo of the novel on the fake publisher's site and James Dashner's hideous website is an ugly digital rendering of a paperback edition, which does not exist, as the only English editions are hardcover, Kindle ebook, and audiobook.
~~~
Review:
My exact thoughts about this novel, James. Please explain yourself.
This isn't the worst thing I've read of all time or even the worst thing by Dashner, but it is definitely the most inexplicable and useless book I've ever read. Midnight Sun has more inherent merit than this. The Maze Runner series was, on the whole, quite awful, and I have never met a soul that wished it had a sequel. But here we are.
I will say, Dashner definitely worked on his prose while in exile. The writing itself improved significantly, and I could generally tell what was actually happening, which is something I cannot say about the previous series. Now, the reasons why those things were happening were still incredibly vague at best and nonsensically stupid at worst, as usual. The plot was poorly paced and the motivations of the vast majority of the characters were either unknown or confusing. The plot seemed to progress solely because it had to get from point A to point B, not because of any logic or character development. Nothing happened for the first half, and then everything happened a little too quickly to make much sense. I would blame this on the pseudo-self-publishing, except Dashner had this issue even when trad publishers actually cared about him.
I still, after reading 6 books in this overall Maze series, cannot for the life of me tell you what the villain's plans are or why they do what they do (and on occasion, what they're even doing). I'm not entirely sure who the villain is in this book, and not in a morally grey, dubious way, but rather because nothing is explained to any degree of clarity. If the characters were more complex or had creative or distinct personalities, I might not mind this so much, but as it stands, this is a plot-driven narrative with a boring plot that makes no sense. The only character I sort of liked was Minho, but only because he had an interesting setup. I never knew what the heck his motivations were, as they seemed to change every scene. Jackie was entirely useless. Alexandria was annoying and added more confusion to an already confusing novel. I just finished the book and I've already forgotten the name of the other main character, and the story starts with him for goodness sake. John? Dan? I think it was Isaac but I'm too lazy to check. He was too dumb to live and didn't dwell on his Sad Backstory™ enough to warrant any emotional connection. True to Dashner form, I'm not entirely sure what his Sad Backstory™ even is exactly. I know the general shape of it but the specifics elude me.
The new additions of the Godhead and the Remnant Nation were ok. Between the two, the Remnant Nation makes more sense, but I'll take what I can get from Dashner. I don't want to put more thought into it than he did.
Something I sort of liked is that, according to my calculations, it's possible that the river they crossed was the Columbia River that separates Oregon and Washington, and I'm a fan of anything that has to do with geography I am familiar with.
Let me tell you, I was SHOCKED to see this on the shelf at Barnes & Noble 😅
Some observations I had in the few moments that I held this monstrosity in my hands:
1) James Dashner, who was essentially blacklisted by the publishing industry a few years ago for being creepy, went to an unknown company of uncertain legitimacy to publish this. The audacity of this man and of Barnes & Noble for supplying his ungodly creation. If you Google the publisher, you will not learn much. It is a "media enterprise" and if that doesn't sound like a money laundering scheme, idk what does. Their website was literally marked as "not secure" by my browser. According to Bizapedia and the New Jersey Department of the Treasury, the company was literally incorporated this March (2022). This book is the only thing they have ever produced. It is entirely possible that the company was created for this book. Strangely, James Dashner does not live anywhere near New Jersey, so why it was incorporated there, I cannot tell you. The address for the business is a law office in NJ, though, so I'm pretty sure that has something to do with it.
2) The book has an incredibly...idk, odd / off (??) feeling when you're holding it. It's slightly too tall and slightly too square, that's all I can really say. Uncomfortable in the hand. I attribute this to the publisher of uncertain legitimacy.
3) James Dashner couldn't write a compelling story to save his life, but I've read every other book in the Maze Runner series so I am contractually obliged to read this one. I do not want to, but I must. For the people.
4) I did not purchase it. I'd rather support my local library than a shady publisher and an author who sucks at writing and gets royalties from his multiple book series and his movie franchise. I don't think he particularly needs my money, he just wants it.
5) I flipped to a random page and there was an entire scene about how someone went to the bathroom to pee and another character wanted the first character to pee for them, as they were busy but had to go, but such a favor is anatomically impossible. They bantered about this for like half a page. The humor of this man. Truly, he's a comic genius.
6) I appreciate that the cover fits the vibe and theme of the previous books. If only the book itself was the same size and didn't stick out like a sore thumb.
7) I love how the promotional photo of the novel on the fake publisher's site and James Dashner's hideous website is an ugly digital rendering of a paperback edition, which does not exist, as the only English editions are hardcover, Kindle ebook, and audiobook.
~~~
Review:
Wasn’t it bad enough? Wasn’t the end the peak of our awfulness? Why in the hell did you have to let this book exist[?]
My exact thoughts about this novel, James. Please explain yourself.
This isn't the worst thing I've read of all time or even the worst thing by Dashner, but it is definitely the most inexplicable and useless book I've ever read. Midnight Sun has more inherent merit than this. The Maze Runner series was, on the whole, quite awful, and I have never met a soul that wished it had a sequel. But here we are.
I will say, Dashner definitely worked on his prose while in exile. The writing itself improved significantly, and I could generally tell what was actually happening, which is something I cannot say about the previous series. Now, the reasons why those things were happening were still incredibly vague at best and nonsensically stupid at worst, as usual. The plot was poorly paced and the motivations of the vast majority of the characters were either unknown or confusing. The plot seemed to progress solely because it had to get from point A to point B, not because of any logic or character development. Nothing happened for the first half, and then everything happened a little too quickly to make much sense. I would blame this on the pseudo-self-publishing, except Dashner had this issue even when trad publishers actually cared about him.
I still, after reading 6 books in this overall Maze series, cannot for the life of me tell you what the villain's plans are or why they do what they do (and on occasion, what they're even doing). I'm not entirely sure who the villain is in this book, and not in a morally grey, dubious way, but rather because nothing is explained to any degree of clarity. If the characters were more complex or had creative or distinct personalities, I might not mind this so much, but as it stands, this is a plot-driven narrative with a boring plot that makes no sense. The only character I sort of liked was Minho, but only because he had an interesting setup. I never knew what the heck his motivations were, as they seemed to change every scene. Jackie was entirely useless. Alexandria was annoying and added more confusion to an already confusing novel. I just finished the book and I've already forgotten the name of the other main character, and the story starts with him for goodness sake. John? Dan? I think it was Isaac but I'm too lazy to check. He was too dumb to live and didn't dwell on his Sad Backstory™ enough to warrant any emotional connection. True to Dashner form, I'm not entirely sure what his Sad Backstory™ even is exactly. I know the general shape of it but the specifics elude me.
The new additions of the Godhead and the Remnant Nation were ok. Between the two, the Remnant Nation makes more sense, but I'll take what I can get from Dashner. I don't want to put more thought into it than he did.
Something I sort of liked is that, according to my calculations, it's possible that the river they crossed was the Columbia River that separates Oregon and Washington, and I'm a fan of anything that has to do with geography I am familiar with.
October 4, 2022
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to enjoy this book as I loved The Maze Runner series. But I couldn't connect to any of the characters in The Maze Cutter. Also, the characters are completely different as it takes 73 years after The Maze Runner.
In my opinion, this book should've been a standalone with a different title. Or, a completely new series by the author. It just feels disconnected from the original Maze Runner storyline. Yet, the title obviously grabs people in because they know and love The Maze Runner.
