Reviews

The Cartography of Sudden Death by Charlie Jane Anders

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bladelikesbooks's review

2.0

I actually really liked the concept of the plot but I don’t think the execution pays off. I feel like I was reading just a random, small piece of a bigger story and this focused on the most boring piece of the novel. Like this felt pointless. I guess it introduced the characters and had a bit of world building but other than the most basic intros, nothing else happened. Honestly, I was so disinterested in this that even if this was a preview for a longer novel, I don’t think I would be compelled to read the full novel. This one definitely wasn’t for me.

TWs/CWs - Blood; Bullying; Colonisation; Cussing; Death; Death Camps; Gun; Kidnapping; Murder; Physical Abuse

alexvb's review

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adventurous hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

I really, really enjoyed this but it was way too short! In such a small amount of time, I had a sense of the world and the characters, and I would LOVE for a full-length novel of this or at least this world be written. Absolutely solid novella. I loved it. I'll definitely be checking out Anders' other work. And the artwork for this is GORGEOUS.

mandygris's review

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4.0

This was a really absorbing short story. Very enjoyable and it didn't feel like it cut corners with detail. It hit all the right notes for me. I'd love to read more about Professor Brookwater's adventures through time!

potato_tiger's review against another edition

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3.0

The world-building and concepts were really neat, but I felt like the ending was more of a whimper than a bang. I would definitely be interested in reading a full-length novel though.

emskiewings's review

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

0.75

ileana1's review

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Great title, interesting premise - jumping through time whenever someone important dies has the potential to be a great set-up for a novel. This story is mainly setting up another character as an AWESOME CHARACTER (TM), meaning it feels like our MC is just trundling along behind the plot watching everything unfold. This could have been interesting with more character development, or with the MC having a distinct personality, but without either, it doesn't quite work for me.

bookbrig's review

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

My library has this as an audiobook, and the reader was excellent. I also regularly find short stories I love on Tor's website; it's such a good place to go looking if you like short stories because you can read them for free. If I love them, I usually buy an ebook copy, so this is the first audio-version I've listened to. I think I may go looking for some of my other favorites in my library's catalog now.

Content Warnings