Review to be posted on my blog forgotsecondbreakfast.wordpress.com

"Vagrants showing up where you live will ruin your day.  Not me, of course.  A girl like me tends to ruin your whole week."  

My Rating: 5 fucking stars 10 fucking stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit books for providing me with this ARC!

Okay so let's just get into this !
This book fucked me up and was SUch a goddamn ride
I had no idea where the plot was headed, and the frame story outline of this book keeps you on your fucking toes
The way every mystery surrounding Sal and this story is revealed So Goddamn Slowly? It fucked me up !
the fucking way Sam Sykes writes action and combat what the fuck
I've never been so invested in action scenes in books, and I actually think that writing compelling, entertaining stretches of combat is one of the hardest things and fuck this book really nails it I think it's the best and most entertaining string of fight scene after fight scene I've ever read it was like watching incredible movie action sequences or well-played video game fights with cinematic cut scenes except better ???
And so much of that is thanks to our gal Sal and her voice
Holy fuck do I love her as a protagonist
She has the biggest dick energy of them all
Never have I seen such a well-executed "damaged loveable asshole" character and she's a fucking woman
When the fuck do you get to see that
Case in point:
"I know what you're thinking.  "Gosh, she really ought to wear armor or something, given the rate at which she gets injured."  To which I have two answers.  the first being: Fuck you, I look fabulous."  
And her character is not just a "oh I'm a loveable asshole who is damaged but actually does no wrong and is a lawful good character masquerading as a chaotic neutral character" like no no folks she is charming and real and Flawed
Jeff
Also holy motherfuck of reveals did I mention how brilliantly the answers and non-answers in this book come together
Also bisexual rep is Here for us
This book was such a fucking ride and I'm still reeling from it I slammed through it and definitely said "oh shit" and "oh fuck" out loud quite a few times while reading
Please please please read it if you're a fan of anything from fantasy books, RPG video games, Dungeons and Dragons, and just a fucking good time
I cannot recommend this highly enough it is absolutely a new favorite of mine and I will sing its praises nonstop
That's all !!! Fucking read this book!!!!

Disclaimer: An advanced copy of this book was provided to me free on NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

WHAT I LOVED: There was so much to love about the style of this book, starting with the voice. I wasn't sure how much I would like the change in POVs on the alternative chapters--the book goes from first person, with Sal the Cacophony as the anti-heroine, to third, where a soldier of the Revolution interrogates Sal--though, make no mistake, it's always Sal who's in the lead, no matter which point of view you're in. The Revolution soldier wants to find a character named Cavric, and, as I'll detail below, that was really my only beef with the book. As a whole, though, I ended up loving it. I almost longed for those third person sections because even the small characters in the book are interesting and unique, and I wanted more.

I also enjoyed the romance between Sal and Liette immensely. It wasn't a fairy tale love, and it wasn't a trope; it was real and harsh and wonderful. Sal's point of view made it even more poignant, because no matter what Liette actually thought, colored through Sal's eyes she was both in pain and disappointed in the woman she'd fallen in love with. But Liette wasn't a stick-figure love interest. She was smart and a little angry, and I loved that about her.

Oddly, Sal's relationship with the Cacophony (her gun) was equally as impressive. There was no question in my mind that the Cacophony had as much of a hold on Sal as Liette (and Sal's need for vengeance) did.

But my favorite part of the story had to be the world-building. Set in a steampunk-like world, where swords (even one named Jeff) and locomotives abound, it was detailed enough that I believed every part. From the Revolution to the vagrants, each faction had their own reality, their own beliefs. The villains and the heroes were equally important, equally as interesting. And the magic...oh, the magic. From beginning to end, it's the magic that captured my attention. It was almost scientific in its execution, and that, for me, was the best part. (Picture a gun that shoots a Hoarfrost bullet.)

WHAT I WANTED LESS OF: This one is a tough one for me to answer without spoiling the book. Before I finished the story, you could have heard me rave about it being too long. Every time we came back to the separate POV, you might have noticed the steam coming out of my head. Perhaps you caught me muttering, "But where IS Cavric?" as I gnashed my teeth together. If you asked me then, I would have said it could have been shorter. It could have gotten to the point in a quicker time with far fewer pages.

