Rant & Rave- Riddled Worlds by Phil Coleman

I'm back with the Rant & Rave for another ARC, Riddled Worlds by Phil Coleman. But first, I've got some thoughts on Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor! Hotel Magnifique was, indeed, magnifique! Another Owlcrate book, Hotel Magnifique's atmosphere is incomparable. The best way I can think to describe it is gothic carnival, but even that doesn't do justice to its fantastical nature. I wish the author had taken more time in the book having the main character explore the hotel, for no reason other than myself wanting to see more of it. The plot was immensely entertaining and the characters were interesting and well-developped. So on to Riddled Worlds! Riddled Worlds follows David, a young man tasked with saving the world since he is the only one who can see the holes ripping it apart. His mission to find the source of the holes leads him into a parallel world that is just starting to be taken over by the holes. David quickly learns that this world may be similar to his own, but he must rely on new friends to help him traverse this foreign land. Together, they fight to find the source of the holes and save this world, and hopefully David's as well. So let's rant... My biggest issue with this book was that the characters didn't seem interesting to me. While I liked the characters as they relate to the plot, backstory was scarce, and what little there was seemed very generic. I also wish the characters developed more throughout the book. I felt like the blurb was a bit misleading about there being sinister forces at work, causing the holes. I don't want to get into spoilers, but I wouldn't describe the forces at work as malicious or insidious. In fact, it feels almost natural to me. And let's rave... I think the biggest positive about this book is that it is insanely unique. I've never read anything quite like it, and the ending was certainly a surprise. I think Phil Coleman does an excellent job with sentimental dialogue. In each instance, it was both meaningful and impactful. Finally, I think there is an excellent split point-of-view, without taking the focus away from David as the main character. Overall, I think Phil Coleman's Riddled Worlds is a fun, original read. I'm happy to have a copy grace my shelf. It comes out on June 21st, 2022, so don't forget to grab your own copy! In other news- I've started an Instagram where I post photos of books I've read. I'm hoping to have a few more photos up in the next week or so. If you'd like to check it out, my Instagram username is danas_reading_glasses. As always, feel free to leave a comment! Dana