All of this rambling (sorry). But I guess I just went into this book with high expectations and came out disappointed.
Three stars.
I really wanted to enjoy this book as I loved The Maze Runner series. But I couldn't connect to any of the characters in The Maze Cutter. Also, the characters are completely different as it takes 73 years after The Maze Runner.
In my opinion, this book should've been a standalone with a different title. Or, a completely new series by the author. It just feels disconnected from the original Maze Runner storyline. Yet, the title obviously grabs people in because they know and love The Maze Runner.
All of this rambling (sorry). But I guess I just went into this book with high expectations and came out disappointed.
Three stars.
March 9, 2023
Five vials that could Evolve the Evolution itself, change the world forever, as trite as that sounded.
no because what is this. i spent years of my life loving the original trilogy, the fandom and the fanworks and coming back always feels incredible UNLESS i have to touch the canon that jdashner has had a hand in recently. he can't keep getting away with this shit i swear we gotta do something about this.
but to the point, like, this was a book about nothing. literally why would you introduce like twenty-six (i didn't actually count) new characters and not even give them proper personalities or backstories. i think Isaac was supposed to be the main character because the book started and sort of ended with his focal chapters, with him having the most introspective moments, so i assume that was the intention. the problem is that he's one of the aforementioned twenty-six (or so) new characters that i didn't get a chance to start caring about. his family dies i guess, but that's not even a spoiler cause it's mentioned in the very beginning and barely expanded upon later.
on the topic of like, barely developing literally anything in this book, barely anything was developed in this book. endless descriptions of who went where and saw what, no thoughts heads absolutely empty. idk what these people were feeling half the time.
and! the worst crime of all, because of all this, the book was simply boring as fuck. i was looking forward to reading about how these teenagers lived on a boat after spending their whole lives on this post-Flare island, but the book skips TWO WEEKS and picks up on the land. when the mixed company of a mainland stranger and Glader-descendent islanders had supposedly HALF A MONTH to mingle. "we didn't talk much" my ASS. another time this orphan guy met this older lady and i was like oh, really nice, they're forced to roadtrip together, i love reading about orphans bonding with older people, let's go, and the book does go. again, like, two weeks or a whole MONTH ahead, completely skipping the important parts where they supposedly bonded so much that this orphan considers this woman his mother now. yet another time this happened was when this priestess-God-leader of the new nation started planning a coup. sick, i thought, fucking awesome, at least some action on this side. do you wanna guess what the book did. no please be my guest i think you can figure it out. you get three tries. see? yeah, wasn't so hard.
and like, so what was in the book, you may ask. i literally don't know. people traveled on a boat to the mainland. then they walked a bunch of days (not gonna go into that cause that whole thing was as well-explained and thought out by jdashner as you can imagine). then they uhh. met up with some guy and a woman and a man and got kidnapped on Bergs. then uhh they crashed the Bergs and got out. that's like, it.
now let's be real. did you really believe me when i said that's it. you foolish stupid fool. i tricked you. you're in the maze runner fandom. jdashner wouldn't be himself if he didn't drag Newt's stale corpse through the dust and his name through dirt. he had to namedrop the literal only good thing in this series* on the literal last page in the final line of the book for a cliffhanger because he wouldn't be paid otherwise. like i'm not even. i don't. i just.
why is this happening to me, i sigh, as i actively choose to keep up with this series and have a maze runner themed tattoo on my body.
there's so much more that i thought i'd say but as i've typed all this i realized that i don't even feel the rage hot enough to be funny for much longer. the only people reading this are people exactly like me. you guys know. you know. you don't need me to tell you all this.
fuck you, maze cutter. you deserve your horrible cringy nonsensical name.
*Thomas Minho Teresa i Love you especially you Thomas you are god's perfect idiot and you did nothing wrong in your life ever. i didn't actually mean what i said im just silly like that
pre-review
the way i've known about this book since the very first day james dashner mentioned it to make my life specifically so much worse and the way i have still been rendered speechless each time this book came up again since and the way this is something that actually exists on god's green earth for me to inevitably acquire and shamefully read like i don't know what will come of it is insane. starting to think it's actually my brain that should have been studied like a specimen for science to cure every illness known to man cause this just can't be normal. it just can't be
May 5, 2023
!Warning! This review is bound to be a train wreck, if you have even the slightest bit of sanity left, I'd advise you to stop reading right now. There is still hope for you.
“They say that some things are worse than death. That might be true. Probably is.
But life and death are the beginning and end of beauty. You can't have one without the other.”
If you're still reading this, I suppose you're crazy like me, or just too curious to heed my warning, so, keep your arms and legs in the train at all times, and brace for impact.
Now, to start off, this book was great. But, like *almost* every book, it had flaws, so let's get those out of the way.
1. Alexandra. Who the heck even was she? Why was her view important? She didn't seem vital to the story, and she was incredibly annoying.
2. Not enough Newt info. When you mentioned "The Book of Newt" I wanted the entire freaking book. Okay, James? You better give me that whole book or I will find you and I will kill you.
3. It had a bit of a slow start, but that wasn't even really a big deal, it just made it a bit difficult to get into the story until about 50 pages in.
BUT! with that said, I still gave this book 4 stars because despite the few flaws, it did live up to my expectations. The new characters are great (well, most of them) and it did leave me excited for the next book.
Mr. James Dashner, I still hate you for what you did *Page 250-*, but I must say, you did me a solid by allowing us more time with Frypan, and this new spinoff is great. But I still have a feeling you're going to leave me broken by the end of this series as well.
If you're STILL here, wow. Thanks. I apologize for my ranting. You may now exit the train. Beware of broken pieces that may have flown off during the collision.
Until we meet again.
“They say that some things are worse than death. That might be true. Probably is.
But life and death are the beginning and end of beauty. You can't have one without the other.”
If you're still reading this, I suppose you're crazy like me, or just too curious to heed my warning, so, keep your arms and legs in the train at all times, and brace for impact.
Now, to start off, this book was great. But, like *almost* every book, it had flaws, so let's get those out of the way.
1. Alexandra. Who the heck even was she? Why was her view important? She didn't seem vital to the story, and she was incredibly annoying.
2. Not enough Newt info. When you mentioned "The Book of Newt" I wanted the entire freaking book. Okay, James? You better give me that whole book or I will find you and I will kill you.
3. It had a bit of a slow start, but that wasn't even really a big deal, it just made it a bit difficult to get into the story until about 50 pages in.
BUT! with that said, I still gave this book 4 stars because despite the few flaws, it did live up to my expectations. The new characters are great (well, most of them) and it did leave me excited for the next book.
Mr. James Dashner, I still hate you for what you did *Page 250-*, but I must say, you did me a solid by allowing us more time with Frypan, and this new spinoff is great. But I still have a feeling you're going to leave me broken by the end of this series as well.
If you're STILL here, wow. Thanks. I apologize for my ranting. You may now exit the train. Beware of broken pieces that may have flown off during the collision.
Until we meet again.
August 23, 2021
J'ai eu un peu de mal à accrocher : c'était un peu trop flou à mon goût et je ne me suis pas particulièrement attachée aux personnages. Pour autant, c'est bien mené avec ce qu'il faut de révélations pour qu'on soit quand même à fond, ça fait plaisir de retrouver l'ambiance du Labyrinthe et c'est toujours aussi original. Je lirais aussi la suite parce que je pense que ça va envoyer du louuuuurd.
