No title

Series: Alchemical Journeys (1)

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
1,478	70	12,319	(4.02)	60
Fantasy. Fiction. Science Fiction. HTML: A HUGO AWARD FINALIST! WINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD FOR BEST FANTASY NOVEL, 2020! A Pick on the 2020 RUSA Reading List! New York Times bestselling and Alex, Nebula, and Hugo-Award-winning author Seanan McGuire introduces readers to a world of amoral alchemy, shadowy organizations, and impossible cities in the standalone fantasy, Middlegame. Meet Roger. Skilled with words, languages come easily to him. He instinctively understands how the world works through the power of story. Meet Dodger, his twin. Numbers are her world, her obsession, her everything. All she understands, she does so through the power of math. Roger and Dodger aren't exactly human, though they don't realise it. They aren't exactly gods, either. Not entirely. Not yet. Meet Reed, skilled in the alchemical arts like his progenitor before him. Reed created Dodger and her brother. He's not their father. Not quite. But he has a plan: to raise the twins to the highest power, to ascend with them and claim their authority as his own. Godhood is attainable. Pray it isn't attained. A USA Today Bestseller, and named as one of Paste Magazine's 30 Best Fantasy Novels of the Decade! At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied. .… (more)

▾Book information

Member:
Title:
Authors:
Info:
Collections:
Rating:
Tags:	None

Work Information

Middlegame by Seanan McGuire

all members

▾Members

Recently added by

Migraine42, sassafrassie, amgallegos23, SiannaSue, libreriadiye, book_mad_mess, daplz, teenybeanie25, allisonmiranda1

▾Tags

▾LibraryThing Recommendations

▾Will you like it?

▾Conversations (About links)

No current Talk conversations about this book.

» See also 60 mentions

▾Member reviews

date ▼ | votes

Showing 1-5 of 69 (next | show all)

McGuire is such a smart, smart writer. As always, her work, along with this book was just excellent. (

)

jazzbird61 | Feb 29, 2024 |

4 / 5 ⭐️‘s

“Middlegame” by Seanan McGuire

“Craft herpes can strike anyone at any time,” she says dryly. “Practice safe crafts,” says Smita.”

This book follows the story of two children, Roger and Dodger, who were created in a secret laboratory with the goal of becoming the ultimate alchemical power. The two are separated at a young age, but as they grow older, they find that they have a strange, unexplainable connection to each other.

What I loved most about this book was the complexity of the world-building and the depth of the characters. McGuire has created a fascinating world of alchemy, magic, and time travel, and she doesn't shy away from exploring the darker aspects of these concepts. The characters are multi-dimensional and flawed, making them feel very real and relatable.

My only complaint is that at times the plot felt a bit convoluted and hard to follow at times. However, overall, I would recommend this one to anyone who loves fantasy and science fiction.

Also, I listened to the audio book and Amber Benson does a fantastic job on the narration! (

)

thisgayreads | Nov 4, 2023 |

After 20 minutes of meaningless spouting of philosophical quotes, various references to great minds, some unoriginal end-of-the-story scene and megalomaniac ramblings I just lost my patience.
Maybe this is a great book but it has an atrocious beginning.

omission | Oct 19, 2023 |

Bizarre. Literally packed with phrases like "his victory is his defeat" interspersed with quotes from other sources (not sure whether they are real or not). Not the kind of work I can follow (Asperger's). (

)

acb13adm | Sep 13, 2023 |

Really good beginning. The dialogue between the twins can be nauseating. (

)

Mcdede | Jul 19, 2023 |

date ▼ | votes

Showing 1-5 of 69 (next | show all)

▾Published reviews

3 reviews

add a review

thingScore 100

McGuire (the Wayward Children series) puts a genuinely innovative spin on the magical child horror novel in this mesmerizing story of two gifted, telepathic children and an unsettling source of their power.... Shifts and alterations in timelines demand close attention from readers, by McGuire's rigorous pulls everything together by the end. This is a fascinating novel by an author of consummate skill.

added by Lemeritus | editPublisher's Weekly (Apr 1, 2019)

McGuire sets a high bar for alchemy-based stories in this new stand-alone, twisting themes of time and space as seen through the eyes of children. Note some scenes feature self-harm and violence. Overall this singular work keeps readers thinking long after the final page.

added by Lemeritus | editLibrary Journal, Kristi Chadwick (Apr 1, 2019)

Satisfying on all levels of the reading experience: thrilling, emotionally resonant, and cerebral. Escape to Witch Mountain for grown-ups.

added by g33kgrrl | editKirkus Reviews (starred review) (Feb 28, 2019)

▾Other authors

» Add other authors (1 possible)

Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Seanan McGuire	—	primary author	all editions	calculated
Staehle, Will	Cover designer	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

▾Series and work relationships

Belongs to Series

Alchemical Journeys (1)

Inspired

Over the Woodward Wall by A Deborah Baker

Along the Saltwise Sea by A Deborah Baker

▾Awards and Honors

Awards

Alex Award (2020)

Endeavour Award (Finalist – 2020)

Hugo Award (Nominee – Novel – 2020)

Locus Award (Winner – Fantasy Novel – 2020)

Locus Award (Finalist – Fantasy Novel – 2020)

RUSA CODES Reading List (Shortlist – Fantasy – 2020)

Distinctions

Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year (Science Fiction and Fantasy – 2019)

NPR: Books We Love (2019)

Publishers Weekly's Best Books of the Year (Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror – 2019)

Notable Lists

Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Fiction – 2019)

WIRED's 14 Must-Read Books of Summer

view history

▾Common Knowledge

You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.

For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.

Canonical title

Middlegame

Original title

Middlegame

Alternative titles

Original publication date

People/Characters

Important places

Important events

Related movies

Epigraph

Dedication

For Shawn, who always knew that one day I would

lead him to the Impossible City.

Thank you for trusting me to find the way.

First words

There is so much blood.

Quotations

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

Original language

Canonical DDC/MDS

Canonical LCC

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English

None

▾Book descriptions

Fantasy. Fiction. Science Fiction. HTML:

A HUGO AWARD FINALIST!

WINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD FOR BEST FANTASY NOVEL, 2020!
A Pick on the 2020 RUSA Reading List!
New York Times bestselling and Alex, Nebula, and Hugo-Award-winning author Seanan McGuire introduces readers to a world of amoral alchemy, shadowy organizations, and impossible cities in the standalone fantasy, Middlegame.
Meet Roger. Skilled with words, languages come easily to him. He instinctively understands how the world works through the power of story.
Meet Dodger, his twin. Numbers are her world, her obsession, her everything. All she understands, she does so through the power of math.
Roger and Dodger aren't exactly human, though they don't realise it. They aren't exactly gods, either. Not entirely. Not yet.
Meet Reed, skilled in the alchemical arts like his progenitor before him. Reed created Dodger and her brother. He's not their father. Not quite. But he has a plan: to raise the twins to the highest power, to ascend with them and claim their authority as his own.
Godhood is attainable. Pray it isn't attained.
A USA Today Bestseller, and named as one of Paste Magazine's 30 Best Fantasy Novels of the Decade!
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.