Chris
Dungeon Crawler Carl continues to offer up crazy adventures and bizarre characters in the second installment. It’s slightly frustrating for it to be considered a second book, when really the series is one continuous story. There’s no closure at the end of one book.
But whatever, it is what it is, and Dinniman is very good at what it is. I am excited to see what happens to our heroes next, so I’m never bored or unsatisfied. I also appreciate the throughline of Carl’s resistance to the game and the people running it. He won’t let them break him.
Dungeon Crawler Carl continues to offer up crazy adventures and bizarre characters in the second installment. It’s slightly frustrating for it to be considered a second book, when really the series is one continuous story. There’s no closure at the end of one book.
But whatever, it is what it is, and Dinniman is very good at what it is. I am excited to see what happens to our heroes next, so I’m never bored or unsatisfied. I also appreciate the throughline of Carl’s resistance to the game and the people running it. He won’t let them break him.
I was sold on Rainbows End as a great book about AI, but it’s not really. As best I can describe, it’s Vinge’s version of Snow Crash, a portrayal of the absurdity of the future that he sees coming. For that, he does a fantastic job. Wearable computing and a person’s contacts showing them what a thing should look like instead of the blandness underneath.
However, the plot felt clunky and unfocused and some of the future-tech explanations were confusing. I still enjoyed Vinge’s writing but this was not what I expected, unfortunately.
I was sold on Rainbows End as a great book about AI, but it’s not really. As best I can describe, it’s Vinge’s version of Snow Crash, a portrayal of the absurdity of the future that he sees coming. For that, he does a fantastic job. Wearable computing and a person’s contacts showing them what a thing should look like instead of the blandness underneath.
However, the plot felt clunky and unfocused and some of the future-tech explanations were confusing. I still enjoyed Vinge’s writing but this was not what I expected, unfortunately.
I no longer know what to make of the Red Rising series. I loved the original trilogy, but was less taken by Iron Gold. Dark Age feels like more of the same. After a tidy and rewarding end in the original trilogy, Brown has gone all in on the flair for dramatics that made the series so fun.
Early on in this book, the MC describes another as "horny for violence", and honestly that's a fantastic encapsulation of the entire series. While it originally felt like a way to define itself beyond The Hunger Games comparisons, now it's become its own absurd calling card. Every experience of the main characters needs to be as gruesome as possible, although they themselves gleefully slaughter enemies in the thousands without a passing thought. It's over the top, but it works for the world Brown has created, although I find myself more tired of it than in the past.
One big weakness in the book, besides its length, is Lysander essentially gaining supernatural abilities to make him a better foil for Darrow. Which, sure, I get. I can see how down the road it will end up as a very satisfying arc for the characters, but in the moment it feels extra cheesy. Brown makes this worse by putting Lysander through absurdly lethal situations and he makes it out of each with ease. I suppose the same could be said for Darrow in every book, but it fits with his character never giving up. With Lysander it just feels clunky.
In conclusion, I've written far more about this book than I ever expected. In comparison to the original trilogy, the newer books have taken a dip in quality. Dark Age feels decidedly "mid".
I no longer know what to make of the Red Rising series. I loved the original trilogy, but was less taken by Iron Gold. Dark Age feels like more of the same. After a tidy and rewarding end in the original trilogy, Brown has gone all in on the flair for dramatics that made the series so fun.
Early on in this book, the MC describes another as "horny for violence", and honestly that's a fantastic encapsulation of the entire series. While it originally felt like a way to define itself beyond The Hunger Games comparisons, now it's become its own absurd calling card. Every experience of the main characters needs to be as gruesome as possible, although they themselves gleefully slaughter enemies in the thousands without a passing thought. It's over the top, but it works for the world Brown has created, although I find myself more tired of it than in the past.
One big weakness in the book, besides its length, is Lysander essentially gaining supernatural abilities to make him a better foil for Darrow. Which, sure, I get. I can see how down the road it will end up as a very satisfying arc for the characters, but in the moment it feels extra cheesy. Brown makes this worse by putting Lysander through absurdly lethal situations and he makes it out of each with ease. I suppose the same could be said for Darrow in every book, but it fits with his character never giving up. With Lysander it just feels clunky.
In conclusion, I've written far more about this book than I ever expected. In comparison to the original trilogy, the newer books have taken a dip in quality. Dark Age feels decidedly "mid".
A bite-sized reinvigoration of our connection to the earth and the natural reciprocal relationships we resist in the interest of market share. Robin Wall Kimmerer is at once asking more of us but in the compassionate correction of a well-practiced schoolteacher. Well worth revisiting on a regular basis.
A bite-sized reinvigoration of our connection to the earth and the natural reciprocal relationships we resist in the interest of market share. Robin Wall Kimmerer is at once asking more of us but in the compassionate correction of a well-practiced schoolteacher. Well worth revisiting on a regular basis.