Eric Appelbaum
The best entry to DCC yet, This Inevitable Ruin highlights my favorite parts of Matt Dinniman's writing. This book spends very little time with the foot off the gas, with so many twists and turns. I laughed, I cried, and I was anxious for all of our beloved characters.
Matt Dinniman finally started to include some other perspectives with interlude chapters in this book, and they are oh, so satisfying. I've been wanting some non-Carl perspectives and the execution of that in this book was fantastic. I loved how more side characters were able to get time in the spotlight.
The quality of this book is a bump above the previous entries and has me very excited for the future (and eventual ending) of DCC, and as always the ending of this book has me waiting eagerly for the next one.
The best entry to DCC yet, This Inevitable Ruin highlights my favorite parts of Matt Dinniman's writing. This book spends very little time with the foot off the gas, with so many twists and turns. I laughed, I cried, and I was anxious for all of our beloved characters.
Matt Dinniman finally started to include some other perspectives with interlude chapters in this book, and they are oh, so satisfying. I've been wanting some non-Carl perspectives and the execution of that in this book was fantastic. I loved how more side characters were able to get time in the spotlight.
The quality of this book is a bump above the previous entries and has me very excited for the future (and eventual ending) of DCC, and as always the ending of this book has me waiting eagerly for the next one.
The best entry to DCC yet, This Inevitable Ruin highlights my favorite parts of Matt Dinniman's writing. This book spends very little time with the foot off the gas, with so many twists and turns. I laughed, I cried, and I was anxious for all of our beloved characters.
Matt Dinniman finally started to include some other perspectives with interlude chapters in this book, and they are oh, so satisfying. I've been wanting some non-Carl perspectives and the execution of that in this book was fantastic. I loved how more side characters were able to get time in the spotlight.
The quality of this book is a bump above the previous entries and has me very excited for the future (and eventual ending) of DCC, and as always the ending of this book has me waiting eagerly for the next one.
The best entry to DCC yet, This Inevitable Ruin highlights my favorite parts of Matt Dinniman's writing. This book spends very little time with the foot off the gas, with so many twists and turns. I laughed, I cried, and I was anxious for all of our beloved characters.
Matt Dinniman finally started to include some other perspectives with interlude chapters in this book, and they are oh, so satisfying. I've been wanting some non-Carl perspectives and the execution of that in this book was fantastic. I loved how more side characters were able to get time in the spotlight.
The quality of this book is a bump above the previous entries and has me very excited for the future (and eventual ending) of DCC, and as always the ending of this book has me waiting eagerly for the next one.
I went into Annihilation hoping to find a palette cleanser between longer reads. I started off reading before bed, embraced in the darkness, immersing myself in the oppressive and haunting atmosphere. What I found in that darkness was something that demanded my attention. That next day I was drawn to it, with a need to reach the end of this tale.
Jeff VanderMeer's prose is not one to be glossed over. There is a subtlety and thoughtfulness that slowed down my reading, for I feared otherwise I was missing out on what this book had to offer.
As I sit here writing this, I'm still pondering over Annihilation. How do I feel? What fears and introspection did I find in myself from this horror? Do I like what I found therein?
Ending with more questions than answers is what punctuates Annihilation. I'm not sure if the curiosity that drove me to finish this book can continue to drive me into the rest of the Southern Reach in the hope I'll reach those answers.
I went into Annihilation hoping to find a palette cleanser between longer reads. I started off reading before bed, embraced in the darkness, immersing myself in the oppressive and haunting atmosphere. What I found in that darkness was something that demanded my attention. That next day I was drawn to it, with a need to reach the end of this tale.
Jeff VanderMeer's prose is not one to be glossed over. There is a subtlety and thoughtfulness that slowed down my reading, for I feared otherwise I was missing out on what this book had to offer.
As I sit here writing this, I'm still pondering over Annihilation. How do I feel? What fears and introspection did I find in myself from this horror? Do I like what I found therein?
Ending with more questions than answers is what punctuates Annihilation. I'm not sure if the curiosity that drove me to finish this book can continue to drive me into the rest of the Southern Reach in the hope I'll reach those answers.
