Ludluda, the concluding book in The Chronicles of Ludwich duology by Jeff Noon and Steve Beard, is a surreal journey set in the atmospheric city of Ludwich. Cady Meade, a seasoned survivor, must deliver a ten-year-old girl to a coming-of-age festival, warned by prophets of looming dangers. When the girl mysteriously disappears, Cady, accompanied by a quirky, outdated mechanical man, embarks on a quest to find her.

As Cady tracks the girl along the River Nysis, she confronts both known enemies, seeking to unravel the mysteries surrounding the dragon Haakenur.

While Ludluda may not fully match the first book's highs, it remains an immersive experience with rich world-building that blends steampunk and dark fantasy. Cady’s tough, sarcastic persona adds humour, making for unpredictable twists through surreal and vivid prose.

Overall, Ludluda is a memorable, inventive novel that offers a fitting conclusion to the series, ideal for fans of unconventional fantasy seeking something original.

Many thanks to Angry Robot Books and NetGalley for providing an eArc in exchange for an honest review. Ludluda is due to be published on 3rd December 2024.

I read Gogmagog (which is the first half of this duology, I believe), adored it, and let me tell you Ludluda didn't disappoint as the second half! This is a fantastic fantasy that feels like a fever dream, and does an amazing job of disorienting the reader (in a fun way!). This is not boring, typical fantasy -- the worldbuilding and lore here is insane, and I couldn't begin to understand it if I tried. I think the creativity of the authors is outstanding, and the characters are so fun and silly. This is a fantastic fantasy and I recommend!

A thrilling and utterly bonkers finale to the story that began in Gogmagog. I loved every raucous, rowdy bit of this story as we follow Cady into the heart of darkness and beyond. As in the first book, there is something so joyously weird and boisterous about the characters and even the world here where trees and robots mingle and where we actually get to see a glimpse of our own world, too. My only slight complaint would be that Yanish, who was a big part of book 1, is mysteriously missing from the story except for a brief mention at the end. I'm guessing some kind of editing slip-up? On the whole though, this duology is one of my favourite things that I've read this year.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher of providing me with an e-arc of this book. My opinions are my own.
This was my most anticipated read for the year after having my mind blown in January by Gogmagog.

Once again the author duo deliver bat shit crazy in spades. And this may have been the conclusion to the duology, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I dont think were done with Cady, Brin and Ludwich just yet.
Speculation aside.
Back to our favourite thousands of year old geriatric plant lady protagonist.
This picks up where we left off in Gogmagog. Cady was onto to something, but she just had no idea what tail she was chasing. And let me tell you, it led us places (or rather a city) I could never have expected. The writers show and not tell approach results in many scenes feeling like a trip, and I fear if say anymore I will ruin this mind feast. But let me just say, Im so glad I have hyperfantasia.

I did feel that some parts where very much the issue I have with quest novels, people trying to get to places, sometimes that creates a lull or slow pacing, and in this already confusing book, it did add to the confusion. And for that I dropped a star from my 5 star Gogmagog rating.

Id love to see more hype for these books as they live in my mind rent free.

*Ludluda* by Jeff Noon and Steve Beard is one wild, trippy adventure. The world-building is off the charts—think steampunk weirdness mixed with a bit of magical fever dream. The writing? Vivid and surreal, sometimes dense but always packed with strange, darkly funny moments. Cady, the protagonist, is the kind of grumpy hero you can’t help but root for, with enough sarcastic charm to keep you hooked even when things get utterly bizarre.

The book throws you into a world full of grotesque imagery and mystical oddities, where every page feels like it’s trying to outdo the last in terms of sheer creativity. Sure, it’s not the easiest read, and the plot might leave you scratching your head here and there, but if you love being swept up in a surreal, fantastical experience, this is it. It’s weird, it’s fun, and it’ll stick with you long after you’ve finished. Thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the ARC!

