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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
I get it, I get it. Steampunk is "in." Zombies are "in." Speculation about androids is "in." But do we really need to put them all in one book? Mann does nothing but attempt to cater to the masses in this mess of genre-fiction. Bland writing and flat dialogue round out a cast of indistinguishable characters. Even the cheesiest (but still fun) genre series (think Dresden Files, Anita Blake, etc.) at least have characters with some spunk and differentiation--and if you're writing what you're hoping will be a long-lived genre-mystery series, how else are you going to pull readers in? Lifeless and unoriginal, this book smacks of desperate-for-an-audience writing.
I thought I'd give steampunk a try. I didn't mind it, but I didn't get much of a sense of steam punk from this book, it felt more like an historical detective story.
Apparently its the first in the Newberry and Hobbes series. Newberry is the main character and I get the sense the author was trying for a Holmesesque detective, but for my mind he didn't achieve it. Also tried to spice things up a bit with some sexual tension between Newberry and Hobbes, which I thought was a bit cheap really. Hobbes is by far the more interesting of the two characters, but she doesn't really get much of a run.
There is some action which mostly consists of Newberry getting in things way over his head and surviving by the skin of his teeth and some good luck. Rather than give a sense of competence and a man who can handle himself when the going gets tough I got the impression he was more inept, and I'm not sure that's what the author was going for.
The plot itself is nothing spectacular and there are some very easy clues that I think give the mystery away too easily.
I think the best part about the whole book may actually have been the epilogue. I might just have to read the next novel in the series to see how this plays out, but I'm not in any rush to find out.
Apparently its the first in the Newberry and Hobbes series. Newberry is the main character and I get the sense the author was trying for a Holmesesque detective, but for my mind he didn't achieve it. Also tried to spice things up a bit with some sexual tension between Newberry and Hobbes, which I thought was a bit cheap really. Hobbes is by far the more interesting of the two characters, but she doesn't really get much of a run.
There is some action which mostly consists of Newberry getting in things way over his head and surviving by the skin of his teeth and some good luck. Rather than give a sense of competence and a man who can handle himself when the going gets tough I got the impression he was more inept, and I'm not sure that's what the author was going for.
The plot itself is nothing spectacular and there are some very easy clues that I think give the mystery away too easily.
I think the best part about the whole book may actually have been the epilogue. I might just have to read the next novel in the series to see how this plays out, but I'm not in any rush to find out.
This is what people really think of when they think steampunk - the characters, the setting, the plot, all of it. Fantastic.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Not a bad read in the least. The pacing was even and the plot enjoyable.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I have mixed feelings about this book. There are some great ideas here—especially in intermingling zombie-like creatures and automatons (oh man, the automatons are great in this novel)—but the execution is a bit lackluster. Some of the fight scenes in particular feel a bit convoluted and had trouble keeping my attention. (Conversely, the tension leading up to the fight scenes is incredible. The atmosphere is a strength in this novel, and Mann uses London's geography to increase the tension and fully envelop the reader.)
For me, particularly, I was disappointed by Veronica Hobbes. There are moments when she's a fantastic character with complex motivations that defy Victorian stereotypes and moments when she shares the spotlight with her male counterpart, Maurice Newbury, but there are other times when she is frustratingly damseled or distracted by her romantic interests in Newbury. The epilogue, too, undercuts all her motivations with a major reveal—with a close third person point of view, the reader should know about those motivations throughout the book! The content in the epilogue is great, but I think it should have been a complication within the narrative instead of tacked on at the end. The effect, overall, is a disappointment.
But let's talk about the automatons because that was an unexpected delight in this book—
While the automatons are completely unrealistic in so many ways, they are captivating. There's not an overabundance of trying to explain how these machines work, which is appropriate in a light sci-fi novel like this one (the novel itself is much more closely aligned with the crime/mystery genre than science fiction/steampunk). It's important for novels to be aware of the genre and what they can get away with, and I think these automatons are just perfect for this story.
Even though the epilogue suggested an interesting future for future exploits in this series, I think this is the only Newbury and Hobbes novel I'm planning to read.
For me, particularly, I was disappointed by Veronica Hobbes. There are moments when she's a fantastic character with complex motivations that defy Victorian stereotypes and moments when she shares the spotlight with her male counterpart, Maurice Newbury, but there are other times when she is frustratingly damseled or distracted by her romantic interests in Newbury. The epilogue, too, undercuts all her motivations with a major reveal—with a close third person point of view, the reader should know about those motivations throughout the book! The content in the epilogue is great, but I think it should have been a complication within the narrative instead of tacked on at the end. The effect, overall, is a disappointment.
But let's talk about the automatons because that was an unexpected delight in this book—
While the automatons are completely unrealistic in so many ways, they are captivating. There's not an overabundance of trying to explain how these machines work, which is appropriate in a light sci-fi novel like this one (the novel itself is much more closely aligned with the crime/mystery genre than science fiction/steampunk).
Spoiler
As such, the introduction of human brains helping to push this advanced technology along is a fantastic idea! I love the idea of these automatons being some kind of early steampunk cyborg (which is not an idea developed in this narrative, just one I'm now excited to think about).Even though the epilogue suggested an interesting future for future exploits in this series, I think this is the only Newbury and Hobbes novel I'm planning to read.
Good detective novel. I wasn't sure at first but then it picked up and had just the right amount of dry humor and crazy occult stuff that by the end I wanted more. I am looking forward to reading another by this author!
While some plot-points felt rushed, it was an excellent excellent novel I would not hesitate to recommend.
A good steampunk romp through Victorian England, enjoyable, quick read.