Darien Springer > Recent Status Updates

Pleasantly surprised at how compelling the characters and world-building is in this. Obviously inspired by Tolkien but manages to have a lively earnestness all its own.

The language takes time to parse, but the reward of doing so is gorgeous prose and a meditative, increasingly foreboding experience that attempts to explore the very axiomatic foundation of human desire. For instance, this line: "But that thing of his dissembling was only subject to his perceptibility, not to his will determinate" (p. 202). Ahab knows he is going mad but is powerless to change his doomed course.

Need to get back to this!

Man, it is nice to read a book that lets scenes play out and cares about fun, beautiful prose. Lots of great modern novels, but I think something has been lost in how many of them are trying to be as expedient as possible.

Still detailed and fascinating yet hard to read about how relentless the Zionist and anti-Palestine movement has been for the last 100+ years

The Ganymede corridor warfare plotline is incredibly tense. Poor Prax.

We've got multiple perspectives, boys. Time to cook. Seriously, this already addresses one of my main criticisms of the last book! That's a good sign.

A terrific ensemble of multi-faceted characters, more evocative exploration of the bridge realm between life and death, and a good balance between retrospective epic tales and cozy slice of life scenes. Definitely a step up from the entertaining but somewhat inessential fifth book.

Radioactive space zombies. That's my shit.

The world-building is so immaculate and detailed. Eating this book up so far.

Almost at the end. The chapter is called "Losing the Peace Incentive: Israel as Warning" which is incredibly chilling to read right now. Free Palestine.

"The Bones of the Earth" is cozy and is a great demonstration of magical might, but I feel like none of the three stories so far have hit me hard emotionally.

Solid characters and romance so far. World-building is respectable if a little thin sometimes. Even kind of steamy! Misery, the lead, is often more oblivious than makes sense, though. It takes her half of the book to realize Lowe, the werewolf romantic lead, is in to her when he is obviously batty for her immediately. Lol.