October 1, 2022
You know that feeling when you get excited about a new book because it is from a beloved universe and then you start reading and it's an utter disappointment? Well this is how I feel. The original series should have stayed as it was. In my opinion it ended well with no need for new stories.
And this is why kids I don't like spin offs and most of the time keep away from them.
I got the audiobook from Netgalley and I leave the review voluntarily.
And this is why kids I don't like spin offs and most of the time keep away from them.
I got the audiobook from Netgalley and I leave the review voluntarily.
Want to read
August 29, 2022I rather expect to dislike this book, based on my feelings toward the original series (with the exception of "The Maze Runner" specifically), but I have an almost morbid curiosity to see how bad it is--and maybe a tiny shred of hope that I'll actually like it and James Dashner's writing will be redeemed in my esteem. But yeah, mostly morbid curiosity.
July 29, 2025
A total disappointment! Worst book of 2025.
✏️ Review ✏️
*disappointed sigh* I'll be honest. I should've dnfed this book in the first chapter. I'm not sure what kept me reading it other than the fact that the story piqued my interest, and I thought the swearing maybe wouldn't be so frequent later in the story (which wound up not to be the case). Wasn't worth it. I speed read the last half of The Maze Cutter just so that I could be done with it.
I'm not even going to talk much at all about the writing, characters, plot, and stuff because plain and simple: I do not recommend this book. In fact I will be telling people NOT to read this book. Why? First, the inclusion of a prominent same-sex couple and the details included about these characters' acts with each other. Second, the swearing. Like, a ton of cursing! I never saw such frequent foul language used in a YA book: cursing, cursing, cursing. Bleh! (I wanted to throw this book across the room but it's a library book so... 🤷🏼). It almost makes me sad because, like — is this really the kind of language many twelve- and thrirteen-year-olds are reading these days? I know there's worse stuff out there, but the bad language is worse enough.... *sighs* Anyway, I'm not gonna go off on a rambling rant.
And honestly, this story wasn't really that good anyway. 90% of the plot is just wash, rinse, repeat; wash, rinse, repeat; wash, rinse, repeat — get captured, escape, get captured again. Only a very few parts were interesting enough to keep my full attention. *shrugs* I guess I was expecting more. Oh well...
Not to mention that The Maze Cutter involves some really creepy, delusional, abusive cult/religious elements. Really cringy stuff. And one thing especially: the Godhead, where three people view themselves as gods in leadership over their followers — with some of the elements of this delusional group it almost seemed like Dashner was making a mockery of God and Christianity. I don't know. At least that's what it sorta seemed like to me.... I do have to say, though, that the original Maze Runner vibe is totally thrown out the window in this book.
Final thoughts: The content in this book, both the excessive swearing and the promotion of same-sex relationships, is not pleasing to God (Ephesians 4:29; Ephesians 4:31; Ephesians 5:4; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10) and is "contrary to sound doctrine" (1 Timothy 1:9-10). The stuff we read sinks into our minds — even the stuff that God has declared to be wrong in His holy Word. Because whether we realize it or not, reading books all the time that promote ungodly speech or sinful lifestyles will eventually make these things commonplace and acceptable to us, leading to an apathetic mindset. How dangerous can that be!? It's soooo important to filter our reading choices through the lens of Scripture, folks (Phillipians 4:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22). Choose books that will bring glory to God and cause you to think on the good, pure, and beautiful. Stay away from those books that promote evil, sin, and works of darkness (Ephesians 5:10-11).
Reading The Maze Cutter has been a huge reminder to me to be constantly aware and discerning with what I read; and not to be hesitant to dnf a book that champions sin as acceptable and good. I will not be continuing this series nor will I be reading any books that Dashner may publish in the future.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• A very few parts of the plot.
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• The promotion of same-sex relationships.
• The excessive swearing.
• Most of the plot — just a continuous repeat of certain events; also, many elements are extremely underdeveloped.
• The lack of any solid character development (Minho prob got the most development, but the other characters were mostly left in the dust).
• The extremely disjointed narrative (at some points there was like 3 POV changes on just one page!) — disallows for any substantial or coherent character development.
• The way this story unearths many solidified elements of the original Maze Runner trilogy in the hopes of redeeming The Death Cure's ridiculous conclusion of The Maze Runner trilogy.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓
— Would I recommend this book? No.
— Why not? Because of the prominent display of a same-sex relationship and the excessive swearing (and the story wasn't really that good anyway).
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 0.25/5 [forced to round up to 1 on Goodreads])
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 1.5/5
— 📝 Writing: 1.5/5
— 👥 Characters: 1/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 4/5
• One use of a euphemism for the f-word.
• Five uses of the s-word; one use of "b*llsh*t" (and one use of that word's acronym); approximately thirty uses of "d*mm(ed)"; two uses of "d*mm*t"; one use of the b-word; two uses of "bloody"; thirteen uses of "cr*p(py)"; eight uses of "a**"; several, somewhat frequent (at least over forty) uses of "h*ll"; and four uses of "bastard" as an insult.
• Some instances of crude humor.
— ⚔️ Violence: 3/5
• A somewhat graphic scene of brutality that involves child abuse (mentions blood, injuries, and a few other potentially disturbing, gruesome details).
• A mildly graphic description of a shooting (mentions blood).
• A few other scenes of somewhat graphic violence involving brawling and brutality.
• Some potentially disturbing, vivid descriptions of corpses (mentions blood).
— ⚠️ Sexual: 3/5
• A prominent same-sex relationship/LGBTQ+ characters (see Random Comments).
• A few instances of very sexually crude, derogatory name-calling.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
• LGBTQ+ content: Two of the main characters are lesbian. Their relationship is a prominently featured aspect in The Maze Cutter with several mentions of this same-sex couple kissing (also mentions prolonged "hugging" and hand-holding).
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• (None)
✏️ Review ✏️
*disappointed sigh* I'll be honest. I should've dnfed this book in the first chapter. I'm not sure what kept me reading it other than the fact that the story piqued my interest, and I thought the swearing maybe wouldn't be so frequent later in the story (which wound up not to be the case). Wasn't worth it. I speed read the last half of The Maze Cutter just so that I could be done with it.
I'm not even going to talk much at all about the writing, characters, plot, and stuff because plain and simple: I do not recommend this book. In fact I will be telling people NOT to read this book. Why? First, the inclusion of a prominent same-sex couple and the details included about these characters' acts with each other. Second, the swearing. Like, a ton of cursing! I never saw such frequent foul language used in a YA book: cursing, cursing, cursing. Bleh! (I wanted to throw this book across the room but it's a library book so... 🤷🏼). It almost makes me sad because, like — is this really the kind of language many twelve- and thrirteen-year-olds are reading these days? I know there's worse stuff out there, but the bad language is worse enough.... *sighs* Anyway, I'm not gonna go off on a rambling rant.
And honestly, this story wasn't really that good anyway. 90% of the plot is just wash, rinse, repeat; wash, rinse, repeat; wash, rinse, repeat — get captured, escape, get captured again. Only a very few parts were interesting enough to keep my full attention. *shrugs* I guess I was expecting more. Oh well...
Not to mention that The Maze Cutter involves some really creepy, delusional, abusive cult/religious elements. Really cringy stuff. And one thing especially: the Godhead, where three people view themselves as gods in leadership over their followers — with some of the elements of this delusional group it almost seemed like Dashner was making a mockery of God and Christianity. I don't know. At least that's what it sorta seemed like to me.... I do have to say, though, that the original Maze Runner vibe is totally thrown out the window in this book.
