Ugh. Why did we pick this as a buddy read? I can't remember. I don't think Jayson drank the Kool-Aid and did the buddy read with us, but thanks for makiUgh. Why did we pick this as a buddy read? I can't remember. I don't think Jayson drank the Kool-Aid and did the buddy read with us, but thanks for making the banner at least.
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So what was this about? Uh. I guess there's a future where MJ died from radioactive spider poisoning? And there's a universe where a gross Old Man Spider, who looks like a deranged Santa Claus with abs, keeps going back to try to save her? And a big electronic web was activated around part of (or all of?) NYC? Supposedly to save the citizens from the coming apocalypse?
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There's a goblin, an old Miles Morales, a new (little kid?) Black Cat, and a Matrix version of Fisk. Plus, Venom and MJ. Kinda. Peter is sort of crazy, but so is everyone else, and there's time travel mixed with the Spider-verse. And not in a cool way.
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I guess I should have read the first Reign but this sucked so bad that I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I just...what even was this? Whatever it was, it wasn't good. Swerve to avoid....more
The new version of Domain is ready(ish), and the beleaguered creative team goes to the San Diego Comic Expo to promote it, onDrama at the con!
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The new version of Domain is ready(ish), and the beleaguered creative team goes to the San Diego Comic Expo to promote it, only for some old secrets to come to light. (view spoiler)[Turns out Syd's wife had a lesbian affair with his editor back in the day. The same editor, in fact, he recently hired to help them get the comic up and running. The backstory is that he ignored her in favor of his work, she got lonely and fell into the arms of his editor after striking up a friendship. It didn't work out because (much like her husband), this chick also put work first. Yeeeeeah. She was painted with a sympathetic brush, but I can't help thinking that if the shoe were on the other foot (she was working too much and he stepped outside the marriage for comfort), it wouldn't play as well. (hide spoiler)]
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Miles loses his temper with Great Value Stan Lee and causes a scene at one of the events, and everyone else deals with their own set of problems. This was ok but I'm losing interest, to be honest. The characters were too...not twee...but something that smelled similar. I think I'm stopping here. <--unless someone tells me it gets really good in the next volume.
Not too shabby. Sounded like a somewhat boring premise for a comic book, but I ended up enjoying the oddball family dynamic.
[image] You've got this aginNot too shabby. Sounded like a somewhat boring premise for a comic book, but I ended up enjoying the oddball family dynamic.
[image] You've got this aging comic book artist whose son wants him to fight for the rights to a comic book superhero that he co-created. The character, Domain, is making big money for the publisher and the writer (who seems like a Great Value Stan Lee), and his wife and sons (especially his oldest) think it's crap that he's not getting paid for his contributions.
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It doesn't sound like you could make that into a comic, but...you know what? Zdarsky pulls it off. You get sucked into the dynamic of the family, and this voyeuristic look at the ugly side of the comic industry. I'm interested enough to keep reading. Recommended....more
Too short. I hope they aren't charging 5 bucks for this one. If so, I'm definitely getting my money's worth out of my DC Infinite subscription. My cheaToo short. I hope they aren't charging 5 bucks for this one. If so, I'm definitely getting my money's worth out of my DC Infinite subscription. My cheap bitching aside, I have to say that this has such great twists on all of the Lanterns. I'm hooked.
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Now I haven't been keeping up, so I don't really know who Jo Mullein is, but I like her so far. What the heck is going on with Abin Sur?! Did he really (view spoiler)[just bzzztzap! Guy Gardner out of existence?! (hide spoiler)] And Hal's creepy arm! (view spoiler)[He's the new Black Hand! That Black Lantern necromancer guy! Wtf! (hide spoiler)] And what exactly happened to John?! You can't just say something cryptic and leave us hanging, Ewing!
The story is starting to coalesce, and instead of John fighting the Martian, he's starting to listen to what he's tryinEnter the White Lantern!
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The story is starting to coalesce, and instead of John fighting the Martian, he's starting to listen to what he's trying to tell him. Together, they try to save lives. But while John is trying to save the lives in a burning building, the Martian is trying to save our entire world.
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Very cool concept, very cool art, very cool coloring. Highly Recommended....more
Ok, so we may get a conclusion to the Lazarus storyline! Very cool. Except. I don't like that this is labeled #1, simply because there is just a TON of Ok, so we may get a conclusion to the Lazarus storyline! Very cool. Except. I don't like that this is labeled #1, simply because there is just a TON of backstory you need to really understand what's going on. You're Welcome.
