A review by deedireads
Middlegame by Seanan McGuire

adventurous dark medium-paced
  • 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

All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.

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!
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