I have been a big fan of Mr. Ballen for years now. He's the type of storyteller I love to listen to. I do feel a connection to him since we're both veterans, and I love that after he left the military, he began doing something he loved. Most of the stories I read in this book, I have already heard of, minus one, but I enjoyed them all. I really loved the artwork and the cartoon version of Mr. Ballen! I will for sure be picking up all three volumes. If you're a fan of the dark and mysterious, definitely check this out

Don't forget to flip the like buttons light switches, so on is off and off is on.

The author was like "This is not queerbaiting, here, my child" on the last important scene hahaha Loved it.

Pretty solid first book. We have the overall theme of all the saga: corruption. I do enjoy novels that are at the end of Great Empires. But I find the ones that ocurr in the middle of the Empires more complex, fun and intense. Not all books and movies about great corruption or divide should end that ugly thing. That's not what happens in reality. Some of us will never see the end of the great horrors, and our lives are interesting too.

Maybe I've been reading too many Chinese novels, but the fact that there's a difference between punishes of the richer and the poorest of the guilty was not disappointing. It was only natural and part of the world building.

This was inspired in Sherlock Holmes. That Ana and him are part of the highly society, and defend it, is only natural. Working people don't have time to commiserate about the twisted minds of others. That's the grey of the stories like this ones.

Besides that point, the story was amazing. In those scene of calm before storm, you could unravel the mystery yourself just thinking. It's a hard thing to do as a writer, specially when you have to pay attention to rules you don't natural follow. You can't make it too hard, but neither too easy. And Deus machines will just ruin it.

What I really enjoyed was the representation of the neurodiverse aspect of society and how we have to find solution to our own problems. I usually highly dislike the representation of autistic characters, but the one in the book was amazing.

Overall, great experience. I don't give five stars to first books of mystery sagas, but this one is one of my favorite at the moment. Andrew Fallaize is so good as a narrator, but I'll recommend a reference in writing for the names, the alliances and partnerships.

So much funnier than I expected! I think I'll have to think about the book for a while to arrive at a proper reading of it, but it was tons of fun. A genteel family line of the kookiest, overdramatic people you could imagine that's ultimately haunted by serious mental illness and the decline of their way of life, but overwhelmingly told in such an over-the-top way that you can't help but chuckle at times. Such an entertaining little novella!