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It goes through about a year of the Carlyle Family looking for the fugitive Lazarus clones, picking up after they made their big escape. Forever and Forever 2.0 are still in hiding, and that's about all we learn. I wish there had been a bit more meat to it, and I hope the final issues will make it worth the wait. But I'm looking forward to seeing how this all ends.
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Also, skip his column at the end unless you enjoy listening to someone who sounds like they might be having a mental health meltdown over politics. People feel powerless, so I'm sure that he meant well. And he did put up a disclaimer that you should stop reading if you don't like to mix comics and politics, but it was one of those can't-look-away-trainwreck kind of rants. And that made me feel so sad for him. I'm not saying he's wrong, but for me, it was like listening to someone scream at the sky god in their underwear....more
It's ok, but I'm kind of shocked that I gave this 5 stars when I read it years ago. I'm flipping thrI didn't like it that much this time around.
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It's ok, but I'm kind of shocked that I gave this 5 stars when I read it years ago. I'm flipping through it thinking, goddamn. this is just kind of depressing. and now I don't trust that young(er) me knew what the fuck she was talking about. And I probably would have gone on thinking this was something great if someone hadn't told me this was required reading for the newest Superman movie.
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The skinny gist is that Superman finds that Lex Luthor has poisoned him and he's only got X-amount of time to live. So, this sets off a series of Herculean tasks that he needs to complete before he dies. Womp, womp. WHHHHHHAAAAT? Why did I like this? The entire time on the Bizarro world made me want to tear the eyeballs out of my head. God. That ridiculous, backwards, upside-down speak is like literary nails on a chalkboard, and should only be used in incredibly teeny-tiny doses. Also, I don't like Frank Quitely's chubby art. Fight me. If the radiation doesn't get Superman, the diabetes will.
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I thought I would go back and read this beloved classic, and it just made me realize that I'm now a bitter old bitch. Thanks, Morrison & Quietly!...more
I still don't dig the vibe as much as I did before they killed off Marko, but I keep showing up. ThiSaga is still saga-ing along at a good pace.
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I still don't dig the vibe as much as I did before they killed off Marko, but I keep showing up. This volume sees the kids getting older, Brobot having mental health issues, and their mom having to decide how to get him the help he needs. Will and Gwen deal with the death of their (for all intents and purposes) child, and do a piss poor job of it. <--as I'm 100% sure I would do as well. The war between the wings and the horns rages on, even while some of the warmongers switch sides and leave their people in the lurch. Alana has to decide whether or not she's ready to potentially let a new man into her life, AND has to deal with her past, as we are introduced to her backstory with her father.
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Plus, other spoilery things. I wish I could get more excited about this, but... Recommended for fans of Saga....more
Can we skip the padding and kill some children, please? Because this one seemed like filler.
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I mean, it's not bad filler, especially if you're a Can we skip the padding and kill some children, please? Because this one seemed like filler.
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I mean, it's not bad filler, especially if you're a superfan and just want a bit more insight into Erica. But really, there's nothing new here. Flashbacks of old cases, a reminder that guns and children are a dangerous mix, a puppy-made monster, and a visit with a therapist are some of what you'll get.
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Again. Not bad. It just feels like maybe Tynion has too many irons in the fire, so maybe he grabbed some of his old notes and tossed this out there to keep fans of SiKtC happy. But to be honest, instead of spin-off series or fluffed one-shots, I'd really rather we get on with the main storyline.
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Not as good, but still good. <--if that makes sense? Recommended....more
Supposedly, that was someone else like Tariq, and supposedly, he found a cure for his condition. WGeiger & Nate continue the search for a cure.
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Supposedly, that was someone else like Tariq, and supposedly, he found a cure for his condition. We shall see... But along the way, Geiger, Nate the Nuclear Knight, Barney the two-headed dog, and ZigZag the 3-eyed zebra run into a group of survivors that have managed to stay hidden and create a somewhat normal community. Except for the book burning. Ok, and while I'm (obviously) very anti-book burning, this was oddly crammed in there and didn't make much sense. (view spoiler)[The leader was trying to protect the children from all of the "ideas" that led the world into this mess. But it was stupid because burning children's books didn't fit that narrative. I could see it if he was burning books on engineering or weapons making or even religion...but not just any old book. (hide spoiler)] While I appreciate Johns taking a stand on censorship, this kind of fell flat for me. Though sometimes I look around and think that maybe I've been giving people too much credit, and this sort of stupidity is just a breath away.