Final thoughts: The content in this book, both the excessive swearing and the promotion of same-sex relationships, is not pleasing to God (Ephesians 4:29; Ephesians 4:31; Ephesians 5:4; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10) and is "contrary to sound doctrine" (1 Timothy 1:9-10). The stuff we read sinks into our minds — even the stuff that God has declared to be wrong in His holy Word. Because whether we realize it or not, reading books all the time that promote ungodly speech or sinful lifestyles will eventually make these things commonplace and acceptable to us, leading to an apathetic mindset. How dangerous can that be!? It's soooo important to filter our reading choices through the lens of Scripture, folks (Phillipians 4:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22). Choose books that will bring glory to God and cause you to think on the good, pure, and beautiful. Stay away from those books that promote evil, sin, and works of darkness (Ephesians 5:10-11).
Reading The Maze Cutter has been a huge reminder to me to be constantly aware and discerning with what I read; and not to be hesitant to dnf a book that champions sin as acceptable and good. I will not be continuing this series nor will I be reading any books that Dashner may publish in the future.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• A very few parts of the plot.
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• The promotion of same-sex relationships.
• The excessive swearing.
• Most of the plot — just a continuous repeat of certain events; also, many elements are extremely underdeveloped.
• The lack of any solid character development (Minho prob got the most development, but the other characters were mostly left in the dust).
• The extremely disjointed narrative (at some points there was like 3 POV changes on just one page!) — disallows for any substantial or coherent character development.
• The way this story unearths many solidified elements of the original Maze Runner trilogy in the hopes of redeeming The Death Cure's ridiculous conclusion of The Maze Runner trilogy.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓
— Would I recommend this book? No.
— Why not? Because of the prominent display of a same-sex relationship and the excessive swearing (and the story wasn't really that good anyway).
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 0.25/5 [forced to round up to 1 on Goodreads])
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 1.5/5
— 📝 Writing: 1.5/5
— 👥 Characters: 1/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 4/5
• One use of a euphemism for the f-word.
• Five uses of the s-word; one use of "b*llsh*t" (and one use of that word's acronym); approximately thirty uses of "d*mm(ed)"; two uses of "d*mm*t"; one use of the b-word; two uses of "bloody"; thirteen uses of "cr*p(py)"; eight uses of "a**"; several, somewhat frequent (at least over forty) uses of "h*ll"; and four uses of "bastard" as an insult.
• Some instances of crude humor.
— ⚔️ Violence: 3/5
• A somewhat graphic scene of brutality that involves child abuse (mentions blood, injuries, and a few other potentially disturbing, gruesome details).
• A mildly graphic description of a shooting (mentions blood).
• A few other scenes of somewhat graphic violence involving brawling and brutality.
• Some potentially disturbing, vivid descriptions of corpses (mentions blood).
— ⚠️ Sexual: 3/5
• A prominent same-sex relationship/LGBTQ+ characters (see Random Comments).
• A few instances of very sexually crude, derogatory name-calling.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
• LGBTQ+ content: Two of the main characters are lesbian. Their relationship is a prominently featured aspect in The Maze Cutter with several mentions of this same-sex couple kissing (also mentions prolonged "hugging" and hand-holding).
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• (None)
February 3, 2023
James Dashner, of “The Maze Runner” fame, brings us a new story, the beginning of yet another series, from the same universe. “The Maze Cutter” takes place seventy-five years after the events of “The Maze Runner”, so although you can expect some overlap in locations and situations, the characters are all brand new.
The Book of Newt told the horrendous tales of the Gladers and their ilk, informing new generations of the tragedies that occurred seventy-five years ago. On an island away from the Cranks and immune from the Flare, Sadina, Isaac and Jackie are young enough to have only heard about the Cranks and the Flare from history books and old stories. But then an old, rusted boat appears on their shore and its sole woman passenger begs the community for help, telling horror stories of the dangerous things happening on the mainland. Isaac and his friends agree to help the woman, and soon they are embarking on an unknown journey, faced with unknown threats that may alter the entire future of humanity.
“Cutter” is tied to the original “Maze Runner” series, but it is independent enough to be read as a stand-alone, although I imagine anyone reading this novel is reading it solely on Dashner’s popularity and his fabulous “Maze Runner” novels. Although some of what “Runner” great exist in “Cutter” (such as the maze, which is now rundown, The Cranks and even the ‘Munies’), this story lacks the incredibly relatable characters that attracted readers in Dashner’s first “Maze” novel. Isaac and his friends are all unique enough to connect with a diverse reading audience, but none of them have the staying power that Thomas and his crew of Gladers had.
The story is told from many viewpoints; all players in the new world, which is really the best way to introduce any characters that may remain relevant in future novels. Dashner is still able to tell a great story, and although curiousity got me interested, the plot (and its non-stop action) kept me turning the pages.
For anyone who hasn’t read Dashner before, come out from under your rock and read “The Maze Runner” series first. Then, once you’re an addict, give “Cutter” a try. It seems to be one of those novels that will appeal to only hardcore fans. Although Dashner is a heck of a writer, it is difficult to follow such a powerhouse series of books, and I went into this novel with realistic expectations (which may have led to my realistic enjoyment).
The Book of Newt told the horrendous tales of the Gladers and their ilk, informing new generations of the tragedies that occurred seventy-five years ago. On an island away from the Cranks and immune from the Flare, Sadina, Isaac and Jackie are young enough to have only heard about the Cranks and the Flare from history books and old stories. But then an old, rusted boat appears on their shore and its sole woman passenger begs the community for help, telling horror stories of the dangerous things happening on the mainland. Isaac and his friends agree to help the woman, and soon they are embarking on an unknown journey, faced with unknown threats that may alter the entire future of humanity.
“Cutter” is tied to the original “Maze Runner” series, but it is independent enough to be read as a stand-alone, although I imagine anyone reading this novel is reading it solely on Dashner’s popularity and his fabulous “Maze Runner” novels. Although some of what “Runner” great exist in “Cutter” (such as the maze, which is now rundown, The Cranks and even the ‘Munies’), this story lacks the incredibly relatable characters that attracted readers in Dashner’s first “Maze” novel. Isaac and his friends are all unique enough to connect with a diverse reading audience, but none of them have the staying power that Thomas and his crew of Gladers had.
The story is told from many viewpoints; all players in the new world, which is really the best way to introduce any characters that may remain relevant in future novels. Dashner is still able to tell a great story, and although curiousity got me interested, the plot (and its non-stop action) kept me turning the pages.
For anyone who hasn’t read Dashner before, come out from under your rock and read “The Maze Runner” series first. Then, once you’re an addict, give “Cutter” a try. It seems to be one of those novels that will appeal to only hardcore fans. Although Dashner is a heck of a writer, it is difficult to follow such a powerhouse series of books, and I went into this novel with realistic expectations (which may have led to my realistic enjoyment).
January 9, 2023
This is one of the worst books I've ever read. I was so excited when I found out the Maze Runner series had continued, so this was massive disappointment and let me tell you why.
First, it was so confusing! There are three different storylines, barely or not at all overlapping, all written so differently as if they all belong in a different book. NO SPOILERS, but Alexandra's storyline made the least sense; nothing happened in each part and the reader wasn't given a shred of context for all these new concepts and terms introduced (not even introduced) with her. I dreaded Alexandra's parts. By the end, none of it made sense! I thought by the end everything would come together but it didn't. I guess there's going to be more books in the series but God I hope not, this was was terrible.
