Daniel Rue's 3 favorite reads in 2025

I feel like a story can have hills and valleys before reaching the mountain that is the climax, and this book is definitely a mountain-sized hill. There has been a good amount foreshadowed about this portion of the story, and the book delivers. Characters continue to progress and grow, the curtain begins to get pulled back as more details about -everything- is slowly revealed, and this book has two of the most intense, emotionally powerful, and relatable scenes I've read in fiction. From beginning to end, I was on the edge of my seat.

Additionally, I want to recommend consuming this book in the audiobook format with narration by Jeff Hays, as he brings to life the already rich and deep characters Matt Dinniman has created.

While I had to only choose one option among "most loved" and "second-most loved" above, honestly this book hits every area with top marks. Immersion, emotions, story/plot, the thoughts it evoked, how it changed my outlook, and even teaching me a little bit. The book, and each other book in this series, has it all.

Something I enjoyed about this book is how -real- it feels. Sometimes life deals you a real bad hand, and a guy in a banana suit cock-blocks your quest. This book is absurd. It's funny. It's horrifying. It's moving. I have never read such an amazing series.

Shout-out to Jeff Hays, the narrator for the audiobook version of this series. Matt Dinniman has truly created a beautifully immersive story with complex characters, but Jeff Hays truly brings it all to life with his super-human voice talents.

Despite being a one-off book, I -devoured- this one. I was a little hesitant to jump into this at first since it appeared to be some "space" book. But then right away I was introduced to a mystery. Who is this man, our narrator? What happened to him, and why is he there? Instantly, I became hooked. The imaginative story paired with the amazing vocal talents of Ray Porter had me forgetting time even existed. This book is an absolute delight.