A Darker Shade of Magic is a fast paced fantasy adventure with unique world building. I really enjoyed the layering of the different Londons and how each varied from or overlapped with the others, and found Kells coat(s) similarly entertaining. Despite the cool backdrop I struggled to click into the book - once Delilah showed up I was fully invested in her arc, but Kell felt a bit generic "shadowy fantasy boyfriend" to me. I did really appreciate the ending - I knew this was a trilogy going in, but the book ended more satisfyingly than I expected and the threads left for book 2 aren't the ones I expected. Having less of a cliffhanger had actually made me want to read the next installment more, as in hoping it won't suffer as much from the middle book syndrome.

I don't know if this essay collection was a little bit of a miss or if I'm just ~5 years too young to relate to a lot of the reminiscing the author does, but I simply couldn't connect on a lot of the essays. The two I did enjoy were the one on Capitalism/Animal Crossing, which neatly described why I struggled to get into that game, and the one on wearable tech/health/data. I have no interesting commentary on that second one but it was the standout essay for me. If you remember Tiger Beat magazine or love cultural commentary this will probably be a win for you, but I think you need at least one of those two to enjoy this collection.

Much like whipped cream, this collection of Pratchett's early short stories is delightfully light and fluffy but best enjoyed in small doses. Each individual story is a treat, but since it's a collection of his early/previously unattributed work it lacks a connecting thread or the substance of his later novels. Absolutely worth picking up if you're a fan of short stories or want a light palate cleanser.