An ARC of The Fall is All There Is was provided to my by the author (not even in exchange for a review unless that was an unsaid understanding! I don’t know but here’s my review anyway because it’s a damn good book).

Plot: 5/5
Petre ran away from home at eighteen because it was rather toxic, he’s pretty well justified in that. But now his family wants him back. Unable to avoid it forever, Petre has to deal with the consequences.

The plot is well done, fast paced, and very engaging. I was never bored with where the story was going, and several mysteries were threaded into the story to keep you wondering and thinking about it as you read. It starts out a bit smaller in focus, but the long reaching consequences that Petre deals with become quickly apparent, and sets up the sequel incredibly well.

Characters: 5/5
If I were to choose one part of this story that was its strongest aspect, I’d be hard pressed to say something other than the characters. Each character felt unique and individual, and the interactions and relationships that existed felt deep and strong immediately as if you could understand the history between them. Petre himself was an excellent character to spend time with, as he was hilarious, genuine, and all around entertaining.

Worldbuilding: 5/5
I was immediately intrigued with the world I found myself thrust into at the first mentions of ghostfog. Also the train made out of scales and living bits. Maybe even the cyborg horses or the science-sword that could heat up and slice through just about anything. To be honest, there’s just so much to enjoy with the worldbuilding within this story. The backdrop is a perfect compliment to the story told, and I’m excited to see what new and weird things show up in future sequels.

Writing: 5/5
The writing was very well done, highlighted by the authors excellent humor and distinct characterization.

Enjoyability: 5/5
I enjoyed this book thoroughly. I read this as a buddy read with The Best Kerstin, and as her own review mentions, we yelled about this book back and forth a ton. There were so many fun moments, and many mysteries we wanted explored (fear not, for most were, though there are definitely a few to pull us into book two). I am looking forward to returning to the world with book two, I’m just sad I read this as an ARC and now have THAT much longer to wait!

OVERALL: 5/5 Science-swords

The Fall is All There Is is now available for preorder and will launch November 7, 2022!

Links: Amazon | Goodreads