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PaperclipPerfector  7d ago (text post)   2947 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for June 14, 2026

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About to finish Worth the Candle. It started off incredible, getting a bit lame by the end. Too much focus on narrative, and the relationships / characters are too cringey. It's a shame because it had a ton of potential but I'm still enjoying it.

Really? I kind of liked the cringe relationship drama. Er, that might be a little strong. I appreciated having it around. It avoids certain failure modes of self-published fantasy by flying really, really close to them.

I feel like the story would be weaker if it didn’t have Joon’s confused psychosexual problems. But then, I rather liked Evangelion.

Same here. Unfortunately, the latter part seems to be his intended focus. He could be a decent "straight" fantasy writer, but wants it to be a philosophical work that subverts expectstions, but he lacks the nuance for. I finished the book, but mentally checked out at the rape-icorn.

Yeah I stayed checked in a little longer, but not too much. You make a good diagnosis of his problems as an author I think.

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