Unabridged Audiobook
This novella is a fun, highly kinetic and vivid romp that is essentially one step away from being a great standalone fantasy action movie. It has a fascinating cast, a fresh premise, and great pacing… but the ending fell really flat. Its overall action film-like tone was definitely both a strength and a weakness - the plot beats aside from the truly interesting premise are admittedly cliche and predictable, but well-loved and executed skillfully (again, right up until the ending). Similarly, the novella employs a lot of irreverent, self-aware, quippy humour which did not always land and is honestly beginning to feel dated in 2024. All that aside though, Lynnette R. Freeman as the audiobook narrator was incredible with impressive variety and emotional range, and truly bringing the AAVE and creole languages used in the book to life.
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