Review:

Ah, I feel so accomplished. This is a book I've been putting off for far too long and ah I finally read this one. The main thing that put me off this book was the fact that no one seemed able to describe the plot and a lot of people said this book was confusing. 

After reading it, I definitely agree that it's hard to describe this book, but that's mostly because you need to spoil like half the book to accurately discuss what's going on. Part of this is because there are a couple of different plot lines that intersect. 

“You can't skip to the end of the story just because you're tired of being in the middle. You'd never survive.”

The book is told in a non-linear structure that allows for some really cool storytelling devices. The book starts at the end of the timeline, where Roger and Dodger have presumably lost something due to Dodger being covered in blood. We then jump back to the past where A. Deborah Baker is finishing up a creation, an Frankenstein's monster analog made up of various donors, tasked with the goal of completing Baker's work. We then jump forward 100 years to where Reed is on the verge of completing Baker's work and aims to split the Doctrine of Ethos and personify it in a set of twins with to goal of ascending to godhood. The book then follows Roger and Dodger throughout their life as the figure out their role in this alchemic quest. Oh, and there are also snippets of Over the Woodward Wall, a book written by Baker with a deeper connection to the overarching narrative. 

“Words can be whispered bullet-quick when no one's looking, and words don't leave blood or bruises behind. Words disappear without a trace. That's what makes them so powerful. That's what makes them so important.
That's what makes them hurt so much.”

I was pleasantly surprised by how easy this book was to consume. I listened to the audiobook and followed along with a digital copy and found myself flying through the story. I purposely took some breaks to make sure I didn't rush through anything and allowed myself to fully consume the story. 

I really liked how the story was spliced between Roger and Dodger growing up and discovering their connections to each other and showing some behind the scenes with Reed. There were some genuinely touching moments and some really sad moments. 

I think my only complaint about this book is that it really dragged in some places. I found myself very aware of how long this book was, especially when I felt like things were supposed to be wrapping up, but I was only like 60% of the way through the book. 

I was pleasantly surprised with how this book ended. It was just open enough to not feel like everything was wrapped in a nice little bow, but still felt like the major points were resolved. 

Final Thoughts:

This was a super fun, compelling story that explored some really dark aspects of alchemy. I was shocked at how downright creepy some chapters got. The amount of control Reed has over the characters allows for some huge stakes and compelling conflicts. Roger and Dodger were both so likable and were really easy protagonists to route for. I really don't have much to say about this book without going into more spoilers, but I also really don't want to spoil this book. I am so excited to get to Over the Woodward Wall now. I am craving Zib and Avery's story and seeing how much of this tale overlaps with Rogers and Dodgers. The lovely people at Tor were kind enough to send me an eARC and I am diving in right away.

I really struggled to connect with this book. The beginning is extremely choppy, with multiple POV switches, timeline switches, and excerpts from real and fictional texts, and I found it hugely got in the way of my investment in the story. I wasn't hugely interested in Reed as a villainous scientist, nor in the twins, who are written like pretentious adults even at 7 years old. I'm a fan of the Wayward Children series, but there you have much tighter pacing and more linear plots, whereas this is clearly intended to be a huge, rambling exploration of themes that shows off the author's intelligence. I felt like I was being condescended to the second I picked up the book, and it put me off. Even though I persevered in the hope that was just a teething issue, I came away feeling like this book is an exercise in showing off rather than entertaining the reader.

DNF at 25%.

4.5 stars. The Up-and-Under stories by A. Deborah Baker are cherished classics of children's literature. Two friends, a strangely complementary boy and girl, set out together on a journey to a dazzling city, where destiny awaits. Along the way, they meet strange characters, some of whom are friends, and help them on their journey. Others seem friendly, but only hinder them. This is a core narrative in other stories too: the road; the city; and the knowledge that awaits you when you get there. But what if the story isn't just a story, but a road-map? What if Baker's innocent series of children's books is actually a manual of secret knowledge? Few people know that A. Deborah Baker wasn't a cosy children's author. She was Asphodel Baker, one of the most brilliant and frustrated alchemists of all time, and the books were the distillation of her knowledge, in a world that slammed all its doors in her face. Now, a hundred years down the road, two children - a strangely complementary boy and girl - are about to embark on their own journey into the unknown. They can succeed, or they can die. Success will mean remaking the world. Sprawling, ambitious, and stuffed with ideas, Seanan McGuire's Middlegame grabs you by the throat and simply doesn't let go for five hundred pages.