Another issue I have with the book is that it was written like only one character could do an action at a time if that makes sense. Everyone else just stand around waiting to dee what happens, or isn't described at all like the author forgot there were supposed to be all these (millions, it felt) characters in the one scene. Very unrealistic.
Speaking of unrealistic, you're telling me no one is having any sort of emotion at anything happening? Again, NO SPOILERS, but some shit went down (a rarity in this book) and no one reacted. No one is asking questions!!! That's what frustrates me the most. Not one character bothered to ask questions. The reader is left so confused!! Characters' reactions are so monotone and unlikely. If I was in their situation I would be freaking out demanding answers for the new situation they are thrown into, but no one does a thing!!! They joke, they laugh, after traumatizing things happen to them!
Barely anything happens. The story covers a couple of months, and in that whole time barely anything happens. There's just a lot of walking. A LOT of walking.
I feel like this is the third book in a series, and a poorly written one at that.
This book is not worth your time. Im sorry James Dashner, I love the Maze Runner series with my whole heart, but this was not it.
First, it was so confusing! There are three different storylines, barely or not at all overlapping, all written so differently as if they all belong in a different book. NO SPOILERS, but Alexandra's storyline made the least sense; nothing happened in each part and the reader wasn't given a shred of context for all these new concepts and terms introduced (not even introduced) with her. I dreaded Alexandra's parts. By the end, none of it made sense! I thought by the end everything would come together but it didn't. I guess there's going to be more books in the series but God I hope not, this was was terrible.
Another issue I have with the book is that it was written like only one character could do an action at a time if that makes sense. Everyone else just stand around waiting to dee what happens, or isn't described at all like the author forgot there were supposed to be all these (millions, it felt) characters in the one scene. Very unrealistic.
Speaking of unrealistic, you're telling me no one is having any sort of emotion at anything happening? Again, NO SPOILERS, but some shit went down (a rarity in this book) and no one reacted. No one is asking questions!!! That's what frustrates me the most. Not one character bothered to ask questions. The reader is left so confused!! Characters' reactions are so monotone and unlikely. If I was in their situation I would be freaking out demanding answers for the new situation they are thrown into, but no one does a thing!!! They joke, they laugh, after traumatizing things happen to them!
Barely anything happens. The story covers a couple of months, and in that whole time barely anything happens. There's just a lot of walking. A LOT of walking.
I feel like this is the third book in a series, and a poorly written one at that.
This book is not worth your time. Im sorry James Dashner, I love the Maze Runner series with my whole heart, but this was not it.
April 22, 2024
Dashner you should have just made The Book Of Newt it’s own book.
DNF somewhere around 40% and 50% This was really a 1 star but I gave it the extra star for The Book of Newt and old man Frypan.
There’s so much I would have done differently with this book. For starters, telling us who’s descended from who! That would have been nice, and Dashner, your fans would have been happy enough with The Book of Newt as it’s own book. I would have bought the The Book of Newt without a second thought, but definitely not The Maze Cutter. This book isn’t necessary at all and brings nothing to the table that makes it worth reading.
Also it’s kinda sad that a lot of his earlier fans were kids and young teens, and specifically kids that weren’t allowed to read curse words. Words like Klunk, shuck, and greenie in place of curse words made it possible for me to be able to read the original books with my younger sister. We lost that here and it’s kinda sad.
DNF somewhere around 40% and 50% This was really a 1 star but I gave it the extra star for The Book of Newt and old man Frypan.
There’s so much I would have done differently with this book. For starters, telling us who’s descended from who! That would have been nice, and Dashner, your fans would have been happy enough with The Book of Newt as it’s own book. I would have bought the The Book of Newt without a second thought, but definitely not The Maze Cutter. This book isn’t necessary at all and brings nothing to the table that makes it worth reading.
Also it’s kinda sad that a lot of his earlier fans were kids and young teens, and specifically kids that weren’t allowed to read curse words. Words like Klunk, shuck, and greenie in place of curse words made it possible for me to be able to read the original books with my younger sister. We lost that here and it’s kinda sad.
May 8, 2023
if that isnt a totally random, ridiculously unexpected plot twist idk what is
April 6, 2023
This book shouldn't have taken 5 months to read but it did and it was painful. I skimmed through the last 25% which means I'll likely forget what happened but I'll want to read the sequel. What a mess.
And throughout all of this, not one bit of the story is character-driven, not one ounce of character development happens on page, and none of the relationships evolve on page either. It all just is.
What a disappointing addition to the Maze world. Naturally, I'm going to rush off now and read Crank Palace.
And throughout all of this, not one bit of the story is character-driven, not one ounce of character development happens on page, and none of the relationships evolve on page either. It all just is.
What a disappointing addition to the Maze world. Naturally, I'm going to rush off now and read Crank Palace.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2023
3.5 stars
As a recent newcomer to the Maze Runner movies, I found myself intrigued enough to give this new book a try. At first, the barrage of worldbuilding, some based on the original books and quite a lot of it brand new, threatened my interest. But a few chapters in, I fell in love with Isaac, Roxy, "Minho", and Jackie and pushed through.
The most fascinating thing for me was seeing a post-post-apocalyptic world trying to rebuild. The religious and scientific reactions to the plague were fascinating, and as always our characters were caught in between a few (too many for my brain) factions.
I enjoyed the subtle connections to the first trilogy. Just enough to intrigue me but to let these characters still stand on their own.
We'll see if this series can hold my interest for the following books, but for now, this was an enjoyable read.
CW: mild swearing, description of bodily fluids, death (two described in disturbing detail), child abuse, religious body modifications and sacrifices, zombies. There is one romance between two girls, and another character has a crush, but it never went beyond hugs/kissing.
As a recent newcomer to the Maze Runner movies, I found myself intrigued enough to give this new book a try. At first, the barrage of worldbuilding, some based on the original books and quite a lot of it brand new, threatened my interest. But a few chapters in, I fell in love with Isaac, Roxy, "Minho", and Jackie and pushed through.
The most fascinating thing for me was seeing a post-post-apocalyptic world trying to rebuild. The religious and scientific reactions to the plague were fascinating, and as always our characters were caught in between a few (too many for my brain) factions.
I enjoyed the subtle connections to the first trilogy. Just enough to intrigue me but to let these characters still stand on their own.
We'll see if this series can hold my interest for the following books, but for now, this was an enjoyable read.
CW: mild swearing, description of bodily fluids, death (two described in disturbing detail), child abuse, religious body modifications and sacrifices, zombies. There is one romance between two girls, and another character has a crush, but it never went beyond hugs/kissing.
January 22, 2023
2.5
I went in to The Maze Cutter with super high expectations.
I’m disappointed in the book overall because there was so much rambling and filler. The characters were boring and there was zero (none!) world building.
I realize this is the start of a new series in the same world….. but idk. It probably should have been it’s own thing, so I wouldn’t have gone in to it expecting Maze Runner 🤷🏼♀️
I went in to The Maze Cutter with super high expectations.
I’m disappointed in the book overall because there was so much rambling and filler. The characters were boring and there was zero (none!) world building.
I realize this is the start of a new series in the same world….. but idk. It probably should have been it’s own thing, so I wouldn’t have gone in to it expecting Maze Runner 🤷🏼♀️
dnf
December 20, 2025DNF at like 15%
I wasn’t hooked like I was in the Maze Runner series.
