Brian

Interesting premise, but tedious execution. Every other chapter jumps back in time which breaks any narrative urgency. The heroine is the best fighter ever, a brilliant sleuth, a penniless orphan. She doesn't feel like a real person.

The setting is interesting though, and I almost care about several of the characters.

I mostly enjoyed the book. I liked the alternating chapters of history and narrative. The main character was both sympathetic and aggravating (which I like - I'm so tired of the trope of the perfect hero unjustly exiled). I did not really enjoy the big twist at the end though. It felt like deus ex machina, but maybe I was just too thick in not trying to work out the puzzle as it was revealed.

First impression: Ready Player One for gamers. (That's not a compliment). Second impression: actually deep, and I love that sassy cat.

I was close to dropping the book after the first few pages. The constant "hilarious" in-game descriptions were really off putting. The whole premise of "what if a regular person was dropped into Warcraft!" was pretty dull, too.

I kept pushing through though because I'm a sucker for a good cat character, and Princess Donut is excellent. I stayed because I do enjoy a good power leveling fantasy when the characters are also good. By the mid point I was detecting some interesting themes on voyeurism and capitalist exploitation.

For the record, though, Matthew Woodring Stover did a much better job on those topics with the Legacy of Cain series - grittier, more complex, and ultimately more horrifying.

So far, I can say I enjoy DCC, but I doubt it'll have a permanent spot on my shelf.

Charming book. It does a good job of providing an alien perspective that feels both approachable and very...alien. There were some major plot holes, and the main character is a little too good at everything, but I ultimately loved the characters and wanted to see how everything worked out.

Dnf at 25% complete. I suppose it could get better, but somehow we already have the incredibly tired tropes of

1. Hero exiled after traffic mistake
2. Weak younger sibling who has to grow up in a hurry
3. Sturdy, dependable ex soldier who is unfazed by shrewish heroine, and falls in love
4. The inn is crowded and has only 1 bed
5. A wise animal appears and leads the hunter to wisdom

I'm honestly impressed at the density of cliche in so short a span of pages. The characters felt like they were being put through the paces of a just so story. They had no life of their own.