You know how some books completely consume you? How they feel palpably real during the time you spend between their covers? How you spend your non-reading moments floating around in a fog, and your reading moments trying to devour the text with your eyes so you can absorb it faster? This was one of those books. I hadn't read anything by Seanan McGuire before (although her Wayward Children series has been on my radar for some time), and Middlegame burst into my brain like an unexpected juggernaut: a tantalising, mind-scrambling blend of fantasy, horror, and timeslip adventure. It draws on the kind of stories that were hardwired into us as children, but this is absolutely not a children's story. It's a tale of the darkness inside each one of us, a story of the raw powers of the universe and the lengths people will go to control them. It's like The Wizard of Oz reimagined by Dennis Wheatley, blended with Frankenstein and Groundhog Day and served with a side order of Stranger Things. It's brilliant and horrifying and I haven't the first idea how I'm going to describe it without getting myself in a tangle.

One story. Roger Middleton has always been shy, but has an unquenchable thirst for language. Books, dictionaries, foreign languages: he absorbs them all. And then, one day, as he sits uncomprehending in front of his maths homework aged seven, a voice pops into his head. A girl: Dodger Cheswich, who lives on the other side of the country, and is as brilliant at maths as Roger is at languages. They are both outcasts, both lacking the essential ease that will allow them to flow along the normal path of life. They're both adopted. And they become friends, helping each other with their homework and having long conversations. How exactly do these conversations happen? Why them, out of all the children in the world? Is it just coincidence that they complement each other so perfectly? Roger and Dodger don't understand, and don't need to. They're seven years old and it's just wonderful to have a best friend all of a sudden. Little do they know that, by making contact, they've drawn the attention of dark forces; for Roger and Dodger are not accidents. They've met before. And they will go on meeting, again and again, until the darkness that watches them reaches out a hand to snatch them back. 

Another story. Weary and frustrated, the great alchemist Asphodel Baker has given up trying to prove herself to her colleagues in the Alchemical Congress. They don't take her seriously and are either too blind or too scared to acknowledge her ferocious power. She cannot do any more, but she can create her avenger. From fragments, compounds and ancient knowledge, she forms James Reed: determined, ruthless and immortal, he will carry forward her research and take the final step that Asphodel, for all her brilliance, couldn't complete. Reed, like Asphodel, believes that the Impossible City can be reached by the improbable road, but it can only be accessed when the fundamental powers of the universe are under his control. He can do this by harnessing the Doctrine of Ethos, the force which shapes the world; but the Doctrine must first be incarnated. Reed has already incarnated minor powers - Order, Chaos - but the Doctrine is more challenging. It is too vast to be contained in a single form, so he decides to split it in two - divided between the bodies of twins, one created with a propensity for language, the other for numbers. When brought together, these 'cuckoo children' have the potential to dominate everything - but Reed intends the reins to be in his hand. He has several potential pairs under development. Which will mature first? Hawk-like, Reed watches his projects growing to fruition, with his operative Leigh at his side - inhuman, beautiful, immoral and deadly, and always ready to strike.

It's honestly better just to take a running jump and plunge in at the deep end. As you bob around, trying to orient yourself, you gradually see the story taking shape: myth, esoterica and children's stories come together into a deeply unsettling whole. I didn't understand everything, but it didn't really matter. McGuire convinced me that, even though I didn't get it, there was something worth not getting at the heart of it all. She is a master storyteller, evoking the blood and death that ultimately lies at the heart of all fairy tales, without losing their profound innocence. And there is so much blood here. Unsuccessful experiments are 'recycled'; investors of no further use are 'removed'; and many of the darkest deeds are carried out under the shielding powers of a Hand of Glory. Although this is a fantasy novel, many of its key concepts or motifs are real. The Doctrine of Ethos is a real philosophical concept, created by the Greeks, about the power of music to prepare and influence the mind in certain directions. The Hand of Glory is equally real, if considerably more gruesome. McGuire draws on a whole raft of sources with glee, achieving an effect that's rather like Robert Holdstock's magnificent Mythago Wood: a palimpsest of influences that creates something entirely original and entirely absorbing. It winds tendrils into the dark, ancient places of your mind.

And the cherry on the top of this delicious but sinister cake? It won't be long before we can read A. Deborah Baker's Up-and-Under stories for ourselves (expanded by McGuire from the pieces she wrote for epigraphs in Middlegame). Over the Woodward Wall will be released in October 2020, and I for one can't wait to read it. In the meantime, I'll be moving on to the Wayward Children series, for which I now have high hopes...

