A spinoff of an already good series (The Dogs of the Spires), this time taking place in a semi-nonsensical world with lesbian dogs, anthro's and dinosaurs. What more could you want? Spoilers ahead.
Taking place after Misty's death in the Spires series, she finds herself relocated to a mystical realm called Nowhere, where all random glitches in reality cause elements and creatures from all kinds of dimensions to end up. Misty meets up with another Nowhere-resident called Vernin, and the duo soon start to form a close bond. One thing is certain, though, Misty is determined to find her way back to the Spires, and after meeting more allies the group eventually sets out on a quest to do exactly that.
You guys probably have already seen my reviews of the Spires series by now. If you haven't or need a reminder, it's a xenofiction dog series with fantastical and post-apocalyptic elements. So far I've enjoyed every book in the series, and this one, despite being a spinoff, is no exception.
I will say, before going into the other elements, that this book does feel vastly different from the Dogs of the Spires series. It takes place in a completely different world that has its own rules, things such as dinosaurs, anthro dogs and many different creatures are introduced, etc. So if you go in looking for exactly the same experience as the Spires series because it's a spinoff, you might have the wrong intention going in. The two series are definitely connected, but Misty and Vernin has a more surreal feel to it and also (so far) isn't as dark and depressing as Dogs of the Spires can get. So just know that going in. It's still very good, but different all the same.
Now for the other elements: first of all, I liked the world. I mean, Nowhere can be pretty nonsensical sometimes and introduces a lot of different elements you'd probably never see in the Spires-universe, but that's kind of the exact point. I liked how different it was and, despite the surrealism it sometimes presents, it does to an extent operate on its own rules. It's not just completely random elements thrown together, there is somewhat of a logic to Nowhere, for example in the way in which the creatures are different depending on how they enter the realm.
Nowhere is also full of prehistoric creatures such as dinosaurs and there's even mentions of dragons, so it's pretty interesting to see everything we come across. I myself am not well-versed in dinosaurs at all, so I wouldn't be able to tell the species that are featured, but you can definitely tell that this has a lot of Triassic creatures. Heck, Misty and Vernin even end up adopting a carnivorous dinosaur hatchling as their own. Very wholesome.
Another great thing was the cast. I love Dogs of the Spires, but so far I feel like I resonate the most with Misty out of all protagonists I've been introduced to across both series, more so than Step, Duchess and the like. Maybe that's just due to personal preferences, but I just relate to her the most and find her the most likable out of all of them. Her cast of friends is also very fun and colorful. Vernin is such a dear and I loved seeing Misty and hers relationship develop over the story. Terry, their dinosaur kid, is very likable and an unexpected ally in this book comes in the form of "Golden" Duke, an alternate universe version of the main antagonist of arc one. Even he is a very enjoyable character in this. Later on we also meet Rose and Shadow, who I didn't like as much personally but still found very interesting in how they were written and their lore nonetheless.
The main draw for Misty's character for me is really her exploring herself throughout the book. She has her goal to get back to the Spires, sure, but there's also a lot of introspection of herself, especially about her sexuality as by now she realized she had a crush on Delta and eventually gets together with Vernin. Maybe this is why I relate so much to her, but either way I think her self-introspection is just very well-written and I do hope she gets to be happy with Vernin, whether it be in Nowhere, the Spires or even elsewhere. I also hope she at least once more gets to talk to the Spires-universe version of Delta so they can talk about their feelings, though of course I hope Misty stays with Vernin in the end, which is definitely more likely. I'm not super into romantic character relationships and shipping normally, but since Misty exploring her lesbian identity is a major theme of the book and the relationship is well-written, I thought I'd bring it up here.
I'm also super glad at the pace of which their relationship is handled. At first they semi-jokingly accept being partners (though not outright romantically yet) as they decide to raise Terry together, but Misty doesn't instantly decide to get together with Vernin yet, and Vernin respects this. Misty still has more self-exploration to do before she makes it explicit, which is valid, but I'm also glad they didn't wait until the very end of the book to make the relationship happen. It could be so easily either rushed or feel like it drags, but the pace was perfect here in my opinion, with there being enough time for Misty to both explore her own feelings and grow close to Vernin before they make things official. That's just nice because I rarely ever see romantic relationships in books (regardless of if they're straight or gay) handled with the right pace.
Overall this is just a strong start to a strong spinoff series. I will say that it didn't feel quite as intense as the Spires-books (at least, not until the end), but it's nonetheless super interesting to explore this new realm and all its inhabitants. Time will only tell if Misty and Vernin make it back to the Spires or not. Guess we'll see in the next book, if Misty is even okay to begin with after that ending.
Rating: 4/5
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