Unfortunately, Max Brooks’ latest foray into the world of Minecraft, The Village, is his least successful so far. While the first book, The Island, offered a delightful, inventive take on the Minecraft mythology, the subsequent two books – The Mountain and The Village – are perfect examples of diminishing returns. The Village, in particular, just feels like it’s treading water. All of the novelty of that original premise has long since worn off, and Brooks keeps dragging his feet when it comes to providing any answers to the series’ ongoing questions. 

Instead, Guy and Summer spend a few months around a Minecraft village, living off the land and finding various ways to trade with the villagers. For hardcore Minecraft fans, there are certainly a lot of delightful easter eggs to find here. And it’s worth pointing out that Brooks continues to breathe a lot of life into the Minecraft world, really luxuriating in some of the game’s more absurd elements.