Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins: Series I & II Collection by Matthew Mercer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Whether you’re a fan of Critical Role’s Vox Machina storyline from the live play or the cartoon on Amazon Prime, this is a fun set of stories that tell how the group got together and some of their early adventures. This version is oversized when compared to a traditional trade paperback or graphic novel, but it’s got a nice quality to the cover as well as the pages.

When Sorrows Come by Seanan McGuire

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Toby’s finally getting married. If you’ve made it this far, you know nothing is ever that simple for Toby. (And McGuire has been preparing us for that via Toby and Tybalt’s chatter about the wedding for 1-2 books now) Overall I enjoyed the book and the cast reunion that the event leads to.

I’m going to get a little more spoilery than I usually do with my reviews, but by book #15 you should know if you’re in or not with series rather than depending on a review.

I’d Rather We Got Casinos: And Other Black Thoughts by Larry Wilmore

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is one of the oldest books that I added to my “to read” list on Goodreads. It was #28 and I added it on 3 Oct 2014. Wilmore was probably on the Daily Show at the time, which is where I know him from (subsequent roles not withstanding). At the time I found him to be very funny.

A Killing Frost by Seanan McGuire

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another book that seems to tie a bow on Toby’s plotlines. I’ve said something akin to this more that once, but this time truly seems as though McGuire has finally finished up all the plotlines. (Not 100% true, there’s a certain person who is white as snow who isn’t QUITE done yet….) The climax of this book seems to finally resolve the one HUGE plot that I thought would mark the end of the series. Yet I know, here in 2025, that there are another 5 or so books (and multiple short stories). I have one theory - I think someone who was very angry at the end of this book will be teaming up with someone else who has cause to be upset with Toby. Other than that, I have no idea what could be awaiting our protagonist.

The Unkindest Tide by Seanan McGuire

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The sea witch has been promising for a while now that things would be coming due soon with the Selkies. The day has arrived. But Toby’s involved, so nothing is going to go all that smoothly. We get to see a new realm and another very important fae. We get more lore dumps. We get family reunions. Of course, Toby gets stabbed.

Today Kobold Press opened up the Kickstarter for thier Player’s Guide 2. While Kobold Press has already done a couple Kickstarters that are going to dramatically expand Tales of the Valiant when they come out later this year (Enter the Labyrinth - both a campaign book and a setting book; Monster Vault 2 - an expansion of their bestiary), Player’s Guide 2 is a huge expansion to the Tales of the Valiant ruleset. I, for one, am very excited about this update. Actually, I’m not the only one - at the time that I am writing this (end of the first day of the Kickstarter) there are 1461 backers that have pledged $114,000 against a $50k goal. This means after just about 8 hours they’ve almost reached 3/4 of their stretch goals.

The Adventure

As the crew sails towards the Astral plane they suddenly see tons of flowers in the water as well as lots of sea creatures. Thomas checks the flowers, but they are normal. (ie not magical) Suddenly the current seems to “grab” the ship and start pulling it to an island. The Captain has everyone head to various stations where they can help with navigation and they help avoid any damage to the ship. The current carries the ship far up the shore and it’s beached. Thomas attempts to push the ship, but it’s way too heavy and too far ashore.

The Adventure

The living star, which takes the shape of a turtle, is named Shelly by the crew. It becomes over-excited while playing with the crew and causes some of the wood on the ship to sprout leaves and branches and attracts the attention of a squid-like sea monster. After the heroes get rid of the sea monster, the Oahtu who joined the journey a while ago help repair the ship.

I will start off with the book review, followed by my thoughts on the adaptation. The adaptation part will have TONS of spoilers.

Book Review

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First off, the production values on the audiobook are great! The main narrator does the many voices very well, especially Mickey7 and Marshall. The female narrator mostly narrates for a computer system. Chats have radio static behind them so that you know they are chats and not the narrator speaking to someone in person.

Cold Iron Task by James J. Butcher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This series has really grown on me. It helps that the characters within have grown and now have a relationship based on a respectful working relationship. This book seems to have addressed most of the loose ends from the first two books. You learn a lot more about The Huntsman and a bit of Grimsby’s backstory. Mostly it’s a pretty straightforward mystery. As with many mystery books I’ve read there are two simultaneous storylines that had me wondering when they would intersect. One of them is a heist, although it thankfully avoids most of the annoying tropes - especially the crew assembly. Most of the crew is already pre-assembled and there was just need for one more. Like any good mystery, I saw some of the twists coming (the author had laid the bread crumbs) and others were just beyond my reach, but not out of left field.