Middlegame Review

Hello, all!

I've been a big fan of Seanan McGuire since I devoured her Wayward Children series, so huge thank you to the publisher, Tor.com, for sending me a copy of her newest novel, Middlegame.

Pub Date: 5-7-19
Adult - Fantasy

Roger and Dodger are not your average twins. The pair were raised on separate coasts after being adopted into different families, neither actually knowing the other exists. Until one day, when Dodger speaks to Roger telepathically. The twins realize that not only can they speak to one another psychically, but they can also see through the others eyes. That isn't the only power the two seem to have either. Roger has always had a way with words, he's able to able to effortlessly learn languages and persuade people with the right turn of phrases, whereas Dodger has never met a math problem she hasn't been able to solve and can even go back to a fixed point in time and cause a re-do to their entire timeline. He understands the world through the power of word, and she through numbers. The two aren't human, but they're not necessarily gods either. Not yet, at least.

The two come to learn that they were created by a powerful alchemist named Reed who plans to use the twins as the physical embodiment of the Doctrine of Ethos, aka the highest power in the universe. Once the twins mature, they'll be able to bend all time and reality to their will, and Reed plans on ascending with them and claiming their authority as his own. The only problem is, once Roger and Dodger come to understand their true purpose, they turn the tables and work together with another rogue creation to take out Reed and dismantle his whole operation before the entire world implodes.

I really enjoyed delving into the relationship between Roger and Dodger. They're so linked in ways that you don't necessarily realize at first. If one dies, so does the other. If they use their powers together, they could literally destroy the world. The two of them are so unique, and so beyond flawed, but the love they have for one another transcends all the different timelines/lives they've witnessed.

From reading other work by McGuire, I knew I was in for a bit of a darker story, but holy cow, I was not prepared for just how much. The whole premise of Middlegame is incredibly complex and a bit twisted, it definitely makes you question pretty much everything you stand for. The whole issue of morality and science/alchemy is really fascinating to explore. Honestly, I'm not even sure I fully comprehended what I read, but it was compelling from the very first page. I couldn't help but get a bit of a Stranger Things/Umbrella Academy vibe while reading this as well, which I dug. If you're interested in a darker story that makes you think, check this one out.

Rating: 3/5