This post will be published on my blog on 20 April 2020 at the following link:
https://theidlewoman.net/2020/04/20/middlegame-2019-seanan-mcguire

Pretty solid, except for the fact that it was annoying how often Rodger and Dodger kept finding the stupidest reasons to ignore each other (7-year-old Roder I can forgive, and 15-year-old Dodger, MAYBE, but that's it.). The last time it happened I distinctly thought "really? Again?"

I'm not sure why there were so many excerpts from the Up-and-Under series; they didn't really have any thematic resonance with what was going on in the plot, and didn't shed any light on The Impossible City.

But the conclusion was absolutely thrilling.

Middlegame is one of those books that are impossible to describe, and not every person who reads will 'get' it. But for those special few who sink in and get devoured by the story, it is a magnificent experience.

McGuire has a knack for creating stories that nobody has told in any variation. Of course, every novel published is unique in their own right, but a lot of the time we are able to compare them to other titles. With Middlegame, I don't think there is a single title you could comp it with. This is the kind of book that your "similar to" titles are similar because of the FEEL of the story, not the story itself.

This is one of the weirdest books I've read. I think I liked it? Especially the first 300 pages. I like Roger and Dodger and the world as far as I could follow it. But the last 200 pages, although still good were very confusing to me. Probably have to reread it sometime.

I tried to read this ARC MANY times but unfortunately I couldn't stay interested because the plot moves way to slow for my taste

Seanan McGuire has once again written a book that I could not put down! I had only read the Wayward Children series prior to reading Middlegame, so I was really excited to read a longer book by her. Middlegame definitely did not disappoint! I loved Roger and Dodger and the plot was so weird and crazy but also engaging and exciting at the same time. I've seen a lot of hype around this book and I assure you, it is well deserved!

Oh man this book. I really don't know how to put into words what I think. First the characters. Dodger might be one of my favorite characters. She reminded me of me as a young girl (I'm no genius), but I loved that she was a girl who was smart and outgoing and capable of anything. I liked Roger's character as well, but didn't connect with him the same was as Dodger. The plot. Wow this book was wild. I know there are so many things I didn't pick up on, and I will definitely need to reread this book. It is a twisted ride, but I enjoyed every second. The writing. Seanan McGuire has such a unique writing style. This book was written with almost a scientific and external approach, yet it was a character driven story where I actually connected with the characters. Overall, this book was great, and I highly recommend it.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was on the 2020 shortlist. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2020/01/2020-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

Wow. I was starting to think I'd never finish this book. But I did! I blasted through the final 30% today and am so glad I'm done!

But first, a HUGE thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book. Secondly, a HUGE apology to the publisher and author for only finishing this book now.

I started this book at the end of August in 2019, and with a bit of reading in October, November, and now January, I finally made it to the end. It was a rough ride. Reading it in e-format definitely didn't help me, and the fact that STEM is way out of my league was a struggle as well. Both of these things are wholly personal, of course, and I still really enjoyed it!

MIDDLEGAME is a very confusing book. Not necessarily in a bad way, but it is definitely hard to grasp at times. The STEM, the underlying meaning of things... It gets easier for a while, when they're kids, but then doubles down on it. I tried my best to just roll with it, and while I have no idea if I fully got it, it was astonishingly created. I can't even imagine what it must have been like coming up with all of it, and I cannot wait to read Baker's series! It all intertwines, and it is very timey-wimey, so pay attention to the timer headings at the start of each chapter.

Character wise, this was a blast. Except for the two 'villains', none of the characters were 100% loveable, making them very engaging. I preferred Dodger to Roger, and I think it's because I relate to her more, even though language is way more my thing than math. The way she responds to things, to certain traits of Roger's, I felt that. Doesn't mean that I don't like Roger! The two of them together are the best, which makes perfect sense, of course. Made me feel Erin's loneliness deep in my bones; I wish I had someone I was that close with. Erin herself is a rollercoaster of a character, and I have to admit I quite love her.

This book doesn't hold back and it hits hard at times, and the emotions are real. Reading this book, especially the final parts, is exhausting because of it. A break and/or palate cleanser afterwards is recommended! I wanted to hug these characters, I wanted to yell at them.. I have them in my heart now and there they shall remain, safe. Seeing this book come to life would be amazing to me, as it would help me for sure to understand some things, as I can't visualize while reading. This entire world, and it's sub-world, so to speak, is so intriguing, and I just know it'll stay with me.

