To be clear, I am not very far into DCC, I don't have an opinion about it as a book yet. They are just wiiiiiildly different.
I probably should have. I don't normally have a problem but most books aren't quite as different from each other as these two.
Also if you're going to insist on cutting a palm, why do they so often do it by closing a fist around the knife and then yankinging it through? This seems wildly suboptimal as a method? At least see what you're doing!
I'm (probably) not going to review it on its own, but @danhartland.bsky.social and I are doing a discussion... essay... thing... on the whole Clarke shortlist so thoughts will definitely be included within that.
I read On the Calculation of Volume IV by Solvej Balle (tr. Sophia Hersi Smith and Jennifer Russell). I loved it. I continue to love this series. Balle does phenomenal character work and manages to turn an incredibly slender premise into something huge and deep.
I review it here.