I was given the opportunity to review an ARC by Josh Vogt, for his latest book in the Cleaner Series- “The Dustpan Cometh.” If you haven’t read the series, you should definitely pick it up! I found out about it at GenCon two years ago when I attended some writing panels with him as one of the speakers. He also has a great Pathfinder book “Forge of Ashes,” which for someone like me who has only played the game sparingly, was easy to understand and a fun read. You can find more about him on his website.
Without further ado, here is my review:
A fabulous addition to the Cleaner series. I was especially charmed by the intensive amount of character development for not only Dani and Ben, but for Jared, Sydney, and even Francis. Their growth adds that imperfectly realistic element to the story, and you find yourself struggling alongside with them as they grow. Ben particularly is my favorite character, so I enjoyed seeing him in his fight to regain his powers. Dani’s elementals always make for interesting story, and I’m curious as to how she and them will develop, especially in regards to other characters. The conflict that is starting to form between the two main characters has me excited for the other books to come.
The story was thrilling and hard to put down. Each chapter was important to the story, and none of the information thrown at the reader was unnecessary or dull. The pacing was smooth and seamless, and the story developed from everyday struggles in their magical environment to a more severe danger without missing a beat. The battle scenes are always delightful. It’s fun to see how each different Cleaner utilizes their powers, and what weapons they wield.
As always, the writing is a pleasant read, with the perfect balance of descriptive prose and dialogue. Vogt’s voice is entertaining and intelligible, and he quickly became one of my favorite writers. I’m looking forward to reading more of the series as the story unfolds.
