Why Is No One Talking About This Fantasy Masterpiece?!

I did get 25 pages in and I did like those 25 pages. I just feel overwhelmed while I'm reading them.

In fact, I'm compelled to probably unhaul this just because it's such an odd read. Like I don't hate it, but I don't like it either. It's a very strange sensation to be reading Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz.

honestly, like The Hunter by T. Kingfisher is probably the last book where I was just truly as invested into a story that I was currently reading. And that book was my book of the year last year.

Mechanisms, just a lot of really cool stuff in here. I just the antagonist didn't work for me. So I'm still going to give it four stars and give myself the benefit of the doubt because I'm not as angry at Crucible as I was like a month ago.

Very good. I would still, even with my complaint saying all Talia could be removed, they're not bad chapters. I just don't really get the point of them being there at this point. so, I'd still give it like a 4.5 out of five.

So, this is potentially in contention for my book of 2026. It's so good. And it's a standalone.