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Heavy

Real close to DNF. I actually care less about the Tetons and Jackson Hole from reading this book. The subtitle to this book should be “Jackson Hole: Where rich people do whatever they want, for over 150 year!”

Solid worldbuilding (and mythmaking), great magic system, intriguing court politics. And around halfway through I figure out it’s also a “Hamlet” retelling.

"Lord of Misrule" by M. Rickert! Holy cow!

Good ones so far:
"Cold" by Cassandra Khaw
"Loyly Sow-na" by Josh Malerman
"Our Recent Unpleasantness" by Stephen Graham Jones
"The Ghost of Christmases Past" by Richard Kadrey
"Return to Bear Creek Lodge" by Tananarive Due
"The Importance of a Tidy Home" by Christopher Golden

I realize I've included most of the stories.

A slog so far. Mostly been learning the ins and outs of Jackson Hole being a playground for rich a’holes for over 150 years.

Ok. Turns out Joe Hill is the pseudonym for Joseph Hillström King, son of Stephen King.

Two King references: Shawshank and portals to Midworld

CW: violence against a dog

Does Joe Hill always copy King’s style? New England setting, villains sexualizing children, over the top body shaming, a character with a speech impediment. That’s all I’ve noticed so far and I also don’t read much King.

So included Langford’s debunked first ascent of the Grand. Intro said it was fabricated, a photo caption did too. Why not include some analysis? Who has the confirmed first ascent and what about native peoples?

Ugh. Really? The best writing on indigenous peoples arriving in Jackson Hole was written in 1978 by some rando for his friends coming to visit? Feels lazy about finding something better or heartbreaking that it is the best.

Kinda disappointed my first Chuck Tingle isn’t a “Pound Me in the…” but I think this one will work.

Dear gods. I have never seen a fantasy handle the exploitation of colonialism and how it affects everything as well as this book does.

First chapter. Wow.

Really good so far, but really dense. Very full of examples, I’ve underlined and highlighted more on each page than isn’t marked.

Has he snuck a climate catastrophe allegory in here?

Dudebro Court Politics Sci-fi

We’ll see how this goes. Haven’t been a huge Scalzi fan and usually despise Wil Wheaton as a narrator.

One of those rare moments when nothing is on the Currently Reading. Interesting how these happen sometimes. It'll probably change in the next couple hours though.

Hmmm I understand if it’s supposed to be a slow burn for character-building, but this is really slow. Almost wonder if it’s going to be total slow burn because the climax will be in the Critical Roll campaign.

Well, finally got a villain that isn’t from South American, Hiram Bingham. But the author also got an interview with one of the Shining Path followers in jail just to tell her that capitalism is human nature. This book is looking more like a rage finish.

I’m not sure how I feel about this dichotomy that seems to be setting up here in chapter three. Chap 1 is about someone from South America, Pablo Escobar. Chap 2, someone not from South America, Charles Darwin. Chap 3, Abimael Guzman, founder of Maoist terrorist group The Shining Path.

I know nothing of “Critical Role,” but I’ve read a fair amount of Cassandra Khaw.

All I can think about is the Dave Matthews song.

Very fun so far. Great high fantasy, maybe grimdark, worldbuilding with language on par with the best seasons of “Deadwood.”

This is the sprawling epic fantasy with complex court politics, an interesting magic system, and a city that is its own character you’ve been looking for.

I can’t tell if it’s the narrator (I’m doing the audiobook), but Lucy’s dialogue is horrific.

Louis Wu is so gross. He treats Teela like a child and a sex toy. And pretty sure Louis is the author’s self insert. While an interesting idea, Teela being “bred” for luck is gross compared to the rest of the author’s takes on gender. Anything Teela does that’s good or correct can be explained just on her being lucky. Super gross.

We’ve met two non-human species and both have “nonsapient” females. One could be a foil to work against, a second (when there are only three species so far) is problematic. In fact this second species refers to the nonsapient females as property.