An Autist Reviews: The Very Dark Thing (The New Adventures Bernice Summerfield Volume 3: The Unbound Universe 3)

*This is an older review, it is not as detailed as my more modern reviews*

*All Reviews Are Spoiler-Free Aside From Any Spoiler Sections*

Tramatz is an odd planet. The rivers sing a tune that is just on the tip of your tongue, the sky whispers warnings, unicorns gore people in the streets and nobody cares, and there’s also something else… a very dark thing at the edge of your vision. Megatz thinks something is wrong, and along with the mad Doctor who talks to rivers and his even madder friend who hears voices from the heavens, she sets off to find the truth. And her parents.

Welcome back to “Max Really Likes a Story he Really Shouldn’t!” In today’s episode, we’re reviewing ‘The Very Dark Thing.’ This is a really fun, entertaining, and emotional story. Megatz is a sympathetic and kind character, the Doctor gets tons of strong moments, and Benny gets a pet unicorn. Just don’t joke about it. This entire story is, truthfully, an allegory/metaphor for war. It may smack you over the head, but it took until my second listen to realize this. Every statement about the people of Tramatz and the very dark thing is a metaphor for how people are, or how creativity is warped in a war. The ending leaves quite a lot to be desired and two characters seem to switch personalities halfway through, but the journey makes it great anyway. There are lots of little issues here and there, and also I hate it when the title of a story is used throughout it for no reason… that happens A LOT. The twist around Megatz is also interesting but doesn’t hit too too hard and there’s very little buildup for it.

The acting here is superb! The Doctor, Benny, and Megatz get so many emotional, dark, and funny moments and they’re all acted out brilliantly. The ‘bad guys’ also have great voices. The side characters are very good, but the other groups dwarf them in quality. There are some hiccups, but at least the shouts are pretty darn good, so that really makes up for it.

The music in this story is pretty darn good, it’s whimsical, crazy, and dark all at the same time. Sadly, it disappears occasionally, sunk into the effects and acting, forgotten and weak. The voice effects are platinum quality and come across perfectly clear and understandable. The action effects, though, are pathetic. They certainly get the point across, but there’s so little fun to them, so little care to detail. Fast-moving unicorns, which we mustn’t joke about, sound like they’re gently trotting, and many of what would be useful effects are just left out entirely.

Oh, the replay value! I loved listening to this again! I got so many of the metaphors, I caught so many small details, and I just want to listen to it again! I feel like next time I listen to it, I'll uncover even more cool details I've missed.

All in all, this is an amazing story. The ending might suck, but the journey up until it is fun and emotional. The acting is top-notch, even if it has a few missteps here and there, and the vocal effects are some of the best I’ve ever heard. The effects leave much to be desired, but they get the point across very well even so. The music is pretty good, but it fades into nothingness often. The replay value is immense and I love seeing all the metaphors and parts of the allegory come together and come into whole new meanings is great. A very good story that drips with creativity and a meaningful, impactful message at its core!

Total - 9

Plot - 8
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Story - 9
Writing - 7
Enjoyment - 9
Twists - 7

Acting - 9
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MCs - 9
SCs - 8
BGs - 9

Effects - 8
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Music - 8
Voices - 10
Actions - 7

Replay - 9
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Re-Enjoyment - 9
New Details - 8

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