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The second part of the volume was basically the origin of Tariq's rods that allow him to wander around without frying everyone who comes near him. It's told from the point of view of a man who is searching for his wife.
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I didn't think this one was as good as the first two volumes, but it still continues to be a really good comic. Recommended....more
This is an Ultimate universe, not The Ultimate Universe.
The connection here is the Maker (Evil Reed Richards), who comes from that original Ultimate This is an Ultimate universe, not The Ultimate Universe.
The connection here is the Maker (Evil Reed Richards), who comes from that original Ultimate universe, made it back to the 616 universe when everything started collapsing, was captured by our heroes, escaped to the 6160 universe, systematically made it so that none of their heroes ever came to be and created a utopia for villains. Then got taken down by Howard Stark, who was originally working for him but sacrificed himself to trap Maker in this "City" so that Tony (now Iron Lad) could escape to make a better world. Ish.
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Now the clock is ticking while Tony and a few heroes he's scraped together have X amount of time to find a way to stop him permanently before Maker can escape from The City. The kicker is that none of the world's heroes know they're supposed to be out there Avenging and whatnot. These guys are not our guys because they haven't had even remotely the same experiences. So the question is whether or not they feel something is missing? And if so, do they want the hero life? Oh, and I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who haven't been reading these, so I'll just say I think the twist on Doctor Doom is kind of cool.
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I liked this. Not as much as Millar's The Ultimates. That was its own thing, and I don't think you can really replicate it. It's not like Camp was even trying to. Recommended....more
Girl, you got me. But I'm not coming back for more.
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I didn't guess the murderer until Cockrill slapped the cuffs on them. And speaking of InspectGirl, you got me. But I'm not coming back for more.
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I didn't guess the murderer until Cockrill slapped the cuffs on them. And speaking of Inspector Cockrill, he is maybe the least likable detective ever written. Just an ass. Not funny, not clever, not slick. Just banging around like a semi-competent cop with a grade-A douchebag personality. No finesse, no real skills, no wit...? I doubt I'll ever bother to read another one of her books.
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It was kind of hard for me to keep track of who the characters were. I'm not sure why, but they tended to blend for me. The guys all blended, and so did the gals. Woody was a bit of a standout, and the old Major Moon was too, mainly because of his age. But the others all seemed to be too similar to separate, and I had to do a lot of backing up to try to remember who meant what to whom. The most interesting thing here is the way Brand captures the wartime hospital setting.
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Also. That ending scene. That was a whole kick in the cooch. What?! (view spoiler)[Give Woody a happy ending! I don't care if she doesn't end up with the guy she liked, but at least make it her choice. (hide spoiler)] Though that was probably what would have happened in real life, but stilllll. I'm reading a cozy mystery for the cozy part.
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The mystery? Whodunnit? Top-tier! The characters were not my cuppa, though. Other than the last few minutes of the Big Reveal, I was not very engaged with this one. I'd heard this was her best work, so this is where I get off the Christianna Brand train. Meh....more
I think it would have benefited from having an extra volume to flesh out the characters a bit, though. I love Tynion's horrDecent conclusion.
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I think it would have benefited from having an extra volume to flesh out the characters a bit, though. I love Tynion's horror stuff, but it's starting to seem like he might have too many series going at one time. I just read Something is Killing the Children 8 and I thought that one suffered from the same problem. However, I get that he's hot right now and would want to take advantage of that.
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Ok, in the first volume, you have this nerdy comic book writer (The Tynion Guy) who is dealing with some of his old childhood memories of what it was like to be a gay boy hitting puberty. Unfortunately, the only other male he had heard of who liked boys was the recently arrested serial killer. His memories are all tangled up in a big shame sandwich, so he decides to interview the killer and write about it. Of course, someone starts killing boys again using the same m.o., and all evidence points to our little writer nerd. IS HE A DEVIANT?!
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So, this volume is his adorably loyal boyfriend setting out to prove his innocence. And given Tynion Guy's weird obsession with this serial killer and some oddball behavior, that's no small task. He finds an ally in the FBI, a man who possibly understands some of the stigma that might lead to a wrongful conviction.