I also wasn’t sure I could give up the original characters: Thomas, Teresa, Minho, Alby, and Newt.
I also didn’t appreciate the LGTBQ content not even past like page 30.
So yeah. This isn’t really for me.
I wasn’t hooked like I was in the Maze Runner series.
I also wasn’t sure I could give up the original characters: Thomas, Teresa, Minho, Alby, and Newt.
I also didn’t appreciate the LGTBQ content not even past like page 30.
So yeah. This isn’t really for me.
will-not-read
October 1, 2022Not now, not ever. Tama ka na, Dashner.
Ang pangit ng title. Akala ko parody. 😆
Ang pangit ng title. Akala ko parody. 😆
December 29, 2021
QUESTA RECENSIONE CONTIENE SPOILER
Avendo amato i libri di Maze Runner, compresi i due prequel e il racconto dedicato a Newt, non vedevo l'ora di leggere questo libro. In linea generale mi è piaciuto, ma devo anche ammettere che mi ha lasciato con un po' di amaro in bocca.
Ho apprezzato il cambio di narrazione. Se nei libri precedenti avevamo solamente il punto di vista di Thomas, in questo primo volume del sequel ne abbiamo vari. È stato interessante poter passare da una parte all'altra e vedere vicende diverse le une dalle altre.
Da qui, però, cominciano i "problemi". Sì, ci sono vari punti di vista e sarebbero stati ottimi per conoscere al meglio i nuovi personaggi, peccato che Dashner non ne abbia approfondito nessuno o quasi. I protagonisti di questa nuova trilogia non vengono descritti, soprattutto fisicamente. Dell'Orfano e di Carson si sa che sono muscolosi e di Jackie che ha la pelle scura e porta i capelli raccolti in una treccia. Perfetto, ma di tutti gli altri non si sa nulla. La stessa cosa vale per la caratterizzazione: Dashner ci ha sempre abituati a personaggi ben delineati, con il proprio carattere e anche con il proprio modo di parlare (Minho in primis!). Questi nuovi sono abbastanza piatti, a parte qualcuno. Sono quasi intercambiabili ed è una grandissima delusione, per quanto mi riguarda. Arrivati a fine libro sappiamo anche poco delle loro vite precedenti all'inizio del libro e a me sarebbe piaciuto molto capire meglio come si svolge la vita sull'isola, com'è stata l'infanzia dell'Orfano, ecc.... A proposito dell'isola, aspettavo con ansia di avere questo libro tra le mani anche per sapere cosa fosse successo ai sopravvissuti della prima trilogia, cosa fosse accaduto loro durante gli ultimi 73 anni, come fossero andate le loro vite, e invece non si sa niente, se non un paio di cose. Non si sa neanche chi è discendente di chi o se qualcuno dei nuovi protagonisti sia effettivamente un discendente di qualcuno che conosciamo. Va bene, appare Frypan e qualche volta sembra essere quello che conosciamo, ma qualche volta, e comunque interagisce talmente poco con gli altri che sembra quasi non ci sia. In più, appare quasi estraneo a quello che gli succede attorno. Dashner fa intuire (almeno io ho capito così) che Lacey sia la nipote di Minho. Bene, lei muore e Frypan non batte ciglio. Non lo fa neanche quando davanti ai suoi occhi si presenta l'Orfano dicendo di chiamarsi Minho, ovvero lo stesso nome di uno dei suoi migliori amici. Molto poco credibile.
Anche il worldbuilding è appena accennato, non si è capito granché del nuovo assetto mondiale. Non c'è stata una spiegazione su come e perché sia nata la Trinità (vogliamo commentare l'introduzione di Dio, la Dea, la Messa del Labirinto, i pellegrini del Labirinto, il Labirinto come luogo di culto..... davvero James?! Questo avresti anche potuto risparmiartelo), come e perché è nata la Nazione Superstite. Poi viene detto più volte che il virus dell'Eruzione è mutato, che non esistono solo gli Spaccati come li conoscevamo, ma ci sono nuove "specie". Bene, peccato che questi nuovi Spaccati si intravedano per poche frasi, in mezza scena, e non venga neanche spiegato esattamente quali siano le loro caratteristiche.
La trama in generale non è fortissima, si capisce che è solo una grandissima introduzione, ma mi aspettavo qualcosa di più.
Come ultimo, si scopre che Newt e Sonya, o meglio, il loro sangue e DNA, sono sempre stati la chiave per trovare la cura per l'Eruzione. Seriamente?! Possibile che 73 anni prima la C.A.T.T.I.V.O. non ci fosse arrivata dopo tutte le miriadi di test e analisi e studi che ha fatto? Spero che nei prossimi libri ci sarà una spiegazione plausibile. Capisco che in tutti questi anni le tecnologie possono essere avanzate, ma questa cosa non mi convince lo stesso.
Spero davvero che nei prossimi due volumi venga spiegato tutto meglio, che i buchi che ho rilevato in questo libro vengano riempiti. Tengo davvero tanto alla saga di Maze Runner e forse mi aspettavo troppo, ma confido in Dashner.
Avendo amato i libri di Maze Runner, compresi i due prequel e il racconto dedicato a Newt, non vedevo l'ora di leggere questo libro. In linea generale mi è piaciuto, ma devo anche ammettere che mi ha lasciato con un po' di amaro in bocca.
Ho apprezzato il cambio di narrazione. Se nei libri precedenti avevamo solamente il punto di vista di Thomas, in questo primo volume del sequel ne abbiamo vari. È stato interessante poter passare da una parte all'altra e vedere vicende diverse le une dalle altre.
Da qui, però, cominciano i "problemi". Sì, ci sono vari punti di vista e sarebbero stati ottimi per conoscere al meglio i nuovi personaggi, peccato che Dashner non ne abbia approfondito nessuno o quasi. I protagonisti di questa nuova trilogia non vengono descritti, soprattutto fisicamente. Dell'Orfano e di Carson si sa che sono muscolosi e di Jackie che ha la pelle scura e porta i capelli raccolti in una treccia. Perfetto, ma di tutti gli altri non si sa nulla. La stessa cosa vale per la caratterizzazione: Dashner ci ha sempre abituati a personaggi ben delineati, con il proprio carattere e anche con il proprio modo di parlare (Minho in primis!). Questi nuovi sono abbastanza piatti, a parte qualcuno. Sono quasi intercambiabili ed è una grandissima delusione, per quanto mi riguarda. Arrivati a fine libro sappiamo anche poco delle loro vite precedenti all'inizio del libro e a me sarebbe piaciuto molto capire meglio come si svolge la vita sull'isola, com'è stata l'infanzia dell'Orfano, ecc.... A proposito dell'isola, aspettavo con ansia di avere questo libro tra le mani anche per sapere cosa fosse successo ai sopravvissuti della prima trilogia, cosa fosse accaduto loro durante gli ultimi 73 anni, come fossero andate le loro vite, e invece non si sa niente, se non un paio di cose. Non si sa neanche chi è discendente di chi o se qualcuno dei nuovi protagonisti sia effettivamente un discendente di qualcuno che conosciamo. Va bene, appare Frypan e qualche volta sembra essere quello che conosciamo, ma qualche volta, e comunque interagisce talmente poco con gli altri che sembra quasi non ci sia. In più, appare quasi estraneo a quello che gli succede attorno. Dashner fa intuire (almeno io ho capito così) che Lacey sia la nipote di Minho. Bene, lei muore e Frypan non batte ciglio. Non lo fa neanche quando davanti ai suoi occhi si presenta l'Orfano dicendo di chiamarsi Minho, ovvero lo stesso nome di uno dei suoi migliori amici. Molto poco credibile.
