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Katie Colson's Reviews > Middlegame
Middlegame (Alchemical Journeys, #1)
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by
⭐️4
Reading Vlog: https://youtu.be/8TIpw8x8V4Q
This is wholly unique. It is so rare to find a story that's never been told before. Seanan McGuire always finds it though. And she tells it in such a whimsical, macabre, mesmerizing way as to totally transport you into the story.
I will say that I reread this hoping to fully understand the alchemical machinations. However, a lot of this book remains out of reach and at this point I don't think it's me, I think it just wasn't fully formed. Which is completely fine. I shouldn't have assumed that this subject matter would be completely rooted in realism and logic. It isn't meant to be.
Also, I heard someone say that you could read this book back to front and intake the same story and I agree. We end where we began and nothing has really happened. But the characters are what we're rooting for at the end of the day. And the characters are fantastic.
I especially adore Leigh and Erin. Erin is hurt and spiraling while coming across as the picture of calm and level headed. While Leigh is a genius but allowed to be deeply toxic. Leigh's backstory of being created from the body parts of 13 brilliant female scientists is stunning.
This quote is about Leigh and is shows the brilliance and dark whimsy of McGuire's writing...
"For her, life is the lab and the lab is life. The lab is where she awoke, confused, filled with the shrieking souls of countless dead. The wings of crows beat in her ribcage, prisoned in the fleshy confines of her heart; sometimes she feels their feathers brushing against her bones, which are a mixture of human, caprine, and whalebones scrimshaw, carved so beautifully that she sometimes thinks it a pity she needs skin. She would be so much more attractive as a walking specter of tendon and bone, exposing her creator's artwork to the world."
Like, look me in the eye and tell you that quote didn't grab you by the throat???
⭐️4.5
Erin is THAT girl!
I loved this so much. I need to get a physical book to annotate cause the audiobook is not it sis. But it will do if you can’t get a hold of a book or, like me, don’t have the attention span to physically read 528 pages with your eyeballs.
I can’t wait to read more in this world. I just adore Seanad McGuire 💕
Reading Vlog: https://youtu.be/8TIpw8x8V4Q
This is wholly unique. It is so rare to find a story that's never been told before. Seanan McGuire always finds it though. And she tells it in such a whimsical, macabre, mesmerizing way as to totally transport you into the story.
I will say that I reread this hoping to fully understand the alchemical machinations. However, a lot of this book remains out of reach and at this point I don't think it's me, I think it just wasn't fully formed. Which is completely fine. I shouldn't have assumed that this subject matter would be completely rooted in realism and logic. It isn't meant to be.
Also, I heard someone say that you could read this book back to front and intake the same story and I agree. We end where we began and nothing has really happened. But the characters are what we're rooting for at the end of the day. And the characters are fantastic.
I especially adore Leigh and Erin. Erin is hurt and spiraling while coming across as the picture of calm and level headed. While Leigh is a genius but allowed to be deeply toxic. Leigh's backstory of being created from the body parts of 13 brilliant female scientists is stunning.
This quote is about Leigh and is shows the brilliance and dark whimsy of McGuire's writing...
"For her, life is the lab and the lab is life. The lab is where she awoke, confused, filled with the shrieking souls of countless dead. The wings of crows beat in her ribcage, prisoned in the fleshy confines of her heart; sometimes she feels their feathers brushing against her bones, which are a mixture of human, caprine, and whalebones scrimshaw, carved so beautifully that she sometimes thinks it a pity she needs skin. She would be so much more attractive as a walking specter of tendon and bone, exposing her creator's artwork to the world."
Like, look me in the eye and tell you that quote didn't grab you by the throat???
⭐️4.5
Erin is THAT girl!
I loved this so much. I need to get a physical book to annotate cause the audiobook is not it sis. But it will do if you can’t get a hold of a book or, like me, don’t have the attention span to physically read 528 pages with your eyeballs.
I can’t wait to read more in this world. I just adore Seanad McGuire 💕
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Reading Progress
March 22, 2022
–
Started Reading
March 22, 2022
– Shelved
March 28, 2022
–
Finished Reading
December 20, 2022
–
Started Reading
December 31, 2022
–
Finished Reading
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Brianna
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Mar 28, 2022 09:00AM
I'm so glad that you said that because I tried listening to the audiobook and the first like 30 minutes was all I listened to and it was so confusing I had to keep listening to it because it was so much information thrown at you so I dnfed it but now I'm considering just buying a physical copy you've never steered me wrong before 🤣
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I just bought this book off pango! Now I'm even more excited to check it out !:)
Amazing review, I can't wait to read this book now!
