Middlegame Review

This was a strange read.

Middlegame is a stand alone fantasy stand alone book which involves alchemy and a pair of twins names Roger and Dodger.

In terms of the character I actually enjoy Rodger and Dodger, especially when they first discovered each other and developed that initial connection. The way that their lives differ and the amount of adversity they both had to overcome during adolescence and teen years was interesting to read and did ultimately keep me engaged in the story. They are quite honest with each other and even though they have such a complex and close connection they still make mistakes and hurt each others feelings yet they never fully give up on each other. 

Reed and Leigh even though they are quite integral to the overall plot I didn’t really develop any kind of emotional connection to them. I wasn’t really interested in their plot line with the other alchemists and what Reed was ultimately trying to prove. I think with Leigh there was potential for me to like her even though she is this very unlikeable character because ultimately she was just being what she was created to be. I just wish we would of learnt more about her and what she was doing in the lab. Maybe witnessing why she was so frightening to anyone who comes across her, rather than just the reaction people have around her.

I will say the pacing was quite fast and the countdown of the timeframe is what initially kept me invested and eager to read on. I just felt like a lot of the alchemy jargon mixed with the all of the talk about the impossible city just went right over my head. Theres a whole lot of complex language and equations and things that didn’t really make sense to me and I felt like the majority of the book I was just treading water trying to keep up with what was going on.

I think overall it was just a little too repetitive for me as well. We see Roger and Dodger come together and forced apart multiple times throughout the course of the storyline and nothing was really revealed until right at the end. By that time I was just kind of reading to finish the book, I wasn’t all that invested in what what going to happen to them.

⭐️2/5 stars just not my kind of book…