Trey

As with too many Liberal/Progressive writers he fails to make much effort at understanding, let alone steelmanning, the views of his conservative or libertarian opposition. And while there are several interesting ideas and a ton of compelling anecdotes and data, it's overshadowed by his own partisan views.

This is a fun series and the final books really pay off. #10 and #11 are my favorites and made reading all the reason worth it.

Horror like this isn't really my thing, but I feel like this is a very solid follow up to Shirley Jackson... and it makes a bit more sense.

Don't know if this really deserves five stars but this kind of contemporary fantasy is exactly what I was looking for when I bought the book.

Can't wait for the next one!!

Really debated over whether to give this three or four stars. Three because it's so long and so dark and depressing. But four because the mastery of the craft — particularly voice and perspective — is incredible.

Not my typical cup of tea.

Reminds me a lot of The Stand.

Loved the Jack Reacher “cameos”

This book is complicated and subtle. I will have to try to read it again sometime when I can focus on it.

Completely predictable.

I don't read a lot of graphic novels these days, so when I'm thinking about my expectations for this sort of format, I'm really running on memories from when I actively collected superhero comics (Marvel, primarily) back in middle school and high school.

This is not that.

First, the art in this book is really nice. The variation between finely rendered areas of focus and impressionistic backgrounds and action is really delightful. Overall, it's lush and creative. It's beautiful unlike so many graphic novels and comics I've tried to read over the years.

The story is really different. It's a blend between eastern mythology, anime forms, and western epic fantasy tropes. Creative and intriguing.

But I did find it a little on the slow side. This is where it may be that my own expectations ruined the experience. It's hard for me to remember that when you're reading comics issue by issue, the pacing is perceived to be very, very different. Same with watching an anime series like, say, DragonballZ. If you binge – or read the comic as an omnibus like I did with this one, it sort of staggers along and the pacing is strange.

But overall, a really great read. I may pick up subsequent volumes later.

I don't know if this ties into actual mythology, but this is one of those stories where the myth is told from some else's perspective.

This is one of those thought experiment sort of novels where something fantastic happens and the story explores how different people and society at large responds to the change. See also The Power.

It's tough to read this through the constant political statements, although there's a sort of logic to that. The worst part is the abrupt resolution to the conflict.

Interesting concepts, but I actively disliked all of the characters.

There's so much bullshit in these books, but the way this one ended was actually really strong.

Tory was right to reject Darius. I said what I said. All these people need to learn a lesson in consent and not to use other people as props.

But why was Darcy concerned that a cyclops would read Tory's mind about her and Lance? Their Phoenix powers are supposed to make them immune. Also, someone needs to explain why a teacher-student relationship between adults is actually THAT bad.

Gritty, but I loved the complexity and world-building.

Couldn't get into this one. The thing that pushed me over the edge was when Misery says, “my heart was doing the most in my chest.” The contemporary slang landed very badly in my ear.

Made it 19% and DNF

I should have read more descriptions of the book because I expected a medical science thriller, but this is actually about a man's battle with a shady insurance company, which is... not thrilling to me.

After the last one, I almost gave up on this series for good. So many of the most recent books are more focused on the smut than on the story of plot. This one gets back to more of an urban fantasy story and it's much appreciated. There's still some kink, but it's less of a centerpiece than usual.

So, it'll be a while before I pick up the next one, but I guess I won't write the series off completely... yet.

These books have become way too light on story and plot for the sake of way too much improbable sex.

I initially loved this book. The magic system is interesting. I actually liked the footnotes. I liked the underlying tension.

And then the preaching started.

At 62%, I knew I couldn't give it more than 3 stars.

Now that I've completed it, I hate it. It has huge potential, but it's ruined by the author's urge to lecture. If you hated Atlas Shrugged for the speeches, this is didactic like that, but lacks the clarity or hope.

And, of course, there's all the little r racism. Lack of power doesn't excuse the moral corruption.

A punch in the gut for me

Narrated by Hoid. I dislike Hoid. But I like everything else about this book. It's just SO MUCH Hoid.

Wikipedia says of Don Quixote, “it is often labeled as the first modern novel and one of the greatest works ever written.”

The first point would be something I'd be interested in hearing debated. There are a number of aspects to the book – the highly unreliable narrator(s), the stories within the story, etc – that I think can be cited as markers of a modern novel found in Quixote; but, I'm not sure what other novels it is up against for the claim.

The second claim is just bullshit.

This book was actually published in two parts and the first part is aimless, jerky, and annoying. The second part is actually a bit more sophisticated, I think, and it opens by trying to address some of the plotholes from the first part. But the second part is more cynical than the first, and still very annoying.

Nevertheless, I find almost all the characters obnoxious in some way or another. My favorite is probably Sancho Panza, but he is either genuinely stupid or deliberately stupid. In any case, dude is a dumbass. But Quixote himself is deluded, self-righteous, insulting, stupid, rude, and fickle. Various other characters – like the Duke and Duchess – entertain Quixote and his delusions (Along with Sancho who agrees to go along with said delusions in hopes of getting rich) just so they can make fun of Quixote.

The plot is aimless. I don't find there to be much real character development or change. It's as if the episodes are written for pure absurdism rather than the development of any particular theme.

I understand the interest in the book. There are lots of layers to it even if ham-handedly executed. And it reveals a lot about 17th century Spain. Thanks, I would argue, to its lack of focus, there are a lot of details to pick at, analyze, and understand as revealing some aspects of Cervantes' life and times.

But to call it the greatest book ever written is as absurd as Quixote's own adventures. If someone tried to publish this today, it would be scourged by critics and abandoned by readers. I promise you: the art of the novel has progressed significantly in the last half millennium.

I'm happy to have listened to the audiobook. I hated the book itself. I enjoyed thinking about the book as a book and historical document, though.

Would not recommend unless you're interested in such things.

Insanely beautiful writing. Haunting. Heart-breaking.

I am so mad at this.