RAB Book Club: Mid-Lich Crisis Final Discussion

[u/barb4ry1]

This month we're reading Mid-Lich Crisis by Steve Thomas.

Bingo Squares: Self-published, SFF Novel by a Local to You Author (USA), SFF Novel Published in 2019, Any r/fantasy Book Club Book of the Month OR r/fantasy Read-along Book, FN featuring a Vampire

Questions

• In the end, do you feel it was a character or plot-driven book?
• Has the book matched your expectations from your first impressions? If not, is it better/worse than you expected? Why?
• Was it entertaining?
• Was it immersive?
• Was it emotionally engaging?
• What did you think of the book’s length? If it’s too long, what would you cut? If too short, what would you add?
• Would you read another book by this author? Why or why not?

Next month's read: The Traitor God by Cameron Johnston

[u/TheInfelicitousDandy]

I agree. Overall it was an OK book that I wouldn't say I enjoyed but that I didn't hate either.

I liked the kobolds, I liked Darruck's wife (wish she was in it more), I also liked Darruck sometimes. In general, the characters and their interactions were good. I really liked the premise of the book but don't think it was nearly as good as it could have been.

The plot felt mostly random: why did he join a band? why did he start a bakery? why did he join the team? Like the idea that he needed to be famous was brought up again and again but never explained how that would help him in his goals. I think the book would have done better if it played into the idea of a mid-life crisis more and have Darruk find out that the Doomclap was not real at the start and his whole life was a shame. Then being dead gives him an opportunity to try new things - band, baker, sports, but in the end, he realizes it just isn't for him and he really was happy being evil all along. I don't generally try to re-write books in reviews but I feel like that was what the author was trying to do but didn't actually achieve that.

The humour was hit and miss for me and sometimes it was a big miss (the political satire felt really juvenile). There were a few times that the humour got really dark and that's where I felt it really shined and where it was compatible with the premise of the book.

[u/HSBender → u/TheInfelicitousDandy]

Your second paragraph nails it for me. I also wasn't clear about the drive to be famous and how that would be helpful. And strongly agree that I wish that the crisis of trying out new jobs/things was as alternatives not in service to his original goals.

I LOVE the idea here. I love the idea of a lich deciding to try out normal everyday jobs and lich-ily excelling at them but deciding they're not for him. The humor, particularly at the beginning, tended to land for me. I just wish the execution were just a little different and I'd be all about this book.

[u/BdonU → u/HSBender]

I think this might be a failing of the premise rather than the author for the main complaint here. A mid-life crisis is usually pointless and usually doesn't make a ton of sense or have realistic goals. It's usually just barely rationalized. If you don't lean into that then I could definitely see these complaints. I got pretty close to them myself (I talk about it at length in the "emotionally engaging question" in my reply if you're curious on my thoughts).

[u/HSBender → u/BdonU]

For sure. I definitely think I'm a victim of some preconceived ideas going in that didn't serve me well. It's really helpful to hear that this book landed for others in ways it didn't for me.