Ludluda is the second and final book in The Chronicles of Ludwich duology. After reading the first book, this one was high on my tbr list. The story is one of the most unique I've ever read, and I really love the characters. It was engaging from the start, and I enjoyed every second of it. I think this is the perfect conclusion to the story. I highly recommend this duology to anyone who enjoys weirder and unique settings and stories. Thanks to Angry Robot and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy. I'll post my review closer to the publication date.

The same characters from the first novel continue their adventures in a strange and twisty world. Enjoyed it and it didn’t have quite the punch of the first novel . Thanks to the authors. Thanks to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. 3.7/5.

3.5 stars. A solid continuation of this series. I liked the pacing especially in this book and I felt my attention was never waning.

Review: Back to the land of Ludwich, er I think? Lots of place names and instances to get your head around but the main characters remain to lessen the blow. There is a very determined effort to revel in descriptive prose based around Fanyr and the Nysis. It is all stench and ecto-goo in variety.

Cady leads the charge through a meandering story line that embraces the weird. A finely tuned read that that is slightly diminished in song from the first novel.

I received this ARC for an honest review

4.1/5

Ludluda was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024 following the superb first installment of this duology, Gogmagog by Jeff Noon and Steve Beard.

Events pick up immediately from the conclusion of Gogmagog and once again our unlikely crew are journeying up river and having some interesting stops along the way as the various pieces of the mystery are revealed. I really appreciated the 'show, don't tell' approach to the writing in the first book and this left me craving for answers in this concluding part, but equally I was hoping that the sense of bewilderment and gradual discovery would continue without hand holding exposition - thankfully for my tastes, not everything was fully explained, leaving room for interpretation and additional discovery on a reread. I spent much of my read of Gogmagog trying to figure out where this story was being told as in whether it was a secondary fantasy world or actually our own Earth but in a different time. With Ludluda, this question is answered but I will not spoil what this was here.

The Chronicles of Ludwich offers a truly unique reading experience which defies the boundaries of genre, pulling in elements of fantasy, fairytale, science fiction and beyond. The prose throughout has a dreamlike quality and at times can carry you along like the eddies and currents of the rivers depicted in this story whilst also having the ability in parallel to be crude and direct. As an avid Fantasy and Science Fiction reader, I can often get the sense when starting a new book of having previously read the story already as tried and tested tropes are repackaged again and again but with this Duology I was struggling to compare this with anything else or figure out precisely the literary influences that may have inspired it so I guess that is my way of praising the amount of originality that went into this work.

Many thanks to Angry Robot Books and NetGalley for providing an eArc in exchange for an honest review. Ludluda is due to be published on 3rd December 2024.

Another knock out of the park for this duo. A fantastically written series and one that deserves the shelf space.

A strange, surreal fantasy world with a great cast of characters and an engaging plot. This is just as good as book one and held hints of Brut tradition folklore here and there – which I enjoyed. I had a great time reading this.

An abstract fantasy just as good as the first, with more world building, and more existential questions.

Luluda tells the story of a journey through a strange modern city whose power is sourced from the ghost of a dragon. Ludwich may no longer be at war with its great political rival overseas, but veteran sailor Cady Meade, survivor of many battles, suspects that the hard-won peace is about to break. She promises to deliver a preternatural ten-year old girl to a coming-of-age festival in the heart of Ludwich. But she has been warned by the prophets that dangers lie ahead.

Cady suspects that the young girl’s fate is entwined with that of the city. When the girl disappears, the old sailor must hunt her down, accompanied by a know-it-all mechanical man whose circuits are slowly grinding to dust. But Cady’s mission has always been to guard Ludwich from enemies both known and occult, and she will never give up.

Following the course of the River Nysis through the city, and beyond, Cady must uncover the final mysteries of the great dragon Haakenur’s life and death and afterlife. Her greatest battle is about to begin.

Not quite as good as book one, but still very engaging and interesting. Held my interest because of interesting and relatable characters. Plot waS FUN and unpredictable. A good ending as well. Would recommend to most fantasy fans:)