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cheyennamarshall's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
asexual rep, aromantic repmfrank's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Self harm, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Child death, Death, Blood, and Death of parent
jayisreading's review against another edition
3.25
On a more positive note, though, I was fascinated by this idea of math and language being the foundation of the world (in a way). I also really enjoyed how McGuire explored the relationship between Roger and Dodger. It was such a unique dynamic that felt very real. Lastly, McGuire writes beautifully with multisensory descriptions that added so much to the book.
I could have missed something that resulted in my confusion, but I may look into the sequel. I’m admittedly curious to know what more McGuire can do with the worldbuilding she has done. Plus, it might make more sense since I have some footing from this book.
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Gore, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
Minor: Child death
ziote's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Seanen McGquire has a talent to write prose as if it were read like poetry. The writing is unconventional and dense, which is both a good thing (because this is a unique book and has some beautiful lines in it) but also a bad thing (it's a difficult and rather slow read). Seanen McGuire takes great care in interweaving plot lines with varying timelines. It's complex and impressive, but I think it can also be very hard to follow. I had to marathon read this book because I knew if I put it down for even more than a day or two, then I'd forget important details. And I wouldn't feel right talking about the writing without talking about the quotes and passages inserted in the beginning of some chapters that referenced Over the Wayward Wall by A. Deborah Baker. Deborah Baker is apparently a pen name of Seanan McGuire (which I only found out afterwards). I think it is a little odd to reference Over the Wayward Wall as this "great piece of literature that has been overshadowed by the likes of The Wizard of Oz, etc." when the author wrote both Middlegame and Over the Wayward Wall. Perhaps I found this egotistical, or perhaps I didn't like these quotes/passages from Over the Wayward Wall because I have never read that novel and felt as if I were missing something.
The characters also fell flat to me. We spend quite a great deal of time with Rodger and Dodger, and neither of them charmed me.
When together, Rodger and Dodger were fun and completed each, which is probably the point. However, by the 3rd messy separation (and I can't believe this plot device happened multiple times), I just did not care. I was tired and always waiting for the other shoe to drop and for them to spend another large amount of time not talking with one another. Separated or together again; either way I found that by the end of it, I could not give a damn.
This book is interesting and compelling and Seanen McGuire put a lot of thought into this ... but I really don't know if it's an enjoyable read
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Murder
gladiolus17's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror and Fire/Fire injury
chloeeereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Self harm, Suicide, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
hanz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Car accident
ellemee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Suicide, Violence, Grief, and Suicide attempt
kmtd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
deedireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
TL;DR REVIEW:
Middlegame is an incredibly creative novel with great plot and character. I really liked it a lot and I’ll definitely be reading more of Seanan McGuire’s work.
For you if: You like fantasy novels that have sci-fi-like elements and a super creative premise.
FULL REVIEW:
“For a man on a mission, a hundred years can pass in the blinking of an eye. Oh, it helps to have access to the philosopher’s stone, to have the fruits of a thousand years of alchemical progress at one’s fingertips, but really, it was always the mission that mattered. James Reed was born knowing his purpose, left his master in a shallow grave knowing his purpose, and fully intends to ascend to the heights of human knowledge with the fruits of his labors clutched firmly in hand. Damn anyone who dares to get in his way.”
Chances are if you’ve been in a bookstore over the last couple years, you’ve seen the cover of Middlegame. It’s hard to miss that hand of glory! (And yet, my brain kept mixing it up with Middlemarch, which is just…so not the same, lol.) So I’d been intrigued for a while, and when it was nominated for the Hugo Award, I knew it was only a matter of time before I picked it up. And I was NOT disappointed.
Middlegame is about a set of twins, Roger and Dodger, who were born to embody the Doctrine of Ethos, an alchemical principle that would allow the one controlling it to alter time … and the universe overall. Roger has the language part, and Dodger has math. Two halves of one whole, separated at birth, under the watch of one who would seek to use their abilities — we see the two of them grow up, learn who they are, and strive to save the world.
This book is just so incredibly creative. You can tell from the first few chapters that you’re in for something that feels really different from pretty much anything else. It’s also just really well written, with dynamic and vivid characters and a really exciting plot.
I will say that this is probably not a novel for SFF beginners. The structure and storytelling will feel accessible to those who are used to world-building and wrapping their minds around alternate rules of the universe, but it could be a little hard to follow if you aren’t used to books like that.
If you are a fan of fantasy with a feeling of sci-fi mixed in, pick this up!
Graphic: Gore, Suicide, and Blood