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jennierigg's review
4.0
An excellent sequel to a solid debut.
I enjoyed the first book in the series, but I enjoyed this one more. It felt more assured, more at home in its groove, and I'll even forgive the crack about English pizza.
Yes, you can just read Matt Rossi's books for geek points, spotting all the references and patting yourself on the back, and there's some degree of fun in that… but what actually engaged me was the depth and development of the characters.
I'm sure that every reader will have their own favourite, but for me it's Bry. Her determination, her stolid loyalty… I've not read many authors (male or otherwise) who can get inside of a 12 year old girl's head that recognisably, but Rossi does it with aplomb.
I like that no character is utterly good (or utterly bad). I like that each of them is given room to grow and learn and change. I love that the various non-heterosexual relationships are just there and normal and not for titillation or brownie points.
The plot is intricate and loads of fun; the ending is satisfying, and all in all I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to most people. The only caveat I have is the occasional episodes of somewhat explicit sex might make it unsuitable for younger readers (I'd be ok with my 14 year old reading it, but she'd go EWWW in places)
I enjoyed the first book in the series, but I enjoyed this one more. It felt more assured, more at home in its groove, and I'll even forgive the crack about English pizza.
Yes, you can just read Matt Rossi's books for geek points, spotting all the references and patting yourself on the back, and there's some degree of fun in that… but what actually engaged me was the depth and development of the characters.
I'm sure that every reader will have their own favourite, but for me it's Bry. Her determination, her stolid loyalty… I've not read many authors (male or otherwise) who can get inside of a 12 year old girl's head that recognisably, but Rossi does it with aplomb.
I like that no character is utterly good (or utterly bad). I like that each of them is given room to grow and learn and change. I love that the various non-heterosexual relationships are just there and normal and not for titillation or brownie points.
The plot is intricate and loads of fun; the ending is satisfying, and all in all I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to most people. The only caveat I have is the occasional episodes of somewhat explicit sex might make it unsuitable for younger readers (I'd be ok with my 14 year old reading it, but she'd go EWWW in places)
frazzld's review
5.0
Outstanding
Matt is an outstanding writer and this book continues to prove that. Looking forward to reading the next one. I definitely recommend it.
Matt is an outstanding writer and this book continues to prove that. Looking forward to reading the next one. I definitely recommend it.
theartolater's review
4.0
Matt Rossi continues to make some interesting and compelling fiction, and Heartless, the second book in the Nameless series, takes a different tack that works really well for the series. Where Heartless felt like more of a focus on a traditional-style fantasy informed by video game narratives and interesting fantasy/horror tropes, Heartless succeeds in flipping the script around. It leads with some cool action and then moves into a narrative that is more about people coping with the world they're now in, complete with our heroes involved in romantic trysts and real-world scenarios while everything else around them is insane.
It's a way to handle a story that I can't say I've read before, and the result is a story with a different style of investment compared to other epics or urban fantasy tales. If you're looking for a lot more action similar to the first book, this might be a jolt to the system, but the character base here, and the way our heroes interact with each other? That's where the quality comes into play.
This isn't to say the book is perfect. The way the book handles its action sequences this time around does not have the same feel as the first book, and the dialogue sequences on occasion feel more informed by the setup in games than in real life, but these are more nitpicky issues than true dealbreakers for the story. At the end of the day, this book was a solid and enjoyable read. My only regret is that I didn't get to it sooner.
It's a way to handle a story that I can't say I've read before, and the result is a story with a different style of investment compared to other epics or urban fantasy tales. If you're looking for a lot more action similar to the first book, this might be a jolt to the system, but the character base here, and the way our heroes interact with each other? That's where the quality comes into play.
This isn't to say the book is perfect. The way the book handles its action sequences this time around does not have the same feel as the first book, and the dialogue sequences on occasion feel more informed by the setup in games than in real life, but these are more nitpicky issues than true dealbreakers for the story. At the end of the day, this book was a solid and enjoyable read. My only regret is that I didn't get to it sooner.