But by the time I finished the story, I understood that the point was never what I thought it was. Sam Sykes expertly weaved this story over, under, and around me, and I didn't get it until it slapped me in the face. I'm going to stick by my original assessment that mayyyybe it could have been a little shorter. But overall, the extra pages served to do exactly what the writer--and what Sal--wanted all along. I am greatly looking forward to the next two books in the trilogy!

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

seven blades in black (Sam Sykes)
Title: seven blades in black
Author: Sam Sykes
Publisher: Orbit Books
Publication Date: TODAY!! (paperback/e-book)
ISBN: 978-0316363433
Source: NetGalley

While I enjoyed this book, it didn't completely float me boat.  I think that this stems from me misconception that this was a standalone novel.  After finishing this, I really do wish it was and I even know what the ending could have been.  But I can hardly fault the author for writing a series can I?

I absolutely did love the main character, Sal the Cacophony.  She is sarcastic, fierce, intelligent, stubborn, destructive, obnoxious, full of self-preservation, and kinda insane.  I dig it.  Sal is out for revenge.  She is basically an outlaw who hunts down outlaw magicians for money and said revenge.  With an AWESOME gun that might not be completely inert and a sword named Jeff!  So why does Sal want revenge?  I am not going to tell ye wretches that!

The world building in this one be fun.  It has the feel of both a western and a fantasy.  Basically there are four crazy factions - 1) the Empire with its magicians; 2) the Revolutionaries with their machines; 3) the Scar with its independent "neutral" city-states; and 4) the Vagrants who be renegade magicians with allegiance to nobody but themselves.  I loved the magic in this world and how the trade for power works.  This was one of the best aspects of the novel.  I also very much enjoyed the other characters of Cavric, the proud, honorable soldier and Liette, the anti-social, book-loving scientist.  I loved the ridiculously long and poetic names given to people of a certain standing.  I even really enjoyed the framing of the story as Sal is in jail about to be shot for treason with the reader receiving her "confession."

But this did have problems.  The book really moved up until the 50% mark and then the plot and pace slowed down substantially.  Seriously, several large portions of the section from 50 - 75% could have been removed with no real change to the story.  There was a large reveal that I thought was coming (it was) and it irked me.  But then the author did some interesting things after that which drew me back into the story.  And there was Sal.  I loved her for the most part but she got repetitive A LOT in terms of both bravado and self-loathing after the half-way point.  That could have been toned down a whole bunch for the sake of flow.  And I was confused when the story didn't end like the writing led ye to believe it would.

I am glad I got to read this as I really did love the magic systems and Sal.  While I would have preferred a standalone story, I be interested in reading the next book in the series.  Just be forewarned should ye pick this up and go into it with the correct expectations.  Cause the magic and Sal be worth it

.So lastly . . .Thank ye Orbit Books!

Goodreads has this to say about the novel:

Among humans, none have power like mages. And among mages, none have will like Sal the Cacophony. Once revered, now vagrant, she walks a wasteland scarred by generations of magical warfare. The Scar, a land torn between powerful empires, is where rogue mages go to disappear, disgraced soldiers go to die and Sal went with a blade, a gun and a list of names she intended to use both on. But vengeance is a flame swift extinguished. Betrayed by those she trusted most, her magic torn from her and awaiting execution, Sal the Cacophony has one last tale to tell before they take her head. All she has left is her name, her story and the weapon she used to carved both. Vengeance is its own reward.

To visit the author’s website go to:
Sam Sykes - Author

To buy the novel go to:seven blades in black - Book

To add to Goodreads go to:Yer Ports for Plunder List

How does an author decide the amount of information to dole out to the reader? When and how much? These are thoughts that I've had in my head over and over again as a make my way through a novel. What do I need to be happening in the forefront to keep the action and plot moving, but at the same time what is needed to add depth and overall fulfillment. You can't have a character hacking people for no reason! Further thoughts: How connected is this protagonist to the world building? And how does the writing keep the tension in both protagonist's internal conflict and external conflict? I know, a lot of questions, but at times Seven Blades in Black made me contemplate writing just as much as the action on the page. 

The story at is framed as an interrogation: the outcast mage, Sal the Cacophony has been caught and she knows things. Each drip of information allows her execution to be postponed a little while longer. Sal's tale of revenge and a past plot by rogue mages on the crown pull you through the book. And as you could probably tell from my above rant, I was at times frustrated with the storytelling, but there were several factors that kept me reading. 

