Levi Hobbs > Recent Status Updates

I am absolutely blazing through these pages.

I do love it that Vis ends up making Callidus and Eidhan become friends in the end! Bully and bullied, all jolly with each other!

These ancient crypts and labyrinths are creepy as hell.

Lanista is one of those hard-asses who really grows on you after a while.

This book clips at a mad, insane pace.

Ulciscor turns into a real dick. Grief will do that to you. He’s still a dick though.

This book is just really satisfying as he moves up the ranks of the classes.

I really like that every class ranking he moves up has a different teacher with a totally different problem to pass.

This book has a strong theme of privilege and classism, thoughtfully explored in my opinion.

This is probably going to be my favorite read for this entire year! Engaging, thoughtful, love the characters, the world, the prose, everything!

I love how at first you think Eidhan is just a simple minded bully and then you discover there is so much more to him than that.

Callidus…what an interesting character.

I like that Vis is set up with extremely hard problems to solve right off the bat. No normal college experience for him.

I like how the author structured things. To make the story feel realistic, Vis needs to have a privileged background. But we give him a pass because he loses it all and has to put up with everyone using him and clawing his way forward at every step about to be killed. Good stuff. Great character.

I enjoy the “running the labyrinth“ thing. It doesn’t feel totally original but it’s different enough that it stands out as nuanced.

Lanista is kind of creepy.

Ulciscor and Vis have this interestingly layered relationship…ALMOST fatherly…but underneath that, Vis has to perform at an insane level or he’ll be sent to the sappers…it’s really brutal exploitation.

This is SO refreshingly good. What a welcome reprieve!

I love that Vis is smart. Plus, super proactive. This is a really engaging character to read!

I like where the story finds our hero: doing underground street fighting to save up enough money to make it out of this abusive orphanage.

These sappers are creepy as hell.

This Ulciscor guy is clearly up to something really interesting.

I want to know more about these Stone Eaters!

I often feel like Essun's actions are just plot conveniences, not authentic to a character.

Tonkee’s character keeps getting more interesting. And revealing more nuances to the culture. Really cool.

I gotta say, there is a character reveal that I did not see coming!

This book normalizes polygamy. Gross.

Fun to see pirates making an appearance!

I like seeing Syenite and Alabaster get a fresh start, even though I know it can’t last.

(Spoiler) I love it when they form a new com/society full of origens, looking to take advantage of the enormous upheaval and remake society anew.