Daniel Shellenbarger > Recent Status Updates

There's only one place my mind goes when I read this title:
"HOW CAN THIS BE FOR THE GREATER GOOD!?!"
"THE GREATER GOOD!"
"SHUT IT!"

Basically done, was halfway through the epilogue when my break ended

I can't understand how this didn't get published. Sure, it needs a little work, there's definitely some editing issues (stuff like "to" instead of "two"), but Kenton and Khriss's love-hate relationship is fun stuff and the world of the book is a fascinating piece of world-building. The graphic novel certainly relates a lot of that, but the book does it better. I'd certainly be proud to have a copy on my shelf.

If the amount of alcohol they consume is anything near reality, it's amazing that the entire populace hadn't died of cirrhosis by the end of the '30's.

and now for something completely different...

I hate to do this, but I'm abandoning this book. After nearly a year trying to convince myself to just buckle down and read the rest of the book and failing to find any motivation to do so other than bloody-mindedness, I finally took the path of last resort today and read the ending, and... I'll just say it gave me strong Elfstones of Shannara vibes (no people trees though), shame...

I think Martell's books would be better if he just cut out a couple of subplots; there's just too much going on and it makes the plot feel chaotic and means that a lot of plot and character developments feel rushed.

I'm enjoying this so much I kinda wish I hadn't read the graphic novel version, not that that was bad, but I'm getting way more into this version and it annoys me that i already know where the story's headed.

Ok, I was pretty confused to find that Ais is a man in this version, but given that the book makes a bigger point than the graphic novel (IIRC) of how the Dayside societies are more hidebound than the Darkside societies (and the fact that it makes a point of how unusual Heelis, the female Chief Justice is within Lossand's power structure), it does make more sense this way in context.