There were two draws for me in this book. Sal is a complex character who has all the balls and moxie and mouth to match. Full of dirty jokes, insults, and quips, she's tough in character and in physicality. But Sykes draws several good scenes that show a side of her that creates a fullness. Sal has a partner in a Freemaker named Liette. This is a relationship that involves shocked honesty, forced trust, and sometime romance. Sal is required to establish a hardshell on the battlefriend and in the face of conflict, but Liette demands her true self.

The other parts of the book that I enjoyed are the many episodes or challenges that Sal conveys during the course of the interrogation. Originally arrested for the death of a soldier, she begins to weave an intricate story of vengeance. Set mostly in the Scar, a devastated land that has been the site of an ongoing war for decades. Each stop gets Sal closer to her goal of crossing off all the people who have crossed her.

My biggest criticism that I have alluded to is the fact that it wasn't until page 300 that the reader gets any real explanation of the past conflicts between the two warring empires. And that explanation was only about a page and half... It's a lot to put on both the reader and the main character. It's good that Sal is such a strong character whose actions can carry the the main plot for most part. But there is a real gap in world building that made the book suffer a bit. I'm not asking for every plot line to be explained. There has to be some mystery, but what happens when the whole book suffers from holding off and holding out for too long?

Seven Blades in Black is an intricate and enjoyable character-study that at times suffers from Sykes attempt to keep the reader in the dark for a little too long.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

3 out of 5 stars

I would like to start with the cover - the cover is one of the best covers I have seen in a while in fantasy. In a world where graphic covers rule the genre - it was refreshing to see a beautifully rendered painting. The color scheme and the subject is just superb! Lauren (art director of Orbit) and Jeremy Willson (the artist) created a one of a kind beautiful cover that I honestly wouldn’t mind hanging on my wall.

Now onto the book itself. Seven Blades in Black is my first Sam Sykes novel. I have heard a lot of great things about the writer and I was very excited to dive into this novel. However, while I liked it well enough, it took me a very long time to get into the story. I really did like Sal the Cacophony - she’s funny, witty, snarky and just a great MC. I also really appreciate that she is gay (or at least bisexual as this is a first book in the series and the reader doesn’t know everything). The main reason why I struggled with the book is that it moves REALLY fast - I mean videogame fast. I know that Sam said this series was his love letter to The Final Fantasy and it truly is, with many of the same elements - but it moves at a dizzying speed. Furthermore, I found the whole magic system really complicated and hard to follow. I had to reread the passages a few times and then think about what/how the magic would work - it really took me out of the story and did not let me enjoy the book.

I think that anyone who loves fast paced fantasy or Sam’s previous work will really enjoy it. I really appreciate Orbit letting me read and review this book.

What a ride. Sal the Cacophony is out for revenge. She just has a habit of leaving bodies and destruction in her wake. This book perfectly harmonizes beautiful prose, exciting action, fantastic world building, and a character you love to hate and hate to love.

I received a free copy of SEVEN BLADES IN BLACK by Sam Sykes from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Sal the Cacophony is a Vagrant, which you e-v-e-n-t-u-a-l-l-y learn is, basically, a Ronin. Sal used to serve the Empire, but, now, she and her magical weapon hunt others like her. Meanwhile, the Empire, the Revolutionaries, anti-magic cults, and other Vagrants hunt Sal. Sal, captured by the Revolutionaries, is telling her story to an interrogator while she awaits her imminent execution.

LGBT. There were not any detailed erotic scenes, but the main character is clearly either gay or bisexual. There was no notice of the LGBT content in the book’s description. The book contains a significant number of f-bombs; it was a staple of the Sal’s vocabulary. It took seemingly f-o-r-e-v-e-r to get any context for the story, so I started out confused about what was going on and stayed that way for the same f-o-r-e-v-e-r. I never connected with the characters. I didn’t find either Sal or her tale interesting, so I wasn’t invested in the outcome of the story. My only wish 30% into the novel was that the book would hurry up and end; it didn’t, so I closed the file and will not be finishing the book. Though I obviously did not like it, I appreciate the opportunity try the novel.

I got an advance copy of this from NetGalley. This is a short, spoiler-free review.

