Should you read this? Well, if you have read all the prior novels and short stories, then “should you read this one” is not a useful question. You almost certainly will read it and will very likely not be disappointed.
But what if you have not read the other stories? True, it may seem most natural to follow the author’s order, to read them in the sequence they were published: begin where the author begins. Though published last, this novel is prequel, set well before all the others. So, perhaps you want to read it first, never mind the author, begin where the title character begins. There is no harm in that. To enjoy this new book does not any require any special knowledge contained in the older ones, nor would the older books be spoiled by reading them after this one. Yes, on occasion, the author does invite a sly-smile to the reader who knows things—things that the characters do yet not know. But for the reader who begins with this book, that little smile is still out there. It just comes later, in a later book. Only two characters—younger versions of those the reader may already know—connect this story to the others. This story does dovetail, and nicely, with all the others. But, also, it stands on its own. So. You want to start here? Start here.
But, is it any good? Not all of those Netflix spin-offs, for example, were. Certainly, this could have been a commercial success, with the author merely providing lots of fan-service but no depth, little craft, and not much art. It is gratifying to see that is not, in fact, what he did. I must admit, though, to me, it did feel a bit awkward and disjointed at the beginning. The series as a whole is comprised of short stories (set earlier) and novels (set later). This work, being the latest published but having the earliest setting, already encounters a challenge with fitting in. In this context, it is interesting that this book works, in a sense, as both a short story collection and a novel. It’s different. And within it, the author does a number of things that are different. He doesn’t play it safe. Does the author pull this off? Does he make it work? In my view? Yes. It builds over the course of the book, but by the time the reader reaches the end, it is clear that the author has done what he set out to do and has brought the reader to where he means you to be. The ending of the story does not become truly clear and fully meaningful until the ending of the book. And, by the way, I consider the ending to be excellent.
I look forward to the next in the series, should another be forthcoming.