jeremydmiller.com

What It Is

jeremydmiller.com mainly covers JasperFx / Critter Stack, with a focus on Wolverine and Marten. Wolverine is a server-side .NET application framework that covers asynchronous messaging, in-process queues, an alternative HTTP endpoint framework inside ASP.NET Core, and mediator-style use cases. Marten is related to PostgreSQL/Npgsql, event sourcing, projections, and similar capabilities. Together, they target vertical slice architecture, modular monoliths, CQRS, and asynchronous workflows.

Core Capabilities and Ecosystem

Wolverine emphasizes “low-ceremony” code: it discovers handlers by convention, avoiding IRequest/IRequestHandler types, constructor injection, handwritten SaveChangesAsync calls, explicit Publish calls, and some manual pipeline registration. It supports method injection, cascading messages, [Transactional] transaction middleware, transactional outbox, and can combine HTTP endpoints with handlers via Wolverine.Http. When integrated with Marten, it can also automatically load aggregates, append events, and commit changes in event-sourcing scenarios. In terms of ecosystem, the text explicitly mentions ASP.NET Core, FluentValidation, OpenTelemetry, PostgreSQL/Npgsql, and .NET 8.

Pricing and Open Source

The text indicates that Marten is planned to adopt an open-core model: existing libraries and capabilities will remain open and free, while advanced enterprise features will be offered as commercial subscription add-ons. JasperFx Software also plans to offer, or already offers, paid support contracts and consulting services, and Critter Stack AI Skills can be purchased. Specific pricing and payment methods are not disclosed.

Pros and Cons

The main advantages are that it is very well suited to vertical slice architecture, keeps business logic more centralized, and reduces boilerplate. It is also more friendly to AI coding agents, because each individual feature requires a smaller amount of context to load. Built-in transactional outbox, in-process queues, and OpenTelemetry tracing are helpful for asynchronous workflows between modules. The downside is that it relies heavily on conventions and generated code, so teams must understand implicit mechanisms such as handler discovery, cascading messages, and transaction middleware. The text also acknowledges that modular monoliths are relatively complex, and that commercial enterprise capabilities are still being planned or built.

Who It’s For and Access from China

It is suitable for backend teams primarily using .NET that want to reduce MediatR/traditional layered-architecture boilerplate and are practicing modular monoliths or event sourcing. If a team needs a cross-language framework or explicit layered governance, the fit will be weaker. The text does not provide information about access from China, so this remains unknown; network and payment availability for NuGet, GitHub, or the JasperFx website should be verified in practice. Comparable alternatives include MediatR, traditional ASP.NET Core MVC, and Clean/Hexagonal Architecture practices.