Anche il worldbuilding è appena accennato, non si è capito granché del nuovo assetto mondiale. Non c'è stata una spiegazione su come e perché sia nata la Trinità (vogliamo commentare l'introduzione di Dio, la Dea, la Messa del Labirinto, i pellegrini del Labirinto, il Labirinto come luogo di culto..... davvero James?! Questo avresti anche potuto risparmiartelo), come e perché è nata la Nazione Superstite. Poi viene detto più volte che il virus dell'Eruzione è mutato, che non esistono solo gli Spaccati come li conoscevamo, ma ci sono nuove "specie". Bene, peccato che questi nuovi Spaccati si intravedano per poche frasi, in mezza scena, e non venga neanche spiegato esattamente quali siano le loro caratteristiche.
La trama in generale non è fortissima, si capisce che è solo una grandissima introduzione, ma mi aspettavo qualcosa di più.
Come ultimo, si scopre che Newt e Sonya, o meglio, il loro sangue e DNA, sono sempre stati la chiave per trovare la cura per l'Eruzione. Seriamente?! Possibile che 73 anni prima la C.A.T.T.I.V.O. non ci fosse arrivata dopo tutte le miriadi di test e analisi e studi che ha fatto? Spero che nei prossimi libri ci sarà una spiegazione plausibile. Capisco che in tutti questi anni le tecnologie possono essere avanzate, ma questa cosa non mi convince lo stesso.
Spero davvero che nei prossimi due volumi venga spiegato tutto meglio, che i buchi che ho rilevato in questo libro vengano riempiti. Tengo davvero tanto alla saga di Maze Runner e forse mi aspettavo troppo, ma confido in Dashner.
March 1, 2023
Plot: 2/5
Pacing: 2.5/5
Writing: 2.5/5
Characters: 1.5/5
General Enjoyment: 2/5
Average: 2.1 stars, rounded down
This was really disappointing ☹️☹️☹️ I think if it had been just set in a completely separate world from the Maze Runner I would have enjoyed it a lot more, but because it was set in that world I was expecting some of what made me love The Maze Runner. And it just… wasn’t there. Besides the quotes from the Book of Newt (which I did like a lot) and Old Man Frypan, I honestly forgot at times it was in the same world as the Maze Runner.
The plot was really confusing and scattered. There were so many POVs, which made it hard to keep track of who was talking, and the whole splitting-chapters-up-into-little-chapters thing just made the problem worse. Plus, there were things about what had happened in the time between this and the Maze Runner that they just… never explained. We were expected to just pick up on what happened. Normally, I don’t mind that (it’s fun to try and figure out) but combined with the confusing plot, it was really hard to understand.
And then there were the characters. In The Maze Runner, the characters were so vivid, even from just a few pages of knowing them. There was confused and scared Thomas, sweet and tormented Newt, funny and brave Minho, and innocent little Chuck. But the characters in this one were so dry. For most of them, I couldn’t even name a defining characteristic, and the ones I could characterize were still incredibly flat. I did like Minho/The Orphan and Roxy, and I felt like I could have liked Jackie if she’d had more depth. But overall, the characters were unremarkable, a stark contrast to the brilliant characters in the original series.
Overall, I was really disappointed with this. I didn’t hate it, per se, but I was just really underwhelmed. There were some things I liked- the premise of the contrasting religions was interesting, even if it wasn’t executed terribly well, and I was living for any actual reference to the original characters. But this felt like a cash grab, I’m sorry to say. The writing felt rushed and it felt like the publishers wanted to make money off of the fans of the Maze Runner.
In my opinion, Dashner should have just made this a new series, entirely separated from the Maze Runner world. It could have been really good if he’d just written a new series. In fact, I think a lot of spin off series have this issue. Sometimes a series should just be left as it is, and The Maze Cutter is an example of that.
When/if the next book is published, I might read it just to see if this was just a weak start to a series, but I’ll definitely not be counting down the days until it’s published, and I’ll probably even wait for the book to arrive at my library so I don’t have to pay for it. It has enough potential to make a comeback in the next book, but I won’t be counting on it.
Pacing: 2.5/5
Writing: 2.5/5
Characters: 1.5/5
General Enjoyment: 2/5
Average: 2.1 stars, rounded down
This was really disappointing ☹️☹️☹️ I think if it had been just set in a completely separate world from the Maze Runner I would have enjoyed it a lot more, but because it was set in that world I was expecting some of what made me love The Maze Runner. And it just… wasn’t there. Besides the quotes from the Book of Newt (which I did like a lot) and Old Man Frypan, I honestly forgot at times it was in the same world as the Maze Runner.
The plot was really confusing and scattered. There were so many POVs, which made it hard to keep track of who was talking, and the whole splitting-chapters-up-into-little-chapters thing just made the problem worse. Plus, there were things about what had happened in the time between this and the Maze Runner that they just… never explained. We were expected to just pick up on what happened. Normally, I don’t mind that (it’s fun to try and figure out) but combined with the confusing plot, it was really hard to understand.
And then there were the characters. In The Maze Runner, the characters were so vivid, even from just a few pages of knowing them. There was confused and scared Thomas, sweet and tormented Newt, funny and brave Minho, and innocent little Chuck. But the characters in this one were so dry. For most of them, I couldn’t even name a defining characteristic, and the ones I could characterize were still incredibly flat. I did like Minho/The Orphan and Roxy, and I felt like I could have liked Jackie if she’d had more depth. But overall, the characters were unremarkable, a stark contrast to the brilliant characters in the original series.
Overall, I was really disappointed with this. I didn’t hate it, per se, but I was just really underwhelmed. There were some things I liked- the premise of the contrasting religions was interesting, even if it wasn’t executed terribly well, and I was living for any actual reference to the original characters. But this felt like a cash grab, I’m sorry to say. The writing felt rushed and it felt like the publishers wanted to make money off of the fans of the Maze Runner.
In my opinion, Dashner should have just made this a new series, entirely separated from the Maze Runner world. It could have been really good if he’d just written a new series. In fact, I think a lot of spin off series have this issue. Sometimes a series should just be left as it is, and The Maze Cutter is an example of that.
When/if the next book is published, I might read it just to see if this was just a weak start to a series, but I’ll definitely not be counting down the days until it’s published, and I’ll probably even wait for the book to arrive at my library so I don’t have to pay for it. It has enough potential to make a comeback in the next book, but I won’t be counting on it.
September 14, 2022
I am honoured to have received an ARC for this book in exchange for a review.
This book was a bittersweet immersion back into the maze runner world, and one that is certain to stick with me. Although it is not centered around our old, favourite characters from the original series, it features glimpses of moments after the death cure concluded, and the gladers themselves continue to be an inspiration, even 73 years after their challenges ended.
We are introduced to new characters, all of whom are intriguing and unique, although i will say, i still miss the original gladers! I thoroughly enjoyed the settings of the book, and it felt great to be back in another James Dashner story.
I will admit that i found some new aspects confusing, but i still enjoyed it overall, and I'm drawn in by the new organisations that have sprouted up following the conclusion of the death cure. I do wish that we got more insight to each of the characters, but i adored the book all the same.
I eagerly await the next installment in the series and revisiting these new characters.
