squishies's reviews
2179 reviews

Stakes are being raised and we see a bit more of interplanetary politics at play, which I thought was rather interesting.

It didn't occur to me that Quests would be a thing, but what good "adventure" not have quests? Made perfect sense and I thought added an interesting element to an already high pressure situation.

The scene where Carl curled over Donut as the crystal was going to explode was so touching; if I wasn't emotionally invested before, I'm definitely invested now. 

 

This instalment was such a roller coaster - I could barely put it down... Onward to Book 3! 

4.5 stars, rounded up for the realistic dungeon crawling hoarding.

I love Dinniman's world building and the "game" mechanics, particularly the HUD, which solidly sounds like how it would work in real life versus how we normally would see it in game (minus the very generous, unlimited inventory storage).

The story line is fantastic with the unlying political aspects of the dungeon and the pacing is spot on - the grinding aspects of dungeon crawling is well told, hitting a good balance of what they did and being narratively interesting.

Carl and Donut is great as a duo and thought it was hilarious he had an inadvertent catch phrase (shame that when he found out, he used it less, I thought it was very amusing). You can't but help rooting for them as they progress through the dungeon.

So keen to continue on to the next book / level!!

Thanks to BookSirens for a copy of this book. 

It hit me that when a volume starts off with two flashbacks that nothing is gonna be resolved here.  I had presumed that since the library only had up to volume 6 that it was a done and dusted series (especially since I had this series on my to-read list for what felt like forever)... I really should have done my homework T_T 

So, I buckled in for the ride... and it was a heck of a crazy ride. Oml.

I didn't think Tuya and Maika would meet in this volume, but they do and man, how awkward - in the middle of Tuya and Maika's aunt having sex. Big Yikes.  Thought Maika took that rather well, actually.

I also didn't think Maika would summon her grandmother.  Nor that they would be attacked by weapons made by Maika's dad from Gull's blood, which turned everyone crazy... The Wolf Queen in particular.  God damn.  

I don't know how they do it - the art style and direction in this series has been absolutely and consistently phenomenal.  Maika's new form is just *chef's kiss*.  

Did I see Vihn sneaking into Aurum and catching Maika's dad off-guard? No.  Did I also see Maika's dad exposing Mother Superior and Gull to who they truly are? Also no.  The story-telling in this series has also been phenomenal. 

Although, I am mildly disappointed in Maika for forgiving Tuya so easily and now look what's happened.  Ugh Tuya! Far out, girl. What the fuck.

 

This volume saw quite a bit flashbacks of Maika's awful, awful experience in the war

whilst in the present - Maika's involvement in Ravenna's seige.

and depicted that war is just really messed up for everyone involved and just facilitates hatred.

Who would have thought Corvin's sister, Bettani, would look so edgy and cool!  I liked her immediately haha.  Almost as quickly as how much I disliked the 5 witch sisters showing up and massacring those poor people.

That scene where Kippa had pulled the kits to the hospital only for them to perish before they could get any help killed me.  Poor Kippa.

In any case, the witch sisters were way shorter lived than I expected - thought they would be another threat for Maika to deal with, but the Inquistrixes dealt with them quite neatly.  Also belatedly realised that Hammer and Needle aren't possessed by the old gods (? I think that's what's in Gull and Mother Superior??) - wonder what they will do next.

Wow, I didn't think Tuya actually had killed anyone and was actually pretty shocked she brained that poor kid (seems like this whole volume was shocking haha).

What the heck why are the Ancients protecting the lilium refineries?! What's going on! Another political thread to remember, ugh.

Man, Maika's dad was Zinn! What!  And of course she has a secret sister!

The ending sequence where Corvin and Maika's discussion about purpose and how Corvin asked her how hard is it to admit that she loves Kippa (with Kippa of course overhearing) was actually pretty sweet.

 

I'm so glad that Kippa's kidnapping is address right off the bat and oh boy, Kippa has been hiding a secret (or rather growing into her gift).  Though to be fair, the fact that Kippa could understand Zinn meant that she is rather special in the first place.

Oooh Corvin's mask actually covers an injury he sustained in Constantine - it's really awful.

I don't really understand Tuya's motives / end game and find it a bit ick she actually did go through with the marriage to Maika's aunt.  I'm also fairly sure they aged Tuya a little in this volume for the sex / nudity scenes - she looked way younger in the first volume (I thought she was a kid at first).

Maika's dad is scary af and pretty horrible.  Knowing now that he's assembled a group of warlords and amassed an army (who seems fanatical at best) for his goal to "reach the stars" is kinda terrifying.  Especially how he basically stopped Zinn in its tracks with just a word. 

I was shocked that Maika saved Gull, but this really cemented that she's quite tsundere.   Though everyone here seems really hard to kill.

I'm fascinated by Vihn's true form and poor Ren, I wonder what will happen to them.

The volume ending on the bomb on Aurum was fucked... if I didn't have the next volume! Fark me, what the fuck.

How will all these loose threads be tied up in 2 volumes?!?

 Wow, things have been stepping up from the first instalment - so many bigger things happened here.

Suhail heeeeey? Hehehe.  Though I knew it'd be way too early for something to happen between them, but consider my ears perked haha.

Man, riding a sea serpent sounded equally thrilling and awful (makes sense that their scales would be razor sharp) - I totally winced at her poor, cut up knees.

Jake sounded like such a lovely kid - Abby did pretty well with him!

The Green Hell brought to mind the south-east Asian jungles like in Vietnam or Malaysia (as I'm suppose to, I'm sure) and blanched at all the awful things that the jungle threw at them.

This instalment had a lot more politics and kinda less dragons, but that's okay, I thought was pretty interesting to read and took as world building (which I'm also really enjoying).

Though the highlight for me was Isabella's test and gliding off the waterfall island - crazy lady haha.  Though it tracks that of course she was gonna be blown off-course and bump into a scouting party from a hostile nation.

Volume 3 definitely makes more sense now that I've finished Volume 2 (really need to pay more attention which volume I'm picking up!), and ho-ly sh-it - that last half was phenomenal... gave me chills.

Noooooo Kippa!!  What do the cats want with her?? Fark!

 

I accidentally read half of Vol 3 thinking it was Vol 2 and thought some things happened "off screen".  So I did try to piece together what had happened (looking back, it was totally unsuccessful, as I absolutely could not have foreseen what happened in this volume!).

It wasn't until I picked up the actual Vol 2 and went to where I thought I was at, then ended up flicking backwards to find some place recognisable until I hit the front page that I realised my grave error.  Well!  That makes way more sense now.

In any case, loving the story and the slow unveiling of some back story, the art is still phenomenal.