Reviews

Critical Point, by S.L. Huang

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silvae's review against another edition

5.0

TW: Animal death, paranoia, violence including guns and explosions, mind control

S.L. Huang called Critical Point the entry in the Russellverse "'the one with all the explosions' or 'the one that is (finally) super gay.'" and I would say both of those are true - in the third book in the series, we learn more about the homelives and pasts of many of the characters we have come to love, while also being blown up every few chapters. In my humble opinion, Critical Point is the most solid entry in the series so far, as both action and interaction are handled skillfully as more information about Cas' past emerges. I especially loved all the tag team missions Cas and Pilar (who are most definitely my favorite duo) got to go on, but missed Arthur quite terribly once again. While I am so happy that we now have a crime family, I do miss the Cas Arthur shenanigans from book 1.

I think a few people will find issue with the characterization S.L. Huang has decided to continue on from Null Set - Cas is no longer the cool detached badass that despises working with others and dealing with her emotions. Instead she is now driven by trauma and memories that have resurfaced for the first time in decades. I think, as always, how you approach the series also determines how you react to this change in behavior. If you're only in it for the thrill, action and excitement, Cas' inner conflict and venture into her past may severely dampen your enjoyment. If you're invested in the characters and the family they have found, this will more than likely aide in fleshing out the characters and their relationships. Make of that what you will - I, for one, am anxiously awaiting the next entry into this series.

metaphorosis's review against another edition

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3.0

3 stars, Metaphorosis Reviews

Summary
Cas Russell has already stopped a would-be do-good global mind-control conspiracy in its tracks using nothing but superhuman math and a lot of guns. And she's found out a little about her own shadowed past. Now, though, she has to fight a tougher battle - learning what friendship is all about. Oh, and scary monsters and bad guys.

Review
I enjoyed the first two books in S.L. Huang's Cas Russell series. I enjoyed this one too, but here the enjoyment is spread thinner, and the seams are starting to show. For one thing, it feels a lot like the previous book. Same sardonic tone, same super-math skill, same love of guns and violence. The difference is that here, Cas whines a lot more about how she's a bad person - but never does anything about it. There is a kind of resolution of this theme toward the end, but it was too thin and too late for my taste.

The other flaw is that the action now feels much more made-for-TV. It's an action series, sure, but it's a book, not a film. Not everything has to have great camera angles and non-stop banter. That's a little unfair, but that's how the book felt. I learned only today that Ms. Huang is in fact a professional stuntwoman, so perhaps she came by this angle honestly. I, however, found it tiring. I still liked the book, but I'm no longer entirely confident I'll like the next one. I do still want to know how it all ends, and what the mysteries are, but I feel like this title is much more filler-like than I hoped it would be. I can't help but wonder whether the original, self-published sequence worked better.

NB: I receive this book for free in exchange for an objective review.