Reviews

The Narrows by m. craig, M. Bhardwaj

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b00k15hwyrm's review against another edition

3.5

Today (2024, September 3) I finished the audiobook The Narrows by M. Craig, it was also narrated by the author. The audiobook was posted for free on Spotify for Podcasters and was broken up into 15 tracks. It totaled about 7 hours and 55 minutes.

The story follows a girl named Sim who is on the run and trying to find her place in an uncaring universe. She meets a guy named Cader, who’s getting jumped. After she rescues him, he offers her a spot at where he stays and that’s when the story begins.

While the scene was used to show an example of exploitation, I liked how they used little dragons to make coffee. On one hand, it’s very saddening to read how the dragons’ teeth and claws were filed down; on the other hand, getting a latte frothed by dragon fire sounds really cool.

I’d recommend this to people who really liked the game Night in the Woods. I think it’s because the game takes place in the rust belt and the book has some industrial steampunk elements in it,and both mention contemporary issues. Also both Sim (The Narrows) and Mae (Night in the Woods) are naive ladies in an uncaring universe.

I had a bit of a back and forth with the rating, because 99% of it was an above-average (4 stars) read for me, it was just the last chapter. The last chapter wasn’t even bad, and I know this is the first in a series. It felt like the focus swapped away from Sim and that there should’ve been at least one more chapter..? I still like the story and I’d give this story a 3.5/5 stars.

msk1ell's review

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adventurous dark hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

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? It's complicated

4.5

Fast read full of magic, adventure and self discovery. This book will have you questioning how you react to the world and the problems in it.

passionsnapping's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

woolfian's review against another edition

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3.0

This was a tough one for me to review. The first 80% of the book was a solid 4-4.5 stars for me. I loved the authenticity of the characters, the world building, and the relatable way the author handled a queer coming-of-age (and all of the anxiety and naivete that entails). But the the last 20% was such an about-face in pacing that it didn't even feel like the same book. Characters stopped acting like themselves, a "past love" gets thrown in the mix in the last few pages, the main (formerly wallflower) character suddenly helps set the world on fire and becomes a pirate....it's just not at all in keeping with the emphasis on character development and relationships I read in the first 3/4 of the book. It was almost like the author got to a point and just...gave up. And it was a wicked bummer. That said, I liked it enough to give the next book a shot.