Karl Davis
Very Not Good
Badly written, characters have no real depth, plot is honestly kind of boring. Did not finish the book, after over 90%.
Did Not Finish
The writing is OK, but the pacing is atrociously slow. The characterization is also pretty inconsistent as well: the MC bounces back-and-forth between mature and immature with no apparent rhyme or reason.
Ultimately, it just doesn't hold my attention.
Did Not Finish: Too Ridiculous
I really tried to give this book a chance. But I just can't finish this thing (got to 30%). It's just a little too silly for me, and not ha ha silly, but wow that's a not great idea silly. The space blizzard, in particular, is what keeps tripping me up: knocks me out of disbelief suspension.
Did not finish: more screenplay than novel but not in a good way
The pacing in this, at least for the first 8% that I've bothered to read, is pretty bad. Makes it read a lot more like a screenplay than a novel and not in a good way. Very shallow characterization also. “Bratty young kid” is definitely a vibe, but not necessarily one that's fun to read about.
Did not finish... just wasn't very compelling
Got to 73%. It's not bad, might even be mildly good, but it's a pretty long way from great. My main issue was the pacing, which felt way way way too fast. Just blew right through stuff and didn't really give anything a chance to breathe.
Did not finish at 45%
Just not for me, I think: very focused on numbers/it's made up game system, without enough compensatory focus on character or plot.
Not for Me
Did not finish at 38%. Writing wasn't bad but not very good, either. Kept pulling me out. Not for me.
Did Not Finish
Put the book down for a bit and just never came back to it. The writing was a little too unsophisticated for my taste I think. Maybe it's a reading age/level thing? Don't really know.
Surprisingly and Surpassingly Excellent
I read a lot of fantasy — embarrassingly so — and I don't rate many books at five stars, and I leave far fewer written reviews but this deserves both. Easily one of the best things I've ever read.
I will also mention that I despise grim-dark books and novels where the characters lack a moral compass. Despite the premise, this book is neither. I was surprised to find it one off the more heartwarming things I've read recently.
Delightful.
Just an entertaining, standalone novel. Very similar theme to James Cameron's Avatar movie.
Absolutely delightful. Loved that it didn't take itself too seriously, but nonetheless had a fantastic amount of depth.
And naming the book's protagonist “Hiro” is just absolutely brilliant.
A rough start for the first... quarter or so of the book. Just a bit confusing until all of the threads and timelines being jumped between are pretty well solidified in your head.
That said, this was a fantastic novel. Not as fun as Snow Crash, but absolutely fascinating. Definitely deserves all of the praise it's received over the years.
I like the setting, and the writing. However, it seems like the entire book is an endless series of the main character doing dumb things– obviously dumb things. And not in a funny way, either.
This is one of the very very very few books that I've just stopped reading partway through.
did not finish at 8%
Just not a big fan of Magic School books. The first person narration style is also pretty dry. It reads a lot more like a travel journal than it does a story.
Could not Finish
Could only force myself through about 53% of the book. Very plot-driven, with shallow characters doing bizarre things to just move the plot along.
Unexpected Delight
I did not expect much out of this book, and relatedly ignored recommendations for it. As it turns out, that was my loss: it's delightful. Full of heart and fun.
Meh... Kinda Entertaining
Kind of poorly written, but somewhat entertaining. I'm willing to keep reading the series, anyways. Worth noting that it's a bit sexist.
Read this book and the next. It was alright, but a bit dark, and a bit weird.
Just not my thing, really.
Not for Me
Only got about 9% of the way end of the book before I decided it's not really my thing. A bit too focused on religious themes, and not particularly well written.
Just not well-written
Story was vaguely interesting, but writing was very shallow. Main character is also a bit of a sociopath, and it's not clear the author realizes that.
Nor Really My Kind of Thing but Excellent Nonetheless
I was pretty skeptical of this book until somewhere around the 80% mark. But it really struck the landing: excellent climax and excellent ending.
Mostly Okay Except for Consent Issues
It's an alright smutty story, with some glaring problems around consent / ... mind rape? Pretty gross, made it hard to empathize with main character.
Got Tired of It
Somewhere around 11% of Book 4, I just got... tired of this. Felt a lot like reading a world building manual, except the rules change every third chapter.
I like the setting, and the writing. However, it seems like the entire book is an endless series of the main character doing dumb things– obviously dumb things. And not in a funny way, either.
By itself, not great. The first three books of the series as a whole though, are 4/5 stars.