Would definitely recommend this, with a warning of it not being a quick and simple read. This one will take time, and should take time. It deserves to be savored, as a LOT of work clearly went into this.

4/5

The author really has a knack for creating interesting worlds or powers and characters. Siblings linked by quantum entanglement? Powers worthy of gods? Powers linked to language and maths? I was really intrigued!

Having said that, I found myself not caring too much about the direction of this book. The world and goal seemed way too vague to me and I had to push myself to finish it as my interest dwindled the further I got into it.

I gave the audiobook a try and some of the voices were really not pleasant to listen to.

Not my favorite by her.

I can't even begin to review this book without it making no sense and taking the brilliance away from it. Suffice to say, buckle up because this is going to be one hell of a ride. Pay attention because things get wacky.

This book cemented the absolute, undeniable fact that Seanan McGuire is now one of my all time favorite authors.

I was intimidated by this book initially because the synopsis seemed a little confusing-and I'm not going to lie, the book does leave you in the dark for a lot of this book. I normally get frustrated when I don't know what's going on in the book, but McGuire gives you just enough details to keep the mystery alive. I am so. glad. I finally picked this book up!

One of McGuire's strengths is her characters. We follow Roger and Dodger through their entire lives, and so we really get to know them so very well, and I loved them so very deeply after just a few chapters. I really enjoyed Leigh and Reed as well-I almost wish we had gotten more of them! Leigh was such a fantastically creepy character, I found myself shivering whenever she was on page. McGuire's characters just feel so. real. Even though the majority of the characters in this novel weren't 100% human.

My favorite thing about this novel, and every Seanan McGuire novel, is her writing. She just has the most perfect style of writing for me, and for some reason I can't ever adequately explain why. Her writing is just the perfect blend of descriptive and blunt, and I love it so dearly.

Overall, I adored this book. I saw that McGuire is writing "Over the Woodward Wall" into a full length novel next year, and I am so excited for that!

I read this book awhile ago but I absolutely loved it. Yes it was special snowflake territory but it skirts the general tropes that usually bother me. You could feel the emotions and watch the characters grow. Some of the bad guys were not bad but had depth. The character had depth. They carried their scars. I would full heartedly recommend this book. Interesting plot, not perfect characters with depth, and beautiful writing.

Three and a half stars: An addictive and imaginative sci-fi novel that loses steam due to the convoluted and somewhat confusing storyline.

Roger and Dodger are twins who aren’t exactly human. The pair was cooked up in a lab by Reed, a skilled alchemist, who is trying to play god. The twins were born and then separated at birth. Roger goes to live with a family in Massachusetts, while Dodger, his sister, is sent to California. Roger is skilled in language, while Dodger has an affinity for math. Then one day, Dodger figures out that she is able to communicate with Roger, whom she doesn’t remember, by talking to him in his mind. The two start chatting daily, helping one another with homework and everything else, until Roger is told he must stop. What follows are years of the two coming together and separating until they figure out that someone is pulling their strings. If they don’t act, the world that they know might end, unless they can figure out a way to rewrite it. Can the twins achieve the impossible?
What I Like:
*Ms. McGuire is an author who always manages to impress with her far out, eccentric and complicated stories. This book is part of her Wayward Children Series, but it is far more complex. Prepare for mind twisting entertainment.
*I loved Roger and Dodger, the genetically engineered twins separated at birth, who can do extraordinary things. Roger is brilliant in languages, while Dodger is a math prodigy. The two compliment each other. Neither knows the other exists until Dodger figures out how to pop into Roger’s head for a chat. I loved seeing them interact and help one another. Of course, there are plenty of complications and the two are torn apart time and time again, only to find their way back to one another. McGuire takes the whole idea of the twin bond and ratchets it up to a whole other level. It was brilliant.
*Talk about a complex plot. You have the dark alchemist, Reed, trying to control the world and change what his predecessor did. Think maniacal powers trying to manipulate the world and bend it to their will. That is exactly what these alchemists do in order to achieve their aims. They take no prisoners, murdering and conniving to try and ascend to godhood. Then you have Roger and Dodger, just trying to get through life, not understanding their key roles in the evil plot. The story moves back and forth through time, even going so far as to having Dodger converse with her future self. It is mind blowing and dizzying sometimes. What a ride.
*I loved the nods to Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz. What seems like an imaginative tale has far deeper meaning in McGuire’s world. The book has an important role, one that helps to rewrite the world. It was a complex and intriguing idea.
*The story builds and builds to a thrilling climax, basically it is a race to save the world from evil forces. Then the dust settles and the ending brings closure and some more thought provoking ideas. This one made me think!
And The Not So Much:
*I adore McGuire’s Wayward Children Series, and I was excited to slip into this novel. I was disappointed that the whimsical and fantastical world building wasn’t present in this one. Instead it has a much darker tone.
*The story line felt jumbled and confusing at times. The plot jumps around in time. You get snippets in the past with the alchemists and then it jumped around. It was difficult to follow, especially in the audiobook format.
*I felt this one got a bit repetitive at times. Roger and Dodger would have an issue and they would stop communicating and then reconnect: repeat. It got a little old. I didn’t like all the starts and stops, and it made the novel lengthy.
*I listened to the audiobook version. While I had no qualms with the narrator, she did a brilliant job, I think that this is one perhaps better to read. The constant movement back and forth in time and point of view shifts made the story difficult to follow. I would have done better if I had read this. If you are one that struggles with keeping things straight while listening, this is one I would recommend reading.
Middlegame is a complex and brilliant novel that exposes the reader to some fantastical characters and mind bending ideas. Unfortunately, I thought this one got a bit muddled with the confusing story line and it was repetitive and lengthy. Still I appreciate the creativity and the imaginative story. If you have yet to experience the genius of Ms. McGuire, you need to check out her work.

