Kallia

A wonderful cap to the first two books. Explains enough about what's going on to feel satisfying, without laying out a blueprint of the whole idea. Leaves plenty of mystery at the edges, plenty of things to still wonder about and turn over. But not so much that you feel left hanging by the story. A better delve into a lot of the characters and a beautiful look at the world Vandermeer has created.

Honestly it's a bit of a hodge podge. A fun read the way a bad movie can be fun, but that's about all the merit I can give it. The plot is all over the place and doesn't seem to have been incredibly well thought through. The actions of the characters often seem motivationless, even when the author is clearly trying to portray their motivations. The story manages to feel all over the place and predictable at the same time, just vaguely interesting enough to get through it. Also, the "romance" in this book is dismal, forced, and unnecessary in an egregious way. The most compelling bits are the small stories within the story.

This is not really a book I would ordinarily pick up based on content. But after reading God of the Woods I was starving for more of Liz Moore's way of constructing prose and articulating stories. The characters are so believable, there's so much depth and reality to the people and stories she creates. This book did not disappoint.

Jolly good fun, interesting enough to keep reading - not so interesting you can't put it down. The romance angle was unnecessary especially given that the author clearly understands that social bonds can be powerful and meaningful without a romantic tilt. That said it's not egregious and is more of a footnote in the story than a main theme, so it's manageable. Sort of cabin in the woods meets reality competition.