Overall, a solid book. Funny, good characters, fast-paced, interesting narrative structure. A lot of fantasy books suffer from seeding "mysteries" about the past or lore and not adequately answering them, but I think this book struck a great balance of getting you to wonder about what happened years ago and then actually telling you in a meaningful way. Of course, not everything was answered, but some tantalizing clues were dropped on just about everything I was wondering about. Have to save some things for future books, after all.

Anyway, the world building and magic system were well thought out. There were some nice twists, and it definitely had me wondering what was going to happen right up to the very end. I was really rooting for the main character throughout. I just wished she would get over herself sometimes.

I received an eARC of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to them and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

So, this book is awesome. Feel free to just stop here and go put this book on your TBR pile now but if you need more reasons: revenge, giant sassy birds that people ride, magic, warring empires, creepy other-worldly things, blood, love and stuff, and A LOT of giggles, chuckles, grins and knowing nods. This was my first book by this author so I wasn’t sure what to expect (by the way, do yourself a favor and follow him on Twitter) but I loved this story so I’m definitely picking up more of his stuff. Think of Kill Bill with mages and communists and throw in a dash of a western with an anime vibe, but with much more humor…you know, that ol’ nutshell. I was instantly drawn in by the writing and I loved how the story unfolded. The main character Sal is such a complex badass lady gunslinger with a quick wit and an even quicker gun. There was so much action and suspense and heartbreak and the magic system was really fascinating. This book was so dynamic, I’d be laughing, then creeped out, then amped up during the fight scenes, then emotionally gut-punched, then back to laughing. Seriously, it’s a ride. This is definitely going to be one of my favorite books this year. Guys. For real. Read this book.

an interesting world Sam has built up, with giant beasts, amazing armors, an insane set of magics.. I enjoyed the main character, a deeply flawed, angry vengeful person.. but some of the secondaries seemed somehow cheated in life being dragged along in her wake. I really look forward to more in this world to see it fleshed out more (more of the world, its people, its problems and marvels).

I always find it interesting when narrative is told in a different way.. Sam (Author) has Sal (Character) telling the story to someone, and using the framework of an opera (somewhat subverted)

I keep wanting to call this book "Fun" but it is very dark, and has you worried for the characters, and the world far too frequently to be fun.. There are a lot of funny quips, insults and the like, but so much pain and fear in the book as well.

Definitely recommend the book, and I look forward to more in the Scar.

Sal the Cacophony is a Vagrant and a mage hunter. She hunts down other Vagrants or rogue mages that have left the Imperium. Along with her gun the Cacophony, which just happens to shoot spells, she haunts the desert searching for these people as well as a list of 30 people that wronged her in the past. Can she find the 7 main culprits before they cause a huge event to happen in the scar. Only time will tell.

So where to start with an actual review of this brilliant new take on fantasy. This is like the old west, meets game of thrones, meets kill bill. Yeah its really that good, and possibly goes down as the best book I have read so far this year I truly loved this book.

What I didn't like about this book:

Really there was only a couple of things that would take this book from what could have been a 5 star rating from me to a 4.5 or even 4.75 rating. First was the length of the book. Normally I am all for long and epic fantasy books, if its needed. There were times especially towards the end of this book that I really just wanted it to end so I could find out what was really going on with Sal, was her real plan was, however the killing of the 5 names on her list just kept going. I loved everything up to the last maybe 100 pages of the book.

The other thing that kinda brought the book down a bit was, that its all well and good to have a self hating main character and even a character that may not be truly honest but at times I think Sal was a bit too hard on herself and too focused on just getting her revenge to see what was truly in front of her with Liette.

What I liked about this book:

Pretty much everything else about this book was perfection. I had no idea I needed this book in my life. The whole book just seemed so fresh and new and very well built.

Sykes does a great job of worldbuilding. Creating this new place that I wanted to keep devouring. I wanted to know what was going to happen to Sal, and the Cacophony. I looked forward to reading the book, and wanted to devour this world. I just kept wondering, is this earth, is this in the future or the past. How can they have guns and magic and still work, but it does. Oh does it ever.

Overall a fantastic book, that I would highly recommend to anyone that loves epic fantasy, or even a good western. By the way am I the only person in the world that sees Clara Paget every time I read Sal? If this was ever picked up she would be great in this role.

