Title: Middlegame
Author: Seanan McGuire
Publisher: TOR
Release Date: May 7, 2019
Pages: 528
Book Source: Library copy
“Meet Roger. Skilled with words, languages come easily to him. He instinctively understands how the world works through the power of story.
Meet Dodger, his twin. Numbers are her world, her obsession, her everything. All she understands, she does so through the power of math.
Roger and Dodger aren’t exactly human, though they don’t realise it. They aren’t exactly gods, either. Not entirely. Not yet.
Meet Reed, skilled in the alchemical arts like his progenitor before him. Reed created Dodger and her brother. He’s not their father. Not quite. But he has a plan: to raise the twins to the highest power, to ascend with them and claim their authority as his own.
Godhood is attainable. Pray it isn’t attained.” Amazon
My Review:
It has been a long time since I’ve read a book that makes me say, “Damn!” when I finish it. And even longer since I’ve read one that takes me a week to process it. But Middlegame by Seanan McGuire, had me doing both.
If you’ve read previous reviews on the website, you may have seen my other reviews on McGuire’s books, or have read a review where I’ve mentioned some of her series because they remind me, or go well with, the book I’m reviewing. Although I’ve mentioned her books numerous times before, I have to mention her series again, because they are all wonderful.
I first started reading about October Daye, which is an epic fantasy series. McGuire’s world building is outstanding in this series. The next series I found was her InCryptid’s. This one is more urban fantasy that encompasses a family with different skills who help to keep safe creatures that are suggested to possibly be real, but have not yet been proven scienctifically. Think Yetis or mermaids.
And finally her Wayward Children series, which makes me think of Mid-West folktales and urban legends. Although I didn’t see anywhere that says Middlegame is part of the Wayward Children series, there are still some nods to it, especially towards the end.
Now for the fun part where I basically tell you nothing about the book, because I don’t want to spoil any of it!
It’s about alchemy, time travel, reincarnation, and trying to do right by yourself and others. It’s about familes, love, hate, and knowing who to trust even if it’s just yourself. It’s about good, evil, grey areas, and finding out life isn’t what you believed it to be. It’s all of this, and so much more.
I truly feel bad giving you so little, but if you trust me and read the book, it can give you so much to ponder, enjoy, embrace, and question. Just like an amazing book should.
*If you click on one of the links and it takes you to Amazon, it is an affiliate link. If you decide to purchase the item, I will get a small percentage from Amazon, and this will help to continue to grow KHeniadis and Books Don’t Review Themselves. It is also greatly appreciated!