A truly delightful creation, and a lovely beginning to both the Auteur and Coloth series. A playful and fun read that is one of the few examples of meta that does not feel cliché or overdone - a solid 5/5, and a new favourite of mine!

There wasn't so much lore being introduced that I felt lost, and yet enough that I felt I had a good grasp on the history, enough to understand the context of how the characters came to be in their situations. And, though I do already feel a good deal of attachment to Maritsa, Callum, and Coloth, what really makes me want to read more is the setting. A library, I think, is a wonderful place to set a series - and a library such is this works both in it's own right, and as a meta-textual commentary on the thoughts of fandoms like ours on the stories found within the universe, as well as stories in general.

The meta nature of the setting marries perfectly with the meta nature of the way this story is told, with humour to boot! The meta feels like it's just a natural part of the setting, a plot device that serves the readers, not just the author's ego. A refreshing idea that works well in both series, and so works well for this story. The jokes didn't always land for me, but overall I still found this story very funny and lighthearted.

But really, what sold me most on this was that the style of the storytelling felt novel. Unusual enough to catch my attention, with the humour and the mystery and the setting selling me on it the rest of the way. This sort of dual story that meets at the end with the narrative swapping between them, but without losing the reader on the way? That takes real mastery of the art of storytelling, and only really works in such a meta environment. It allows the end reveal of who the narrator has been the whole time to land perfectly, drawing the whole thing together in a way that feels truly satisfying - as excellent in ending as it has been all the way through.

A funny, unusual story that serves as an excellent introduction to two series at once, with intriguing mysteries and worldbuilding. An excellent use of meta, and one that really sticks the landing, The Cactus and the Corpse is a 5/5 for me!