I'm a big fan of Tim Pratt's Marla Mason series so when he mentioned on his website that this book was available for the Kindle I took a chance and bought it. I'm glad I did. Miranda "Randy" Candle is a little bit like I imagine a young Marla Mason to be. Her dad is dead, her brother's a jerk, she's taken to shoplifting, and her mom is drowning in grief, so when she becomes part of something bigger--something important--she wants to keep it.

Tim Pratt has a gift for creating and conveying atmosphere in just a few words. When that atmosphere is presented though the point of view of teenaged Randy it's next to impossible to not be just as creeped out as she is by some of the things she encounters in the Nex. The city is entirely alien to her, even the things she thinks are "normal" are most often not.

This world was highly well-developed and I find myself hoping Pratt writes more in it because there is so much more to explore. ( )

An interesting read, especially considering the nature of how it was written. Tim's imagination is as complicated as ever, and carries you easily through the weaker parts. ( )

Since Pratt couldn't find a publisher for this book (and for stupid reasons, like it's an techy adventure tale with a female protagonist), he posted it online. I do like Tim Pratt's short stories. They're some of the best on EscapePod and PodCastle. This book is pretty good too, but doesn't feel... I don't know, original enough? I can't help but draw parallels to "Alice in Wonderland". Which is fine, but this is much a milieu book. It's more about discovering a fantastic world than about the characters. Which is fine, I guess, if you're into that sort of thing. Maybe I'm getting too old.

The characters consist of a shapeshifter and a non-corporeal entity composed of micro-particles. I've seen those done, but never together. The main enemy is a power-hungry dictator, but there's nothing special about him. The macguffin is a device that can teleport yourself or something else anywhere, and works on applied phlebotium.

The main character's character is not particularly touched on. The main character's power is a little too powerful. The ending is wrapped just a little quickly. But really, it's a fun novel. They go to fun places. They do fun things. The voice is fun. And the price is right. I'd say there is no reason not to read this book. ( )

A little too linear for my tastes: problem arises, problem investigated, solution conceived, solution implemented, everybody goes home. I prefer stories that unfold a bit more... organically. Having said that, The Nex is still pretty engaging. Our heroine, Randy, is an unremarkable figure, rather bland in her familiar, no-nonsense "she-hero who just wants to go home" kind of way. But she is more than balanced by two rather extreme accidental henchmen: Howlaa the skinshifting violence specialist and Wisp, a sort of loose conglomeration of non-corporeal blinking lights with a tendency to lecture. The world this all takes place in - The Nex - is also a fairly unusual world, and it's populated by enough oddities and misfits that most readers probably won't notice the too-simple story structure.

Overall, a fun read, but not as meaty as I would have liked. ( )

Science Fantasy following the Oz and Otherland veins. No regrets, and definitely worth several times the author's current $0.99 Kindle sale price. Strong, entertaining nigh-teen female protagonist. (I would enjoy a sequel that gave her best friend more than a couple on-page lines, since we heard more about her than saw.) ( )