It’s difficult to say a lot about The Flux that isn’t, in some way, a spoiler.
Which is a good thing. The Flux is pretty damn awesome, and you should just go read it.
I loved Flex when it came out. The thematic elements and innovative magic system were pretty awesome.
And with The Flux, Ferrett somehow improves that virtuoso performance while shaking off the few first-novel issues that he had. The characterization of family dynamics – particularly troubled ones – were spot on. The references were, well.. sick. Out of control.
And the twists are surprising but make total and perfect sense.
But you can read a lot of other reviews and know that.
Here’s the beautiful theme that makes The Flux special: It shows the power in your weird, whatever your weird might be.
As we get to see the wider world of ‘mancy, we see all sorts of ‘mancers, with all sorts of obsessions. Sometimes they could seem stupid or limiting. But we get to see how they can be beautiful in their own right… and how they can sometimes be far more than one originally suspected.
You are a special snowflake. And that kicks ass.
Like Flex, these themes don’t dominate. They’re there, they aren’t exactly hidden, but they serve the story.
The Flux is a sequel that is superior to its original… and the original was a must-read. So go read this book, now.