4.5 or even 4.75 stars

There are things I LOVED about this story, and so I pushed through with it for a lot longer than I usually give books that don't 'grab' me, because I didn't want to give up on it just yet.

I loved the main character - badass, sarcastic, a girl with a gun. I always love a girl with a gun. The worldbuilding was fantastic - I was pulled in and saw the world around me right away, the rain, the decrepit bars, the ruffians. Strong powerful imagery that puts you in the scene right away.

Ultimately what broke me as a reader was the narrative shift from past to present. Every time it would shift to the present, I would be jarred out of the story and I would find myself wondering, 'is she like, narrating this story to this cop?' If I were the no-nonsense cop I would have told her to cut the crap 5 minutes into her monologue. Is she just monologuing this entire story in an interrogation room? It completely jarred me from the story and made it all feel silly and ultimately I couldn't get past it.

I do think if you're a fan of fantasy you should give this one a try. It's an interesting and well-wrought world.

I'm really glad I received this book from netgalley - I can tell how much I enjoyed it because although it was long, I was sad when it ended. This is the story of Sal the Cacophony. We learn about her life bit by bit; and in fact, I'm pretty glad I didn't read the book description before I read the book. There is a lot of action, a good bit of humor, and some very grim events. Sal especially has some great lines, and I wish I'd highlighted more of them. The bad guys are interesting, as is the magic system. I'll definitely be watching for the next books in the series.

Fantastic fantasy book! The hero makes me think of an anti-hero similar to Deadpool, if that makes any sense? She's rude, crude, and a bane upon society. She hunts her own Vagrant kind for metal, but she still has a bit of heart and it shines through as you read. She was betrayed by those she trusted, so she's a broken individual, which made it easy for me to justify to myself all the chaos that follows her based on her choices. All in all a fantastic book I'd recommend to anyone looking for a good time!

This book is so much fun. I love, love, love how Sykes plays with many of the tropes of the fantasy genre in the tale of total badass Sal the Cacophony. It's crass, it's engrossing and it's a fantastic start to a series.

I love the structure, unfolding the tale as Sal is interrogated. Her character is revealed bits at a time, and as tough as she is, you love her.

4.25/5 stars

I actually really liked this a lot more than I thought I would. I thought that the synopsis was what really made me try it, but there was something in the back of my head telling me it might fall flat. Luckily, it didn't do that. This is a pretty hefty book by the way! Over 600 pages, so you'd think it would have trouble pacing wise and repeating the same events over and over again. Surprisingly, this did the exact opposite. It had really good pacing, save for some slowness in some middle bits. I loved how graphically detailed scenes and fights were. I also enjoyed that this took place with us hearing Sal's version of events. Knowing throughout the whole book that this is what SHE was saying was the truth, it only makes you wonder how much of it was fabricated or left out. One thing I didn't quite enjoy was the ending, as I felt it could've ended a bit earlier and just be a standalone. Seeing as there will be a sequel, I'm sure that this can still be read alone in the future. I actually do recommend this, just don't let Sal's lack of empathy for humankind let you down.

Sam Sykes has easily fought his way to the top of my favorite authors list and this book proves he is getting better and better with each story he writes.

This book was just AMAZING! Sykes has crafted a unique, refreshing epic fantasy book with engaging characters, a well-drawn world, and a complex plot. There was never a dull moment in the book and I can honestly say Sam Sykes deserves much more recognition for his work. The man has this bizarre talent of making the reader feel both elated and sad at the same time while still managing to keep you interested throughout the entire story. It was so good, I actually took the time to read it rather than devouring it in one sitting. I desperately wanted the story to continue and could not bear to leave behind such a wonderful cast of conflicted characters.

The writing of this book is exceptional. The author took his time with development of the cultures in this world, the magical system, and the rich physical world of Scar. The book is not without its moments of beauty. Sal, in her journey, provides a glimpse at the wealth of culture and people. While it is a dangerous place, it has its own savage beauty. I want to revisit these characters. I want to see more of this terrifying world so I will definitely be keeping my eye for the installment which I needed in my hands yesterday.

Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Western Fantasy, Grimdark(mild), Action Fantasy, Quest Fantasy

Similar books: The Gunslinger(setting), Dresden Files(narrative voice), Final Fantasy (setting), Kill Bill (Plot), Gods of Blood and Powder (Ben Styke plotline)

Rating: Highly Recommended

Here's the TL;DR for my review:

Pros
You'll want to read this if you like reading fun, rompy books
If you want to read a revenge novel in the style of 'Kill Bill'
If you want to read a magic system designed around you losing chunks of your personality and memory in exchange for magic.
If you like reading frame narrative structures in your books.
A story with vivid, emotional characters who know how to screw up
A magical Western featuring gunslingers, criminals fleeing the law, and a few outposts of civilization in a bleak wasteland
A book which manages to both have a great plot and have some thematic depth at the same time.
Magical wizard duels up the wazoo.
Offbrand chocobos. That’s right. Offbrand. Chcobos.
Mixed
This is a single-POV, 'unreliable narrator' sort of story. Even if you don’t generally like ‘unreliable narrator’ stories, I think ‘Seven Blades in Black’ might still interest you. It's that good.
This is a first person story. Even if you don’t ordinarily like first person, you might like this.
While this book does have occasional passages with memorable description, this book's prose is workmanly. It's effective and functional, but it's not vivid and luscious. This isn't a bad thing, just a style choice.
Cons
The pacing is a little slow in the middle.
Spoiler-ific Review

I got this book early via Netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this! If you are a reader with tastes like mine, this is a Highly Recommended read! I’m definitely going to be buying the future books in this series, and I’m not just saying that cause I got this for free.

Sal the Cacophany is a gunslinger who roams the wastes of the Scar, killing ‘vagrant’ wizards for money. Coming from a mysterious past, her life goal is something simple: kill the thirty three wizards who stripped her of her magic. With only her magic gun ‘the Cacophany’ for company(yes, Sal named herself after her gun), she’s on a one-woman revenge quest.

But Sal isn’t alone in the Scar. The Scar is occupied by two empires: an empire of opera-loving wizards, and an empire of revolutionaries who hate opera loving wizards. Sal, along with all the other ‘vagrant’ wizards hiding in the unoccupied parts of the Scar to avoid conscription, is an enemy of the state for both empires.

As a matter of fact, the book opens with Sal having been arrested by the revolutionaries, whereupon she’s instantly put on death-row for being a former wizard. Mere minutes before her execution Sal is given a lifeline: tell the story of how Sal slew her thirty three enemies (or did she slay them?), and she’ll get to live for a little while longer.

Plot: I really liked the frame narrative. It added a lot of intrigue to the ‘whether the POV will survive or not’ story, and it also pulled double-duty of providing the viewpoint of the Revolution, whereas the rest of the story we got the viewpoint of the Opera Wizard Empire. My kudos to Sykes, that was a neat trick to help flesh out the setting.

Anyway, beyond the narrative structure, the plot was a compelling revenge plot. Sal’s been stagnating in the Scar for years, until she finally gets the trail of her hated enemies. She finds a secret note, and learns seven of the thirty three are nearby (see the 'Seven Blades'). She and her loved one(s) are forced to come to terms with their past mistakes and their present relationship turmoil in order to come to move on into the future. And as this is a revenge-plot, there’s lots of fighting. If you like combat, go here.

Character: Sal is a deep, self destructive character who has troubles maintaining any relationships for long. The narrative voice of inhabiting her headspace in this first-person story creates a colorful and fun perspective, as she provides commentary on her situation. I liked it.

Now, as I do with all my reviews, I’m going to provide some constructive criticism.

This book is structured in classic gaming fashion: there's a final boss, and several mini-boss wizards, monsters, and soldiers leading up to it. Sal, being a murder-quest, goes around killing folks because that's the plot. Towards the middle of the book there was a pacing slump when Sal was going around killing random folks.

The fights were fun to read, don't get me wrong. However in the end only two fights had much emotional oomph for me the reader: the final boss at the climax of the novel, and the fight where she killed the guy who was pleading for his life (or did she kill him? Was it just a magical illusion? Read to find out!).

If I were to diagnose the problem here I’d say that the miniboss characters never got sufficient characterization for me to really get invested in their defeats. I would have liked if the author introduced them all at once in the beginning, or there were fewer of them. As is they mostly blend into one another, popping up like 'monsters of the week.'

And that’s it! I had a great time reading this. While it has one or two flaws, I think this book is good enough to make my 'Best of 2019' book list. If you want to have a good time, check this out.