IDDR: Shagduk & Ursula of Ulm

I Don't Do Reviews

I've gone from not reading to exploratory reading over the last couple years. I don't have the skill, vocabulary, or experience to write reviews beyond "This was fun" or "Yo, that was pretty cool." Call it a lack of communication skills. Nonetheless, I do like to log my experiences from time to time- typically a result of recommendations or circles I've stepped into.

With that said, before Jeffro Johnson (of BroSR and Dancing fame) disappeared, one of his must-reads was Shagduk. Having received it for Christmas, I was hit with a suggestion to read each entry day-to-day as the novel is written as a diary. This suited my schedule and added a fun layer since the books' (Shagduk and its sequel) focus on the Occult.

Quest Accepted

Shagduk

Daily reading gave me something to look forward to after work, or something to do while winding down for bed. The first entry was fairly mundane, simply introducing the diary and some commentary about our protagonist. As I progressed, I began to imagine myself discovering or receiving the journal in bits and pieces; perhaps a stranger (Krolok?) mailed me a piece, or a page was folded into that old book I got from the used book store. It was a lot of fun!

It didn't stop there, either. Controlled reading meant that I couldn't blitz through the high points and had time to ponder what was happening, or had just happened. Were there clues I didn't see? Did Steven write something down thinking it was just an off-hand detail but connected somehow? This seeded a weird paranoia in me that tracked throughout Shagduk and into Ursula of Ulm. I trusted nobody, everyone was a spy, Steven get your head out of your ass!

By the time I neared the end I was ready for more then... BAM! See you in the next entry, buddy.

 

Ursula of Ulm

The good news about Shagduk was the sequel, Ursula of Ulm, was already available. I intended to order Ursula at the end of May or beginning of June, but Shagduk ended much sooner so I fell behind. I also quickly discovered that life didn't like my daily reading schedule, making the longer entries harder to manage. The good news is that the paranoia from Shagduk was still in effect, keeping that "researcher reading diaries" vibe going strong.

Ursula of Ulm goes hard! Where Shagduk has that build-up and introduction feel until its latter half, Ursula just runs straight on where its predecessor stopped. We get to see Steven really start experimenting with the Occult, the wild results, and the layers of conspiracy (which further deepened my suspicion of everyone). Steven's increase in detail and record length might even suggest a shift in his own demeanour. Is he becoming manlier, a great sorcerer and commander of demons; or is he still just a child faffing about with powers beyond his ken?

The finale, as with Shagduk, hits right at the peak of a desire to learn more; to dig deeper and find out just how far this rabbit hole goes. It's actually a bit frustrating! If you're reading this Krolok, hurry up and send some more pages!

Wrap Up

All in all, I'm too young to recognize most of the references to the time period; I'm sure my father-in-law would know. It's enough to set the tone, and I don't doubt that I missed a lot of jokes or clues in there. It didn't detract from the core, however, and I found myself having a lot of fun with it. Look forward to seeing if Steven finally mans up; perhaps he just needs to finish the next Slave Lord of Siluria release.