I went into Annihilation hoping to find a palette cleanser between longer reads. I started off reading before bed, embraced in the darkness, immersing myself in the oppressive and haunting atmosphere. What I found in that darkness was something that demanded my attention. That next day I was drawn to it, with a need to reach the end of this tale.
Jeff VanderMeer's prose is not one to be glossed over. There is a subtlety and thoughtfulness that slowed down my reading, for I feared otherwise I was missing out on what this book had to offer.
As I sit here writing this, I'm still pondering over Annihilation. How do I feel? What fears and introspection did I find in myself from this horror? Do I like what I found therein?
Ending with more questions than answers is what punctuates Annihilation. I'm not sure if the curiosity that drove me to finish this book can continue to drive me into the rest of the Southern Reach in the hope I'll reach those answers.
I went into Annihilation hoping to find a palette cleanser between longer reads. I started off reading before bed, embraced in the darkness, immersing myself in the oppressive and haunting atmosphere. What I found in that darkness was something that demanded my attention. That next day I was drawn to it, with a need to reach the end of this tale.
Jeff VanderMeer's prose is not one to be glossed over. There is a subtlety and thoughtfulness that slowed down my reading, for I feared otherwise I was missing out on what this book had to offer.
As I sit here writing this, I'm still pondering over Annihilation. How do I feel? What fears and introspection did I find in myself from this horror? Do I like what I found therein?
Ending with more questions than answers is what punctuates Annihilation. I'm not sure if the curiosity that drove me to finish this book can continue to drive me into the rest of the Southern Reach in the hope I'll reach those answers.
I went into Annihilation hoping to find a palette cleanser between longer reads. I started off reading before bed, embraced in the darkness, immersing myself in the oppressive and haunting atmosphere. What I found in that darkness was something that demanded my attention. That next day I was drawn to it, with a need to reach the end of this tale.
Jeff VanderMeer's prose is not one to be glossed over. There is a subtlety and thoughtfulness that slowed down my reading, for I feared otherwise I was missing out on what this book had to offer.
As I sit here writing this, I'm still pondering over Annihilation. How do I feel? What fears and introspection did I find in myself from this horror?
I went into Annihilation hoping to find a palette cleanser between longer reads. I started off reading before bed, embraced in the darkness, immersing myself in the oppressive and haunting atmosphere. What I found in that darkness was something that demanded my attention. That next day I was drawn to it, with a need to reach the end of this tale.
Jeff VanderMeer's prose is not one to be glossed over. There is a subtlety and thoughtfulness that slowed down my reading, for I feared otherwise I was missing out on what this book had to offer.
As I sit here writing this, I'm still pondering over Annihilation. How do I feel? What fears and introspection did I find in myself from this horror?
The 6th entry into the DCC universe, The Eye of the Bedlam Bride is a showcase of the full breadth of Matt Dinniman's style he's been come to be known for in DCC. While this book included some aspects I dislike, such as the way he chooses to hide information, it also showcased some of the best. "Bedlam" is an apt word, as Matt Dinniman is able to write scenes of absolute chaos, capturing them in a way where I can feel Carl's panic. Scenes and details of action on the periphery fly by as Carl does not have the capacity to focus on everything around him. But the picture is always painted so well that I seldom feel more lost in the action than Carl himself.
At times I felt myself dissatisfied with the direction some events were unfolding and how certain parts of the floor were being utilized; however, by the end everything felt right. Everything has its purpose. Looking back, I see how the way this floor was designed lent itself to the narrative that was told. One of the things that I think is done outstandingly is how the Dungeon exists as a tool of storytelling: by the AI, by the Borant Corporation, and by Matt himself.
I'm excited for the emotional rollercoaster yet to come. We are set up for one hell of a ride in the next book.
The 6th entry into the DCC universe, The Eye of the Bedlam Bride is a showcase of the full breadth of Matt Dinniman's style he's been come to be known for in DCC. While this book included some aspects I dislike, such as the way he chooses to hide information, it also showcased some of the best. "Bedlam" is an apt word, as Matt Dinniman is able to write scenes of absolute chaos, capturing them in a way where I can feel Carl's panic. Scenes and details of action on the periphery fly by as Carl does not have the capacity to focus on everything around him. But the picture is always painted so well that I seldom feel more lost in the action than Carl himself.
