As with many pilot episodes of a TV show, I did not especially enjoy the first "episode" of Bookburners. I found the writing a little choppy, the characters a little stereotypical and the structure too. I nearly abandoned the whole thing -- as I have done with one other original Serial Box title so far, The Witch Who Came In From The Cold -- but was soon glad that I hung on, because things only got better from there. There were a few rather inventive "monster of the week" ideas even as early as the 2nd chapter/episode, but by the midpoint of the Season, i.e., the middle of this book, a compelling overarching plot was firmly established too, and backstories had started to render some of the characters much more interesting.

The Serial Box concept shines here: these episodes really are best consumed one by one as opposed to binge-reading the collected edition in one go, as one long novel. The tone remains the same across all 16 episodes, although Max Gladstone's writing style sticks out a little compared to the others (which is neither good nor bad; it just is). There are a few small inconsistencies, the way one gets in TV series written by large teams of people. It's unsurprising to me that at least one of the 4 writers has experience writing for TV. Extant comparisons to shows like Supernatural and Warehouse 13 stand. But just as I might come back some of those shows more for my attachment to the characters than for the adventures on which the characters embark, I can see myself coming back for Bookburners: Season 2.

Overall, I love this series. The characters are amazing, the writing's brilliant, everything's great.

Doesn't disappoint. Interesting premise. Excellent urban fantasy.