Justin

This book is not good y'all. The characters are two dimensional, the protagonist is as bland as Bella in Twilight, the world building is flat and in nuanced. The big bad is “just like evil because she's evil ok”. I won't even touch the physical abuse that's excused or ignored by the main character.

If this is what passes for best selling fantasy fiction these days, I'll stick to the older stuff.

No new ideas, lots of assumptions about available resources (“don't have the time to start? Just spend money you don't have on door dash and house cleaners!” Does not work for someone already working 2 jobs with nothing left at the end of the month), and not than a smidgen of racism. But it's against white people so it's ok.

Night - Stark look at the reality of life in a concentration camp.
Dawn - An almost poetic look at the duality of man.
Night - Depression

4 star story. Unnecessary foul language, a Scalzi hallmark, loses a star.

Meh

Great premise, fun story (and by fun I mean fun for me, not the characters). Good novella. Five starts if you cut the unneeded sex scene.

I so wanted to like this book more. I think the author has talent but he is in desperate need of a better editor. So much repetition of themes and ideas, a good editor could have turned this into a tight, thrill ride of a mystery.

Not as good as the others. These stories work better in the novella format.

Content is 4 stars, Wheaton's narration was grating.