Differently Morphous (DEDA Files #1)[March 24, 2025]

[Yanique, Thread Master]

This is a Buddy Read for Differently Morphous by Yahtzee Croshaw starting on March 24, 2025.


Happy Reading!

[Nirkatze]

Proposed Schedule:

Series:
1. Will Save the Galaxy for Food (Dec 24) [link]
2. Will Destroy the Galaxy for Cash (Jan 24) [link]
3. Will Leave the Galaxy for Good (Feb 24) [link]

And following up with the DEDA Files
1. Differently Morphous (Mar 24)
2. Existentially Challenged (Apr 24) [link]

Audio: All are Audible Only, DEDA #2 is A+
Eyebook: #1 on Open Library, not on KU or Hoopla

[Nirkatze]

This is on the 2-for-1 sale on audible this week.

[Ann-Marie]

I started this tonight and the author/narrator is using so many of the same voices as he did in the Jacques McKeown series it is throwing me, I am like Daniel is back! but it's not Daniel.....It's okay so far, will finish tomorrow because I am super sleepy tonight for some reason!

[Ann-Marie]

Finished and I did not love this, it tried to hard to be clever and humorous and it was neither. There is quirky and then there is stupid and this definitely fell on the stupid side of things for me. I doubt I will continue with the one next month but I may since it is free and if I have time :)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

BOO... I don't know much about this series... mostly wanted to try it because I liked Jacques McKeown...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I'm gonna give this another try later tonight/tomorrow when I finish Full Murderhobo...

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "I'm gonna give this another try later tonight/tomorrow when I finish Full Murderhobo..."

I hope you like it better than I did :)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I wouldn't say I hate it like you seemed to, but I'm certainly not loving it...

I think this has the same feel as Jacques McKeown... but JMcK has a veneer of sci-fi to it, which makes it feel more whimsical and fun... this, by contrast, feels all too real... reminds me of Laundry Files #6-7, which Charles Stross had to completely rewrite because Brexit happened, and all of a sudden his little speculative fiction / Sci-Fi UF book wasn't fictional enough anymore and needed to double down on the crazy bureaucratic plotting...

Also, some Chronicles of St. Mary vibes, but in a less fun / more depressing way... maybe The Conjuring of Zoth-Avarex: The Self-Proclaimed Greatest Dragon in the Multiverse

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

The stupidest aspect of the story so far is the credit card... (view spoiler)[

1) giving it to the sister...
2) the sister sending photos to the online friend...
3) THAT not leading to any serious identity theft... just a random curious online friend with no nefarious intentions... what was even the point?...

Altho eventually the card got disabled when the boss noticed and company cardholder lied about losing card... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Diablery (view spoiler)[feels very Inspector Gadget, altho the bosses think he's really alot more than he seems.. (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

I didn't hate read it but it was a 2 star read for me.....

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Yea... least favorite Croshaw by a mile, so far, I think...

I definitely agree with the negative reviews that so many of the characters were caricatures, and maybe the author bit off more than he could chew plotwise/etc, with the satire/political commentary on top...

And then that post-ending (view spoiler)[which felt a bit Fringe to me, with revelations that Diablery is some evil mastermind playing some meta game nobody else realizes and has shadowy companion he communicates with... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Also, (view spoiler)[so much of the plot felt like it hinged on otherwise intelligent people making stupid decisions, like the eidetic memory girl keeping things from boss and letting Diablerie be arrested/questioned by Elizabeth...

I know you can explain it away given her eager-to-please attitude after being revealed as a Muggle and given a job... but still... it left me frustrated by the plot half the time... (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

He was trying way too hard and it fell flat and was unsuccessful.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Agreed

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I gave it a generous rounded up 3 stars for now…

[Nirkatze]

Ann-Marie wrote: "I started this tonight and the author/narrator is using so many of the same voices as he did in the Jacques McKeown series it is throwing me, I am like Daniel is back! but it's not Daniel.....It's ..."

I read this this week and had the exact same reaction! It took about an hour to get used to it and recalibrate, and it would still come out and smack me every now and then.

I agree that I didn't like this as much as Jack McKeown, but I was still engaged and curious. Kinda rage-read, actually... agree with Iain on the analysis of the plot progression hinging on (view spoiler)[stupid decisions by supposedly smart people. (hide spoiler)] So I was hooked because I REALLY wanted to see all the annoying people eventually get comeuppance. But then they didn't get comeuppance. And I felt like I was dropped like a plate of toast. And now I'm hoping the comeuppance is in the next book. So I will be reading the next book.

And OMG! (view spoiler)[I so agree about the credit card!!! I was facepalming so hard! And I couldn't tell if the online friend was being sarcastic or not or was actually the killer. That was one thing I did like, actually--the twist on Jessica's sweating actually being a sign of the most powerful type of mage. But I kind of felt like the whole book was gaslighting me, and I didn't feel comfortable with that. (hide spoiler)]