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And this is nothing but my personal opinion, and I certainly don't think anyone should not read the book because of it, but bitches gotta bitch. The cringiest part of the book was the vaping. I mean, I really hated the images of this character vaping. It somehow seemed gross to normalize it because I promise you, it is one of the worst things you can do to your lungs. Seriously. There's no way inhaling electronically heated whothefuckknowswhatchemicals is even remotely safe. You kids are going to explode your lungs before the cancer and emphysema that got my generation even have time to nail you. And I say this as someone who used vapes to quit smoking cigarettes years and years ago.
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There's less story here than I was hoping for, to be honest. Tynion is a talented writer, so you are more invested in the characters than you have any right to be for something that feels...like it should have been more. I don't know if I'm describing that right. It's a good story, but it seems like he decided to wrap it up too early or something. Still. Recommended....more
I knew very little about the Steppes. Now I know a little more.
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There's a lot here and I didn't retain much of it, tbh. BUT! I feel like I will hI knew very little about the Steppes. Now I know a little more.
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There's a lot here and I didn't retain much of it, tbh. BUT! I feel like I will have a better general knowledge base when talking about The Silk Road, Attila the Hun, Kublai Khan, or Genghis Khan. Now, I wasn't studying the material in this or making notes, and I definitely wasn't thinking that I would be able to converse intelligently with someone who actually knows the history of the area. And I was 100% right about those expectations. This is A LOT of information. And I am older than the average student, so I'm giving myself a bit of grace here.
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However, I also expect that the next time I listen to a book on this subject matter, I'll recognize a few more names and dates. And that's about all I can hope for at this point. Recommended....more
Seems to be that no one knows much about these secretive cults. Go figure. Because MYSTERY cults. <--it's right there in the name!
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The cults of IsSeems to be that no one knows much about these secretive cults. Go figure. Because MYSTERY cults. <--it's right there in the name!
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The cults of Isis, Dionysus, the Mother, and the Eleusinians are all interesting in their own way. But if I took one thing away from this, it's that it seems as though they were probably an outlet for zealots.
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There have always been people who are just into that religious stuff waaaaaay too much, and this was probably where the ancient people stuffed their crazies. You know, most of the people at church are there to meet and greet, find a bit of community, and do a little Sunday worship service. But there are always those oddballs in the front row, crying and waving their hands in the air during the music. Amening loudly after everything the pastor says. A little too excited and earnest for the rest of the group, but since everyone is supposedly there for the same reason, you've just got to act like it's normal. Where's a mystery cult when you need it? Back in the day, they could have joined up with other like-minded fanatics and gotten all of their funk out in a cave or temple set up to cater to that sort of thing. As it is, I just have to dodge my modern-day Susan and her attempts to drag me to her home Bible study group, Christian Women's Retreat, or some Quilters for Christ meeting. Go away, Susan!
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I am interested in the subject matter & I swear, I do enjoy learning new things, but wow this was dry and the audiobook narrator was not helping matters. I found myself sort of zoning out quite a bit while he droned on and on. It was like listening to the adults from the Peanuts cartoons. wahwahwahwahwah No lie, once I had finished the book, instead of returning it to the digital library, I actually used it as background noise to help me go to sleep one night. I had a big day ahead of me, and this was an excellent sleep aid. And while I'm not sorry I listened to this, I'm not sure I would recommend it to someone looking for a little something-something to pass the time. Recommended as a somewhat niche read....more
Is vibranium sentient? In the new Ultimate universe, the answer is...maybe.
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I'm really enjoying this new take on Wakanda and the Black Panther. HIs vibranium sentient? In the new Ultimate universe, the answer is...maybe.
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I'm really enjoying this new take on Wakanda and the Black Panther. He's up against Moon Knight, posing as a god with the help of Konshu and Ra, who promises to save Africans from the neglect of T'Challa and his ancestors.
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There are some cool surprises in this volume, and I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't read it yet, but it definitely starts melding science and magic in this one. T'Challa realizes that he's going to need to armor himself with knowledge outside of what he has available to him, and sends Killmonger and Storm on a mission to find someone who understands both sides of the coin.
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And due to some spoilery things, it appears as though the vibranium that gives his country such strength and technology might be something more than just a metal. It seems to be giving him dreams of the future, changing him, and possibly making him act rashly. Again. Too many spoilers.
