Middlegame by Seanan McGuire

Fantasy is usually a hit-or-miss genre for me. Sometimes I devour the whole book in one sitting, and sometimes I drag myself through the first few chapters only to abandon it later. Thus, I’ve been quite wary of picking up new fantasy books since I feel really guilty if I end up dnf them. Now that October is finally here, I think there’s no better time than now to rekindle my enthusiasm for this genre. That’s the reason why I reread this book for the spooky season.

In short, Middlegame by Seanan McGuire revolves around an alchemist named John Reed. To achieve godhood, he creates numerous sets of “cuckoos” (kinda Frankenstein-esque) and tries to make them manifest the Doctrine of Ethos. Although the author never specifies the workings of alchemy in this book; I was, to some extent, pleasantly confused. It gives the novel a mysterious and eerie ambience, thus keeps the readers transfixed with the characters and narratives. However, this book contains quite a few gruesome scenes wherein the characters are murdered for… alchemical purposes, so please bear that in mind before diving in.

Although Middlegame is not my first Seanan McGuire book, I’m pleasantly surprised by the language of this novel. The thing is, I already know that McGuire is a phenomenal author (her Wayward Children series is absolutely delightful), but the way she weaves an intricate web of different timelines and storylines in Middlegame is on another level. Speaking of another level, her descriptive prose is truly out of this world. From the Wayward Children series to Middlegame, McGuire has the magic of helping readers envision even the most bizarre and epic scenes. Her writing style is incredibly detailed without being too decadent that it distracts from the plot.

If I have to nitpick this book, my only quibble is that John Reed - the antagonist, is a tad, dare I say, one dimensional. I think that he kinda leans towards the more cartoonish and caricature-like villains. There are not any nuances to his characters, and it appears that the driving force behind his actions is mere greed. However, I must say that his character suits the concept of this novel as he fits into the stereotype of an evil genius.

After writing this, I realised that the sequel of this book would be published next year, and I just couldn’t be more excited! Given the scope of Middlegame, it’s so intriguing to see how McGuire will expand this universe.