Warning in advance, the epilogue may shatter your heart..
In fear of rambling and spoiling the book I'll leave it at that!
Maze runner fans, i think you'll love it :)
This book was a bittersweet immersion back into the maze runner world, and one that is certain to stick with me. Although it is not centered around our old, favourite characters from the original series, it features glimpses of moments after the death cure concluded, and the gladers themselves continue to be an inspiration, even 73 years after their challenges ended.
We are introduced to new characters, all of whom are intriguing and unique, although i will say, i still miss the original gladers! I thoroughly enjoyed the settings of the book, and it felt great to be back in another James Dashner story.
I will admit that i found some new aspects confusing, but i still enjoyed it overall, and I'm drawn in by the new organisations that have sprouted up following the conclusion of the death cure. I do wish that we got more insight to each of the characters, but i adored the book all the same.
I eagerly await the next installment in the series and revisiting these new characters.
Warning in advance, the epilogue may shatter your heart..
In fear of rambling and spoiling the book I'll leave it at that!
Maze runner fans, i think you'll love it :)
July 29, 2024
The Maze Cutter. It was really interesting. It's just-. Let's just say I would have changed a few things. Not the plot line. No, that was great. There were a few words I wouldn't have used, is all and does anybody else feel like James Dashner is against Christians? I'm probably wrong, but if any of you guys have read the book, let me know what you think.
December 28, 2022
The Maze Cutter is set 73 years after the events of the Death Cure. The Maze Runner was a series I loved while growing up, so I was intrigued at the idea of a story set in the same universe many years later.
Some series successfully have a sequel that occurs far in the future, and others do not. This is a case of the latter. All reading this did was make me miss the original characters from the main series. If you are a fan of the maze runner universe as a whole, you might find this to be a good read, but if you were as invested in the characters as I was, you might find yourself disappointed.
Some series successfully have a sequel that occurs far in the future, and others do not. This is a case of the latter. All reading this did was make me miss the original characters from the main series. If you are a fan of the maze runner universe as a whole, you might find this to be a good read, but if you were as invested in the characters as I was, you might find yourself disappointed.
April 2, 2023
It was not good, it was not bad and I have a lot of questions
October 10, 2022
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
3.5 hearts
The Maze Cutter, the first book in the new trilogy The Maze Cutter, is set about 73 years in the future from the Maze Runner series and if you are like me you probably read that series at least 5-8 years ago and have forgotten most of the story lines other than apocalyptical world, weird stuff that doesn't make any sense until it sorta does and a crazy conclusion. Unless, you watched the movies that came out that deviated a bit from the books, then you may remember more. So jumping back into that world, I was hoping to get some reminders from the original trilogy to jog my memory and there are a few but I don't think this is a series you will really understand or enjoy if you don't have that base knowledge from the first trilogy.
The original survivors of the Maze runner trilogy escaped to an Island to thrive and have new generations. Only a few of the old timers are left, Frypan being one of them. But the descendants have continued on and now there is a new set of teens who will be thrown into the mainland and changes the people living there have undergone. From what we piece together, it appears there are three different factions at play and all of them are looking for the descendants of the maze for different reasons.
The Godhead people live on top of the original site of the Maze and almost worship it. We get a PoV from one character from the Godhead and her thoughts on taking it over completely. But there wasn't a lot of development of her character other than vague utterances and some other weird thing. I think those people have had some form of the flare and have mutated some powers based on it. Then there is the Remnant Nation, who want to destroy the Godhead. The Remnant Nation has a few moments in it that make it seem very cult like in a lot of ways but the most interesting PoV came from that nation, Mingho. There is a set of scientists it is hinted at out there somewhere too but no PoVs from them yet.
With around 20 characters introduced, only a few of them had PoVs but it was difficult to connect to any of the characters in such a short time. Mingho has the best development coming out of his cult to find Roxy who treats him like a son and helps to make him more human. The rest of the Glader's descendants are kind of just there and when a few died I couldn't remember why they came on the journey or who they were to any of the characters who survived.
If you liked the Maze Runner, I think there are some gems in this for you. Specifically notes from Newt's diary and seeing how he went on after being infected to live a life and have some kids. It was cool seeing how those on the Island lived for a time in peace. But there isn't much development beyond that. When we finally see the cranks, some are mindless and others have pulled themselves out of that to be better. There isn't a lot of exploration of the world and what there is, just left a lot of questions.
This is a good foundation book for some revelations in the rest of the series and I hope Dashner sorts out his characters a little more to make sure they aren't just cut outs of the characters from the original series. Interesting story and I will continue with the series in hopes it goes somewhere new and exciting.
Narration:
Mark Deakins was the narrator for the original Maze Runner trilogy so that was a bit like coming home to a voice you know for the world. He was a perfect find to continue the story. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
3.5 hearts
The Maze Cutter, the first book in the new trilogy The Maze Cutter, is set about 73 years in the future from the Maze Runner series and if you are like me you probably read that series at least 5-8 years ago and have forgotten most of the story lines other than apocalyptical world, weird stuff that doesn't make any sense until it sorta does and a crazy conclusion. Unless, you watched the movies that came out that deviated a bit from the books, then you may remember more. So jumping back into that world, I was hoping to get some reminders from the original trilogy to jog my memory and there are a few but I don't think this is a series you will really understand or enjoy if you don't have that base knowledge from the first trilogy.
The original survivors of the Maze runner trilogy escaped to an Island to thrive and have new generations. Only a few of the old timers are left, Frypan being one of them. But the descendants have continued on and now there is a new set of teens who will be thrown into the mainland and changes the people living there have undergone. From what we piece together, it appears there are three different factions at play and all of them are looking for the descendants of the maze for different reasons.
The Godhead people live on top of the original site of the Maze and almost worship it. We get a PoV from one character from the Godhead and her thoughts on taking it over completely. But there wasn't a lot of development of her character other than vague utterances and some other weird thing. I think those people have had some form of the flare and have mutated some powers based on it. Then there is the Remnant Nation, who want to destroy the Godhead. The Remnant Nation has a few moments in it that make it seem very cult like in a lot of ways but the most interesting PoV came from that nation, Mingho. There is a set of scientists it is hinted at out there somewhere too but no PoVs from them yet.
With around 20 characters introduced, only a few of them had PoVs but it was difficult to connect to any of the characters in such a short time. Mingho has the best development coming out of his cult to find Roxy who treats him like a son and helps to make him more human. The rest of the Glader's descendants are kind of just there and when a few died I couldn't remember why they came on the journey or who they were to any of the characters who survived.
If you liked the Maze Runner, I think there are some gems in this for you. Specifically notes from Newt's diary and seeing how he went on after being infected to live a life and have some kids. It was cool seeing how those on the Island lived for a time in peace. But there isn't much development beyond that. When we finally see the cranks, some are mindless and others have pulled themselves out of that to be better. There isn't a lot of exploration of the world and what there is, just left a lot of questions.
This is a good foundation book for some revelations in the rest of the series and I hope Dashner sorts out his characters a little more to make sure they aren't just cut outs of the characters from the original series. Interesting story and I will continue with the series in hopes it goes somewhere new and exciting.
"We don't know what we're dealing with Isaac. We grew up in a happy little bubble on a fairy island. We have no idea how the real world works.."
Narration:
Mark Deakins was the narrator for the original Maze Runner trilogy so that was a bit like coming home to a voice you know for the world. He was a perfect find to continue the story. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
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