At times I felt myself dissatisfied with the direction some events were unfolding and how certain parts of the floor were being utilized; however, by the end everything felt right. Everything has its purpose. Looking back, I see how the way this floor was designed lent itself to the narrative that was told. One of the things that I think is done outstandingly is how the Dungeon exists as a tool of storytelling: by the AI, by the Borant Corporation, and by Matt himself.
I'm excited for the emotional rollercoaster yet to come. We are set up for one hell of a ride in the next book.
A solid second outing of our Holmes-and-Watson, Ana and Din. We find our duo on a new frontier town of Yarrow, not quite part of the empire, following a high profile disappearance. But I found A Drop of Corruption to be a step behind the first entry in several aspects.
The mystery oftentimes felt less accessible in the sense that certain details were indecipherable until we learn enough about Yarrow; however we aren't allowed to sit on our revelation and speculate as the details are immediately explained how they relate to the mystery. These points felt told to you far too soon, and left not much room for you to get that satisfaction from being correct. I felt Ana inconsistent in this book, torn between frustration at being in the dark - due in part to the aforementioned delay of information regarding Yarrow and it's goings on - while still being shown to have predicted much of the truth far before we learn of it. I shared in her frustrations, as it felt some of the ways Robert Jackson Bennett chose to obfuscate the mystery were cliche and unsatisfying.
The characters were not so immediately engaging as those of the first book, and I felt like I didn't get to know some characters well despite the amount of time spent with them.
I did still enjoy A Drop of Corruption, and I absolutely look forward to the third entry. This book had a lot of great ideas and themes - expounded upon in his author's note - that I saw shining through his writing and story. With a more buttoned up execution I think this next entry has the potential to knock it out of the park.
A solid second outing of our Holmes-and-Watson, Ana and Din. We find our duo on a new frontier town of Yarrow, not quite part of the empire, following a high profile disappearance. But I found A Drop of Corruption to be a step behind the first entry in several aspects.
The mystery oftentimes felt less accessible in the sense that certain details were indecipherable until we learn enough about Yarrow; however we aren't allowed to sit on our revelation and speculate as the details are immediately explained how they relate to the mystery. These points felt told to you far too soon, and left not much room for you to get that satisfaction from being correct. I felt Ana inconsistent in this book, torn between frustration at being in the dark - due in part to the aforementioned delay of information regarding Yarrow and it's goings on - while still being shown to have predicted much of the truth far before we learn of it. I shared in her frustrations, as it felt some of the ways Robert Jackson Bennett chose to obfuscate the mystery were cliche and unsatisfying.
The characters were not so immediately engaging as those of the first book, and I felt like I didn't get to know some characters well despite the amount of time spent with them.
I did still enjoy A Drop of Corruption, and I absolutely look forward to the third entry. This book had a lot of great ideas and themes - expounded upon in his author's note - that I saw shining through his writing and story. With a more buttoned up execution I think this next entry has the potential to knock it out of the park.
An excellent execution of a fantastical murder mystery. We follow our Sherlock Holmes-ian duo Ana and Din through the outskirts of the Empire, with an oppressive gloom of looming threat. The Tainted Cup is a master class in how to unveil, bit by bit, the roots of this plot. Robert Jackson Bennett leaves you enough to solve parts yourself, without giving too much away. But the true strong point is the cast of characters, who I only needed a few pages with before I could vividly imagine them and their lives. I look forward to the continuation of the investigations of Ana and Din.
An excellent execution of a fantastical murder mystery. We follow our Sherlock Holmes-ian duo Ana and Din through the outskirts of the Empire, with an oppressive gloom of looming threat. The Tainted Cup is a master class in how to unveil, bit by bit, the roots of this plot. Robert Jackson Bennett leaves you enough to solve parts yourself, without giving too much away. But the true strong point is the cast of characters, who I only needed a few pages with before I could vividly imagine them and their lives. I look forward to the continuation of the investigations of Ana and Din.