But it ended up impressing me as much as It Devours disappointed.įollowing the battle at Charm, the Black Company has been given a cushy garrison assignment at the city of Aloe.
That kind of has “unnecessary money grab” written all over it, so I didn’t exactly expect much from Port of Shadows. What makes it even weirder is that this isn’t a continuation of the story. Man, who the hell expected a new Black Company book after all this time? Still, despite highlights like that, this is a book I’d have trouble recommending, even to serious fans of the podcast. I read in the YouTube comments recently there’s a section of the fanbase that has the head canon Carlos is on the autism spectrum, and having read It Devours, I can definitely see why. I particularly enjoyed Nilanjana’s coworker who devoted her entire career to disapproving of potatoes.Ĭarlos also gets a fairly meaty supporting role, and we learn a lot about what makes him tick. It is written with that trademark Night Vale wit and charm, and many of the background characters are memorable. The two characters have nothing in common and no chemistry whatsoever, and I was never really clear on why they even liked each other. I don’t find Nilanjana or Darryl to be especially likable or interesting characters individually, and worse still their budding romance feels completely forced.
It doesn’t help that the main characters are fairly weak. It’s not so much a story with a message as it is a message with a story half-heartedly built around it. The writers are clearly trying to make a point about the dangers of blind faith, which is admirable, but it’s extremely ham-fisted and unsubtle. Seems like it could be an interesting story, but… well, it really isn’t. This investigation is complicated by a budding attraction between Nilanjana and Darryl Ramirez, one of of the Congregation’s most devout members. It Devours follows one of Carlos’ scientists, Nilanjana Sikdar, as she investigates strange occurrences that may be connected to the Joyous Congregation of the Smiling God.
I won’t lie: As much as I love Night Vale, I found this book pretty disappointing. I’ve got a pair of book reviews for you today.
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