I borrowed a copy of this book from the library. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

I absolutely love Seanan McGuire and I couldn't put this book down, I was even reading it in a gig instead of paying attention to the music. Great characters, compelling plot, amazing setting. Will definitely recommend this book. Can't wait for the public to discover it!

I want to preface this review by stating that I love Roger and Dodger so much. I would DIE for these kids. Months ago, when Middlegame had just come out, I saw someone describe this as a story about two superheroes who screw up a whole lot (paraphrased because I don’t remember who said this or even what platform I came across this description on.) That description is absolutely perfect for this boo. Even though there is a LOT of stuff-bigger than both the MCs- going on, at its heart, Middlegame is 1000% a coming of age story. It follows these kids from childhood well into adulthood as the navigate all the pains of growing up.

My love for the main characters unfortunately did not help the plot or the world this book is set in, make sense. It also didn’t make the book 200 pages shorter. I finished Middlegame happy and satisfied but discussing it with friends made me realize I didn’t know half of the things that were happening. I could not tell you what the impossible city was or what the improbable road is even though the existence of these kiddos is tied directly to those things. The vagueness felt intentional at times but the degree of it didn’t really work for me and took away from my enjoyment of the story.

The book is also, simply put, too long. A weird thing to say given that I enjoyed almost every minute I spent reading this book but so many things felt unnecessary. As much as I enjoyed being able to dwell in the characters’ journeys through time and space, some plot points felt unnecessary?

I don’t know if anyone else would have the same issues I did because so many people seemed to have loved the book. Maybe I was just not smart enough to appreciate the geniusness of this world but I definitely appreciated the amount of work Seanan McGuire put into developing Roger and Dodger and characters. I also appreciated the secondary characters we caught glimpses of throughout the story (Erin in particular.) The villains on the other hand??? I didn’t think they were truly developed because I never understood their intentions for anything they were doing, except to be the BAD guys.

Generally speaking though, if you are a fan of character driven books, Middlegame will absolutely be your thing. While I did struggle with world building aspects, I could also appreciate weird time stuff that was going on and the general unreliability of time itself within this book. I am actually kind of sad this is a standalone because I love Roger and Dodger so much and wish I had more time with them.

I'm still a little confused, but damn this was good! You have to work for it, though. Sometimes I didn't always want to work for this. And I'm gonna have to read some reviews from smarter readers who actually understand it all.

But upon discussing with a friend after I thought about it, I realize that there was too much vagueness sometimes and I didn't truly love this book. Objectively, it's good and the characters are really what make it what it is. But it meandered SO MUCH, and there were moments where it should have just been less open-ended. I'm glad I gave it a chance, though.

What an INTERESTING book! Holy cow. First, I have to admit that it's been a long time since I read adult fantasy/sci-fi. I'm usually a YA reader, so I forgot how different "adult" books can be. This one is hard to describe. There is so much happening that you certainly shouldn't read this one while trying to multitask. You need all eyes and brain cells working to fully give this book the attention it deserves. Seanan McGuire is a genius of proportions that I can't even describe. Basically, if you like SFF or anything that Seanan McGuire has written before, go read this one, you won't regret it.