Rodger and Dodger are twins, separated at birth and gifted with strange powers due to an evil alchemist’s diabolical plan. They are the embodiments of Language and Numbers. Individually, they are powerful. Together, they are unstoppable. As they grow older, they must fight to keep the world—and each other—safe. With a children’s book written by a long-dead alchemist as their guide, Rodger, Dodger, and their allies must find the metaphorical “Impossible City”. With its discovery comes control of the world—-and their creator is bent on ruling it.
This amazing book is full of interesting concepts and exciting plot twists. All of the supporting characters are well-written and the author makes them feel real, however brief their appearances.
It has an interesting portrayal of Dodger, a mathematics genius, and as she and her brother grow closer to manifesting she is able to use her ability to do incredible things. Her mathematical ability allows her to see numbers as the fundamental building blocks of the world, and thus manipulate reality with astonishing skill. I especially enjoyed reading about the time-warping that the twins do, which keeps the reader guessing until it all clicks together. I also loved the book within the book which was later written by the author, Seanan McGuire, after finishing Middlegame.
This is a well-spun story of a race to rule reality, a journey towards godhood, and two siblings who always find each other in the face of overwhelming odds. I found Middlegame an exhilarating read that will keep the reader engaged until the very end.
I would recommend Middlegame to readers 16+ or to teenagers 13+ who can handle some of the darker themes, such as an attempted suicide by one of the major characters.