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The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the switch-up in artists, but that's a small complaint. Overall, I really like this one! If you're on the fence, give it a shot. Recommended....more
I almost can't believe this is Hickman writing because there aren't wallsSensational, Amazing, Superior, Astonishing, Spectacular, & Friendly.
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I almost can't believe this is Hickman writing because there aren't walls of text or diagrams in this one. It's just a fantastic story, which is what you usually get when he's on top of his game and not trying to add in charts with alien languages for us to decode.
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This is the Peter Parker that we all want and need. Leave the teenage stuff to Miles - he's got that covered, and I think it all works better when Pete passes the torch of his awkward phase to the younger generation and plays to his strengths as a good man. In this case, a family man. Much like Reed Richards or Luke Cage, I think Pete is the kind of character who fits into the role of husband and father seamlessly, and brings a different kind of superhero story to the page.
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I love what Hickman has done with Harry Osborn and Gwen Stacy, not to mention Uncle Ben Parker and the now-lovable J. Jonah Jameson. Even Ben Riley gets an interesting makeover. I will say don't be fooled by the cover because Felicia Hardy (Black Cat) only gets a cameo appearance with no speaking part in this one, but it's still a great intro.
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This is one of the best comic series I'm reading right now, and after an especially good cliffhanger ending, I'm really looking forward to the next volume. Highly Recommended....more
I don't know if anyone will agree with me, but I feel like this is one of the most poorly named gems Wonderful conclusion to a fantastic comic series.
I don't know if anyone will agree with me, but I feel like this is one of the most poorly named gems out there. The Night Eaters is a wonky name that will probably make the vast majority of potential readers think they're looking at a comic about voodoo zombies or sin eaters or something. It's not. There's no eating of the night happening here.
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The overall skinny gist of this is the story of twins whose parents aren't at all what they thought they were. That in turn means that they aren't at all what they thought they were, either. And in this third and final volume, this family of {spoilers!} is going to have to face down the apocalypse and unravel what it means to deal with all of the messy feelings that come with loving the people who drive you craziest. And that's a lot to do while you're taking on wizards, old gods, and primal forces of nature.
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I loved the way it ended. Perfect. Top notch bit of fun with lovely art, and it's one that I plan on owning for myself so I can re-read the whole thing at my leisure. Highly Recommended. ...more
Enjoyable. If you enjoy this kind of thing, that is.
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As with most stories dealing with the old fae, this one has varying degrees of what one mighEnjoyable. If you enjoy this kind of thing, that is.
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As with most stories dealing with the old fae, this one has varying degrees of what one might call a happy ending. It's fairies, not a fairytale, after all. It does wrap up some of the more ambiguous things that popped up in the first volume, though.
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I stumbled across this on DC Infinite, and I had a pretty good time reading it. You're mileage may vary, though. Recommended. Ish....more
And while I do love all of these guys. All of them! I absolutely love it when the story turns to himI really feel Glokta & I could be friends.
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And while I do love all of these guys. All of them! I absolutely love it when the story turns to him. He's my favorite character. So while I wish the rest of them all the best, at the end of this, I just need this one salty-ass Inquisitor to come out of it ok. Can I also just say that Steven Pacey's lisping sarcasm makes listening to Glokta and his inner thoughts absolute perfection. If you're an audiobook lover, I simply cannot recommend this one enough. Pacey is absolute FIRE voicing these characters.
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The skinny-skinny-skinny gist is that DOOM is around every corner, and some folks that I was expecting to hear more about went back to the mud with surprising speed. And for every bit of character growth we see in the right direction, something seems to come along to drag that person back into the dark. I loved it.
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I actually looked up what a Grimdark Fantasy is because I kept seeing that that's what this series is classified as, you know? And it wasn't until I Googled it that I realized I'd been reading the word wrong for whothefuckknowshowlong. I was looking at the word Grimdark, which, let's face it, is pretty self-explanatory for fantasy that is grim and dark. BUT! My brain was translating that into what I thought was the word Gridmark, which is not an obviously self-explanatory term for this kind of fantasy. I was like, what's with the grid? Is it some math-thing? What am I missing? I really don't know what's wrong with me sometimes. Or why I feel the compulsion to share my shame. Anyway. Learned something new and finished a great book.